Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) Camps on the Pine Creek Watershed

During the Civilian Conservation Corps era, 1933-1942, there were 11 camps on the Pine Creek Watershed, each with the ‘S’ designation indicating PA Department of Forests and Water camps. The Army provided the necessities for the camps - shelter, clothing, food, medical supplies and equipment. Forests and Water, now the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, planned the work projects and supervised the CCC boys in the completion of these projects--which included tree planting, building fire towers and fire trails, forest fire fighting, erecting stone and wooden walls and steps, constructing roads and trails, and developing fish hatcheries and state parks.

The Lyman Run Camp CCC project developed many of the roads and trails in that area, which started Lyman Run State Park and developed Cherry Springs State Park. A log pavilion at Cherry Springs State Park is a real work of art as is the log structure that was rebuilt to commemorate the original hotel along the Coudersport Pike. The park is very popular now with Woodmen’s Weekend in August and the summer dark sky star shows. Both of these camps were on the Susquehannock State Forest.

There were five CCC camps on the Tioga State Forest land. The work of the Asaph Camp included the erection of a fire tower, the standard CCC projects, and the development of a fish hatchery. After a destructive fire, the camp was renamed and moved to the Darling Run Camp, which was directly on Pine Creek and accessible by the New York Central Railroad -- now the Pine Creek Rail Trail. The boys of this camp developed the two Pennsylvania Grand Canyon State Parks: Leonard Harrison and Colton Point.

The Watrous Camp built the Thompson Hollow Road that made Colton Point State Park accessible from the west and built numerous roads in conjunction with the Leetonia camp. The layout of the camps were unique. Several buildings, accessible by elaborate wooden steps, were erected on the hillside on a former logging railroad grade with vistas cut along their roads. The Leetonia Camp was located in a former logging town. These camps built many fire trails and the West Rim Hiking Trail.

The Dixie Run camp was located between Morris and Blackwell where CCC boys built roads and trails in the lower Pine Creek Gorge. The CCC boys often threw mini Kellogg’s cereal boxes to the Blackwell kids on their way to their work projects.

The Slate Run Camp was located along the Francis Branch of the Slate Run stream and had a medical facility called the “Walter Reed Junior Hospital.” They built a splash dam swimming area patterned after the dams used to move logs during the logging era. The Cammal Camp, like Darling Run, was also located on the wrong side of the creek. After several bridges were wiped out by ice jams and high water, the camp was moved to Maryland. The Tiadaghton Camp had several names during its history: Waterville, Haneyville, and finally Tiadaghton Camp.