Continuing my birthday journey of crossing Laurel Ridge collecting passport stamps, I have already visited Linn Run and Laurel Summit to the north I retrace my steps back on the Laurel Summit road and now continue across the Hickory Flats through the Forbes State Forest and enter Somerset county utilizing township and legislative roads crossing the Pennsylvania turnpike and ending up near the tiny hamlet of Bakersville and continuing west a bit on PA 31 to the Kooser State Park office.
As seen in prior visits, former pit latrines have since been removed with park modernization, including those on the Lake Look road. As such, a modern accessible restroom has been added to the park office building where there is also information and a phone where local, collect and toll-free calls can be made.
The park office was open on the day of my visit, which I always like to go in and see the drawing of the cabin colony by a former park employee. Meanwhile, I get my passport stamped and learn that the park office and visitor center at Laurel Hill is open. I collect information and proceed to the Campground as it is near turnover time and it is Sunday to scope out the sites for a future visit.
Proceeding down Tree Army Road from the park office, the cabins are to the right. Similar to Linn Run there is a modern cabin for disabled guests and the remaining 8 are served by a modern shower house, though there are gender-specific multiple occupancy sides there is also a family assist restroom within the cabin colony available for users.The cabins, constructed by the Civilian Conservation Corps are of various design and capacities.
At the far end of the 260-acre park is the balloon loop campground. The campground is totally pet friendly and as you enter to the right in the space that once served group tenters is now three single walk-in sites and the campground playground. While many of the sites are for RVs, there are a few walk in tent sites. Some are pull through and others are back in, mostly on gravel pads. Pull throughs include sites 1, 2, 5, 6, and 9 that seem distanced along with 12, 31 and 32 that comprise the standard electrical hookup while 17, 18, 20 and 21 are pull throughs that contain full hookups, Site 16 is the location where the former walled tent that some parks in this region used to have and as such, there is a pavilion and under its respective picnic table. Site 19 is tent-only as it buffers the tributary leading from Kooser spring, the park's first water supply before recent public water arrived via the county water system in recent years. Site 24 isa walk-in site clinging to the hillside.
Making your way through the campground is the modern showerhouse on the right a modern shower house, though there are gender-specific multiple occupancy sides there is also a family assist restroom serving the campground, replacing the pit latrines of decades ago. Following the campground loop you will pass the host site #30, a pull through with electric along with 31 and 32 that are solely electric pull throughs. Heading back the way you came in as it is the sole way in and out.
Retreating back to the office, you can head down the Lake Loop Road where picnic tables and grills dot the roadside before a bridge crosses Kooser run. You will reach PA 31. You will see a large parking area for the day-use area as you exit the road, but you will need to again head west on PA31 a bit to reenter this. Below the parking area you will find a modern restroom building that has changing stalls within in for beach patrons. This replaced the former pit latrines and open-air changing stockade that was here for several decades. Towards the left below the parking lot is the dam breast which you can cross and explore the peninsula where in the center has many foot traveled trails. Back on the side where you came land on the opposite side of the restroom facility, you will find a sand beach,former lifeguard station that is no longer in use and a wood and steel playground. Following the main patthway into the woods is the Mighy Oak pavilion, the parks only pavilion that is one of only a few things left of the day use are of the Civilian Conservation Corps. The only other thing that could remind you of this is the stone building near the restrooms that for a long time had vending machines for patrons, however it has since been closed off. Heading further, you can follow the trail and cross Kooser run to the park office.
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