Hyner View

Find Your Outside Voice: A Hyner View

[heading size=”2″ color=”e.g. #000″]Find Your Outside Voice: A Hyner View[/heading]

As Route 120 twists along from the small town of Emporium to the city of Lock Haven, the Sinnemahoning Creek and the West Branch of the Susquehanna River accompany you on one side of the road as rolling hills and rock cliffs remain constant on the other.

Hyner View State Park

Hyner View State Park

Each sharp turn and crest of a hill reveals another beautiful, densely wooded stretch of narrow road that seems to go on forever in near total isolation, with almost zero cell phone signal and often miles between residences. This route was always my favorite to travel home and back during the four years I attended Lock Haven University. The drive was sort of symbolic for me; a coming back to nature with plenty of fresh air to help clear my mind.

Nearly 25 miles outside of Lock Haven the hills part just enough to give you a chance to look up from the road and take in the scene of the widened valley. On the right, way, way up at the top of the hill there’s a clearing and a retaining wall. This is Hyner View State Park.

CCC Monument

CCC Monument

The retaining wall at Hyner View was constructed by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s. A newly erected bronze statue pays tribute to the hard work of the men of the CCC and their contributions to our public lands. The park now serves as a scenic overlook of the valley and is frequently used by hang gliders.

Hyner View skyline

Hyner View skyline

The park is also the location of the popular Hyner Trail Challenge. This challenging course includes three major climbs and steep descents. This race is not for the faint of heart!

This isolated treasure is easily missed unless you know what you’re looking for. The winding drive up and down the hillside is intimidating but worth every white-knuckled second. Enjoy Hyner View as an afternoon picnic destination or catch the Hyner Hang Gliding Club taking off from the steep hillside during one of their events.

For more information visit the Hyner View State Park website.

Our posts about state park adventures in the Pennsylvania Wilds are underwritten by Find Your Outside Voice, a local brand that encourages people of all ages and skill levels to get into nature. Find Your Outside Voice has a fun contest going on where you can win outdoor gear for a family of four (including a super cool Tentsile tent that hangs from the trees!). Be sure to check it out at FindYourOutsideVoice.com.

1 Comment

  1. Sean Hawk on July 29, 2016 at 12:06 pm

    A beautiful article about a special place. Thank you!

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