The Poe Paddy Drive and the Ingleby Overlook

Looking up Highland Valley
The Ingleby Overlook

I'm going to start this with a warning: If your vehicle doesn't have a lot of clearance, do not attempt to drive to this vista. There were a couple places along this road I wasn't sure that my truck was going to clear. You can park at the Penns View Overlook and hike back to this vista which is about a two/two and a half mile round trip.

Every now and then, I get strange ideas in my head and rather than think it out, I act. After spending the day in Poe Valley, I decided to take Gary up to the overlooks. When I saw the sign "No Maintenance" at the base of the mountain at Poe Paddy State Park, I knew it was going to be rough. The sad part is that it is just as rough as I remember traveling on it almost fifteen years ago.

Ingleby, from the Ingleby Overlook

The road up the side of the mountain is narrow in places and I only hoped that nobody else had decided to come down the mountain because it would be a tight fit. At the top of the mountain there is an overgrown vista. The last time I was out here there was a path out to the point overlooking Penns Creek as it bends around the mountain. A slight trail still goes up over the bank but quickly disappears. Not being dressed for bushwhacking, we decided not to hike the short distance to the point and we soon continued on our way.

The next mile was definitely exciting. The first portion was a single dirt track that ran the very top of the mountain; looking out either window of the truck was a view straight down the mountainside. After passing this portion of the road, we soon found ourselves on a really rough, eroded piece of road. A couple times I had to debate which way I was going to take the truck so not to slide into any of the gulleys eroded in the middle of the road. We finally got to another smooth (still rough, but not as rough) piece of road.

Looking at Poe Valley from the
Raven's Knob Overlook

We found ourselves at another overlook; it was Raven's Knob. A small spur road goes the twenty yards up the mountainside to another vista, but coming up from the Poe Paddy side I wasn't able to easily make the turn onto the spur road without hitting some of the protruding rocks. Parking at the base of the spur road, Gary and I walked up to the open area. Northward I could see mountains and far to the left of the vista I could see hints of the secluded community of Ingleby. Looking to the south of this vista I could see down Poe Valley. At the far side of the opening for the vista an old road disappeared into the woods. Though the ruts could be still seen in the ground, it hadn't been used in many, many years because of the trees growing up in the middle of the road.

The next mile was the worst section of this road. I stopped counting the number of times I had to stop, get out of the truck and debate what I was going to do. The last thing I wanted to do was bounce into the deep ruts in the road or clip one of the large rocks protruding out of the dirt road. Then we discovered the next vista.

The Ingleby Overlook

The Ingleby Overlook is (in my opinion) a much better vista than Penns View, but getting to it is much harder. The overlook has a number of rocks protruding from the mountainside that allows a grand view of Ingleby and a view up Lick Hollow. Gary and I explored the rocks and enjoyed the sights from this vista as I pointed out the sights below us. After exploring the area and taking more pictures than either of us could count, we continued on until we reached Penns View.

For those interested in seeing the Ingleby Overlook, I would recommend parking at Penns View and hiking in to visit it. It would roughly be a two/two and a half mile round trip from this point. If you have a truck with clearance and bravery, you can drive right up to it.

Penns View Overlook

Penns View Overlook, Coburn
Coburn train tunnel is to the left of the bridge

It had been years since I was last out to the overlooks above Coburn and Ingleby. Though the adventure I had had the last time is still as fresh in my mind as it was all those years ago, this past summer I decided it was time to refresh the memories and revisit them.

The most talked about of the vistas is Penns View (also called Penns Creek Vista in some sources). From the vista, I could see northward to Coburn, Penns Valley, and mountains beyond. This vista is also the easiest of the vistas along Poe Paddy Drive to visit, though the road is rough getting there. Most cars can clear the road back to this vista, though taking any vehicle past this first vista is not advisable - unless it has high ground clearance.

The first time I had ever heard of Penns View was in Where To Go and Place-Names of Centre County written by Paul Dubbs in 1959. Unfortunately many of the recommended vistas he writes about have long since disappeared, but this one still remains. Dubbs refers to Penns View as one of the most majestic vistas in Centre County and I have to agree with his description.

Years ago when I first visited Penns View I wasn't disappointed at all with the view. On my return, years after my initial visit, I was pleased to discover that the view is just as beautiful today as I remembered.

Looking towards Coburn and Millheim

Looking northward, a number of things jump out. Far below Penns Creek cuts through the mountains. Almost immediately below is the train bridge that is a part of the Rails to Trails that goes from Coburn to Ingleby and beyond. Penns Creek makes a horseshoe curve around a piece of land that the old Lewisburg and Tyrone Railroad cut a tunnel through. As I stood there, I could see someone walking across the bridge, headed for a walk on the trail or maybe seeking out their favorite fishing place along Penns Creek.

Looking left from the view, one can see the small community of Coburn through the gap in the mountains. Farther beyond Coburn some of the buildings of Millheim can be seen. Looking towards the right of the vista, the clearing that is the remote town of Ingleby can barely be seen. In the distance, as far as one can see, is Nittany Mountain. As I stood there, I could only stand in absolute awe at the beauty stretching out before me; no words could come to mind at that moment.

The trip was worth the adventure. I know that it will not be years until my next visit.

Looking up at Penns View Overlook
From the train bridge crossing Penns Creek

To find Penns View, take the Siglersville-Millheim Pike out of the Coburn area. At the top of the mountain, turn left onto Pine Swamp Road. The next left is Poe Paddy Drive - Penns View is the first vista that is along the road.

Most vehicles should be able to make it to Penns View. I would strongly urge that no vehicle (unless it has clearance and four wheel drive) continue past this point. The rest of the road clear into Poe Paddy State Park is best described by the signs along the road: No Maintenance.

Hiking State Game Lands #92

Overlooking Milesburg from the gas line
The small knob in the center is Point McCoy

This year I set my goal at hiking at least one hundred miles and in the process of obtaining that goal, I've "discovered" a lot of new places. The amazing part about these "discoveries" is that a lot of them are within a thirty minute drive of my home. Even more amazing is the fact I never knew they existed.

One of the nicest hikes I've done this year was on State Game Lands #92 near Milesburg. I've traveled past and through the gamelands countless times, but never actually got out to explore them. I need to thank Eric, Juniata and family for turning my attention towards these gamelands for exploration.

Early one May morning, Adam and I took off to do a little hiking and we decided to hike a part of SGL #92. Finding the parking area for the section we hiked was definitely a big part of the adventure. Turning off of Route 150, Curtin Hollow Road goes through the midst of the gamelands. Often I've seen deer, turkey, and an occassional bear while driving up and down the hollow, but this morning we didn't see any on the way into the gamelands, though we did see a turkey during the hike.

The trail across SGL #92 is an old road

 Near the top of the hollow, at the first farm you come to, take a left onto Fetzer Road. After making this left, the parking for the gamelands can easily be missed; I almost missed it myself. If you reach the top of the hill once you turn onto Fetzer Road, you missed the parking area; the parking area is on the left at the start of a private driveway. There is enough parking for two or three vehicles, so please don't block the driveway.

The trail through this portion of the gamelands is an old road. It goes between the private residence and the neighboring farm as it gradually climbs the hillside. We soon found ourselves past the last signs of humanity as the road made its way through the woods. A couple of places we could see even older roads branching off and headed into the hollows, but we didn't follow them seeing we were in search of a vista.

At the apex of the grass trail, a dirt path heads up over the hill to the right (if you start back down the hill you went too far, but seeing it is the only "major" path off of this road, it shouldn't be hard to find.) This path leads to the top of the mount, coming out on the gasline.

I had no clue how beautiful the view from the vista was; to think I had been missing it all these years. Towards the south we could see Milesburg, Point McCoy and some of Bellefonte beyond. An occassional tractor trailer could be seen passing through the trees and hills below as it traveled to some faraway destination on Interstate 80. The beauty of this overlook was amazing as I stood there taking it all in.

Looking northward from the gas line

Walking to the far side of the mount, I could see the gas line crossing through farmlands before disappearing over a mountain in the distance. Though also a beautiful view, it is not as breath-taking as the view to the south.

After enjoying the view, we reluctantly headed back, covering the same ground as we had hiked up to the vista. In the one clearing (the only small clearing once the path leaves the farmland) we jumped a turkey on the way back down.

The hike isn't a hard one, but it isn't handicap accessible. For those who love vistas, this one is worth the hike out to enjoy it. It was roughly a mile in each direction.

A side note: if you are interested in benchmarks, there is one near the gasline and the dirt path leading out to the gas line. It is in the woods to the right of the path and had I not been told about it, I would not have noticed it.