Visit the Park Page of Your Choice Below
The Blacklick Valley Natural Area and the nearby Buttermilk Falls Natural Area are the first formally established natural areas in the county park system. These areas are in direct support of the mission of the county park system that includes, "preserving, protecting, and enhancing county lands to improve the health of our people and the environmental health of the county," so hunting, camping and motorized vehicles are not permitted in BVNA.
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.
This thirty-foot high furnace, once used to produce up to 600 tons of iron a year, now stands unused. It is adjacent to the Ghost Town Trail extension and is open for visitors; though we do ask that for your own safety and the integrity of the structure you do not attempt to climb the furnace.
This site features an impressive 45 foot waterfall and scenic woodland. The 48-acre natural area was donated to Indiana County Parks in 1995 by the Keystone-Conemaugh Group, owners of the nearby Conemaugh Generating Station. As a natural area, the site has been set aside to protect both typical and unique plant and animal communities and to protect outstanding examples of natural beauty. Check out our detailed map
The Eliza Furnace is a National Register site regarded as one of Pennsylvania's best preserved iron furnaces. Dating from 1846 the Eliza Furnace is one of only a few iron furnaces remaining in the United States which still retains its original heat exchanger piping. The two-acre site is leased to Indiana County by the Cambria County Historical Society. It is conveniently located at the mid-point of the Ghost Town Trail, a 36 mile rail-trail in the Blacklick Creek Valley.
Hemlock Lake was originally called Straight Run Dam when it was completed by the Pennsylvania Fish Commission in 1970. The dam is 650 feet long and is 40 feet high at its highest point. The dam impounds a 60 acre lake. Its deepest point is approximately 33 feet. Indiana County Parks leases the site from the Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission as a public recreation area. Please be advised that the access roads to Hemlock Lake do not receive winter maintenance.
Memorial Park is located in Indiana Borough near the corner of Wayne Avenue and South 6th Street. This two-acre park is a shady retreat within Indiana, and although it is the smallest of the County Parks, Memorial Park is one of the most historic sites within Indiana County.
The property for Pine Ridge Park was purchased in 1966 and 1967 primarily with federal Land and Water Conservation Fund grants. At the time Pine Ridge was being constructed, Indiana County was simultaneously constructing Blue Spruce Park and Hemlock Lake. Students from Penn State's Landscape Architecture and Recreation Management departments created the original design for Pine Ridge Park. Students submitted park designs in a contest held by the Indiana County Planning Office in 1966.
Old Smicksburg Park is a 33-acre park located in Smicksburg Borough, in northwestern Indiana County. Since the year 2000 the park has been managed by the Smicksburg Area Heritage Society, under a management agreement with Smicksburg Borough. Effective March 24, 2010 the management agreement was transferred to Indiana County Parks & Trails. For more information, check out our handy Old Smicksburg brochure.
This 16 acre site, adjacent to the Conemaugh Dam in southwestern Indiana County, contains significant remnants of transportation history as well as standard park facilities, and access to much more in the adjacent area. Check out our Tunnelview Historic Site Map, as well!
The Waterworks Conservation Area is a 10-acre site located adjacent to Two Lick Creek, approximately 3 miles south of Indiana, Pennsylvania. The site was donated to Indiana County by Consol Energy. For more in-depth information about the Waterworks Conservation Area, check out our Waterworks Brochure.