PA Beartown Rocks, Clear Creek State Forest

Beartown Rocks, Clear Creek State Forest, NWPA (2 mile loop hike)

Each enormous block of resistant Pottsville Formation Sandstone was like an island to itself. My sister and I wandered around for over an hour in this rock city located on a ridge in Clear Creek State Forest atop the Allegheny Plateau in Jefferson County, PA. Some blocks contained curtains of ferns, other had small forests growing on top. Rock cities are cool to explore wherever  you find them, but Beartown Rocks seems especially magical. 

The opposite of mountain terrain, this is incised, heavily eroded landscape is caused by downcutting streams and freeze-and-thaw cycles over 300 million years. We were just south of the ice line that marks the extent of the last glacial period, so this topography has not been polished, moved, or dumped on. The formations here are weathered but edgey, pitted and pocked by moving water not ice, and pried by tree roots.

Caprock sandstone 

Flowing water created pockets in softer layers

Passageways are old water courses

Pottsville Formation Sandstone is found from Western New York and Western Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Virginia and all the way to Northern Alabama. The Allegheny Plateau contains many popular parks where this predominate rock type creates similar rock cities found at World's End State Park in PA or form high waterfalls like Blackwater Falls in West Virginia. Nearly horizontal layers of sandstone are interspersed with beds of limestone, siltstone and heavy shales (which contain oil, coal, and gas). From the overlook platform, the horizon is flat to gently rolling hills. All the deep valley topography happens downslope from where we were and the trails leading from the plateau to the valley bottoms can be quite steep and rocky.  

Beartown Rocks Platform  

Coarse-bedding of highly resistant sandstone

Trace fossils of sea creature burrows 

The island-effect was really captivating. Each large block contained its own arrangement of plant life including trees, ferns, mosses, and lichens. No two were the same. As we wove in and out of the narrow passageways, we discovered that each island also weathered differently too. Some blocks stood upright, level on top, allowing trees to grow as little groves. Others were tumbled sideways or slipped downslope a little. Caves and ledges were everywhere.

A forested island of stone

Dry liverwort adorns a ledge

The latest heat wave and drought was beginning to take its toll on the dry forest along the ridge. Many trees were shedding leaves and these crackled and crunch under our feet. Mosses, liverwort, and fern that lined the walls and ledges of the great blocks of stone were looking a little distressed. We decided to try one of two loops on the Beartown Rocks Trail and see if we could find a few seeps and cooler temperatures. 

Crumbled blocks

Dry mosses await rain in scour pockets

Trail intersection for two loops

As we descended into the valley we noticed right away the vast fern fields - a sign of abundant deer herds. They eat the understory right to the ground leaving a post-logging woods bare of succession. Nearby a very large deer exclosure wrapped around an old farm field that once belongs to the family who farmed this broad slope. It looked to be working as sapling hardwoods were bursting skyward behind the protective fence. Downslope from the exclosure we crossed several springy seeps.

Eastern Teaberry

Fern fields and no understory

We opted for the shorter loop of 1.8 miles around due to the heat - remembering that for every step down we'd have to step back up! The exclosure to our left and walking on a gas company road we noticed how lush the edges were, full of wet meadow plants blooming in the sun. Spotty shade and frequent breaks helped Amos manage the heat. 

Meadowsweet

Within the hour we were back at the truck in the main parking area, which had filled up with visitors. And, predictably, there were herds of deer nearby! 

Entrance off of a forest road - Corbett Road. 

Notes: 

Beartown Rocks is found in the state forest with the Clear Creek State Park very nearby. In this region there are many state forests and state parks embedded within the larger landscape of the Allegheny National Forest.