Ravensburg State Park facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Ravensburg State Park |
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IUCN Category III (Natural Monument)
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The dam on Rauchtown Run in Ravensburg State Park was built by the CCC.
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 Ravensburg State Park
Location in Pennsylvania
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| Location | Crawford, Clinton, Pennsylvania, United States |
| Area | 78 acres (32 ha) |
| Elevation | 1,030 ft (310 m) |
| Established | 1933 |
| Named for | Ravens that nest on the cliffs at the park |
| Governing body | Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources |
| Website | Ravensburg State Park |
Ravensburg State Park is a cool state park in Clinton County, Pennsylvania. It's located in a deep valley, called a gorge. This gorge was carved out by a stream called Rauchtown Run.
The park is 78 acres (32 ha) of wooded land. It's almost completely surrounded by the huge Tiadaghton State Forest. You can find Ravensburg State Park on Pennsylvania Route 880. It's about 8 miles (13 km) north of Carroll and 8 miles (13 km) south-east of Jersey Shore. The closest big city is Williamsport.
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Park History and Name
Ravensburg State Park got its name from the ravens. These smart birds used to nest on the rocky ledges at the park's southern end. You can still see ravens flying around the park today. Even though there's no town called Ravensburg nearby, the name makes sense because of these birds. The closest small community is the village of Rauchtown.
The forest around and inside the park hasn't changed much in the last 100 years. It's very rocky, and the gorge is narrow. This means not much timber has been cut down here.
Built by the CCC
Ravensburg State Park was built a long time ago, in the 1930s. This was during a tough time called the Great Depression. A special group called the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) built it. President Franklin D. Roosevelt started the CCC. It helped young men find work during the Depression.
The CCC built many things in the park that are still used today. They built a small dam on Rauchtown Run. This dam creates a swimming hole for visitors. The CCC also built picnic shelters, restrooms, bridges, and hiking trails. They even put in water lines and fountains.
Because of all the amazing work the CCC did, Ravensburg State Park is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This means it's a very important historical site.
Amazing Geology
Over many, many years, Rauchtown Run has slowly carved its way through the mountains. This created the deep gorge where the park is located. The stream eventually flows into the West Branch Susquehanna River.
You can see tall, pointy rock formations in the park. These are called Castle Rocks. They are made of sandstone. You can see them from the Mid State Trail. People say they look like the towers of an old castle. These cool rocks were formed by frost action. This happens when water freezes and expands in cracks, slowly breaking the rock apart.
Fun Things to Do
Camping Adventures
If you love camping, bring your tent! Ravensburg State Park only has tent camping. The campground is located downstream from the dam. Each campsite has a fire ring for campfires and a picnic table for meals.
Picnic Fun
Ravensburg is a great place for picnics. Families and groups often come here to enjoy meals outdoors. There are three picnic areas in the park. Each area has picnic tables, shelters, and charcoal grills. There's also a central playfield. It has a playground and several horseshoe pits for games.
Hiking Trails
The park has about one mile (1.6 km) of hiking trails. The Raven Trail runs along Rauchtown Run. It gives easy access to the creek for fishing. There are also smaller trails that lead to cool rocky spots. These trails connect to other hiking paths in the state forest. The very long 306-mile (492 km) Mid State backpacking trail can be reached from Ravensburg State Park.
Fishing Fun
If you like to fish, you'll find native brook trout and brown trout in Rauchtown Run. The water is cold, which is perfect for these fish. You can also fish in the smaller streams that flow into Rauchtown Run.
Hunting (Nearby)
Ravensburg State Park is only 78 acres (32 ha) big. Because of its small size, hunting is not allowed inside the park itself. However, there's a huge hunting area nearby. The surrounding Tiadaghton State Forest has 215,000 acres (87,000 ha) where hunting is permitted.
Nearby State Parks
Here are some other state parks not too far from Ravensburg State Park:
- Bald Eagle State Park (Centre County)
- Bucktail State Park Natural Area (Cameron and Clinton Counties)
- Hyner Run State Park (Clinton County)
- Hyner View State Park (Clinton County)
- Little Pine State Park (Lycoming County)
- McCalls Dam State Park (Centre County)
- Milton State Park (Northumberland County)
- R. B. Winter State Park (Union County)
- Reeds Gap State Park (Mifflin County)
- Sand Bridge State Park (Union County)
- Shikellamy State Park (Union and Northumberland Counties)
- Susquehanna State Park (Lycoming County)
- Upper Pine Bottom State Park (Lycoming County)
Images for kids
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The ballfield at Ravensburg State Park
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The playground at Ravensburg State Park
