General Info
Blue Spruce Park is a beautiful 650 acre public park located six miles north of Indiana, Pennsylvania. Indiana County established Blue Spruce Park in 1966, but recreational use of the site first occurred in the early part of the century. Blue Spruce is the home of the Cummings Dam. An historical marker honoring Bernice Gera, a native of nearby Ernest, PA, is also located in the park. Gera was the first female umpire to work in a professional baseball league. Read more about the park’s history and attractions below.
Activities & Accommodations
Hiking & Skiing
Blue Spruce features over five miles of trails. The Getty Run Trail is level, wide, and scenic, offering the ideal setting to practice skiing skills. Both sides of the lake are open and gently sloping, creating additional opportunities for beginning skiers. For more challenging skiing experiences, try the Vista Ridge, PCC, and Aspen trails. A Blue Spruce Park Trail Map is available here in PDF format, and while you’re getting your hike in, why not do some bird-watching? Feel free to take advantage of our comprehensive Blue Spruce Park Bird List. This list was compiled by Margaret Higbee using data collected by the Todd Bird Club in conjunction with the Special Areas Project sponsored by the Pennsylvania Society for Ornithology.
Hunting & Fishing
Portions of the park are open to hunting, they can easily be found on this map. Most hunting takes place between October and December, but various seasons are open throughout the year. Check the PA Game Commission’s website for a complete list of hunting seasons. Blue Spruce Park also offers a 12-acre lake stocked with trout for public fishing.
New regulations regarding the type of hunting firearms and equipment are now in effect. Please review the regulations at this link.
Pavilions, Lodge
The park has four pavilions and two lodges available for public rental. The pavilions seat groups from 35 to 250 people. Blue Spruce Lodge accommodates 100 people and the Lakeside Center has an indoor capacity of 50 people, with extra seating available on a large deck area. Other features at the park include two playgrounds, a volleyball court, horseshoe court, and areas for games and sports open to everyone. For a better idea of where our facilities are, take a look at our detailed facility map.
Master Gardener’s Trial Garden
Also located in the park are the Indiana County Master Gardener Demonstration Gardens. Initially created in 1996, an Indiana Girl Scout Troop received a Youth Conservation Grant to create a butterfly garden that, along with a generous donation from Dorothy Musser, evolved into the gardens of today.
These Demonstration Gardens illustrate an extensive collection of plants, grasses, and shrubbery that can be used in local landscapes. It contains several bedding areas, each with a different focus, including a Deer Resistant Garden, Three-Season Garden, Rose and Rose Companion Garden, Native Shrubs and ground covers, Pollinator gardens, Daylily garden, Landscape Grasses, a Rain Garden, and a Memorial Garden which honors deceased Master Gardeners.
In addition, there is an extensive Herb Garden, located above the stone wall, which contains herbs that are also grouped by themes and traditional uses, including a Tea Garden and Culinary Herb Garden.
