Zindel Park, Crashed Plane, and Trails | Fun Things in Lock Haven, PA

Overview

In Pennsylvania, there are a myriad of different trails and pathways that you could chose to explore. Ranging from short and easy, to long and very complex navigation that requires agility and concentration. Of these, one stands out as a great intermediate locations for beginners and seasoned hikers alike - Zindel Park!

Zindel Park is located just outside of McElhattan to the South and to the East of Lock Haven in a fairly accessible location, where road conditions are very good and easy going.

The park itself has some very interesting history, initially being established back in 1929 when the City of Lock Haven was performing an overhaul of its Water System nad named after the a member of the local government, Philip Zindel. There is a large house that resides in the park that had originally been constructed for the maintenance man to use in which Zindel was a major source of direction. The monument located near the house is actually built from lava rock sourced from Mt. Etna in Italy - provided primarily by Zindel's brother-in-law (source).

Whether you are visiting Zindel Park for the beautiful history or equally beautiful environment, the park has something for everyone. If you are in the area or are traveling through, it is certainly worth a stop. Fun Things in Lock Haven

Fun Things in Lock Haven

Where is it?

Address: Reservoir Rd, Lock Haven, PA 17745

Coordinates: 41.13618413288185, -77.34107506621007

Pictured above is the parking lot for Zindel Park

One of the more popular moderate difficulty trails ascends the mountain side where there is actually a small, downed single engine plane with he identifier N32777. If you are interested in checking this out for yourself, the exact coordinates for the crashed airplane are:

41.129646, -77.373703

A route detailing the path to the downed plane atop the mountainside

Just be warned, if you do decide to take this route - it is notably spotty in some areas - so downline offline maps ahead of time!

The Good

Directions and the road into the parking are exceptionally easy going. We had no issues finding the park nor any issues parking. There is plenty of room, even for larger trucks. Walking towards the main trail, the lush forest and flora blooming all around, it is easy to get caught up in the beauty of the place.

The entrance to the primary trail from the parking lot

Walking through the gate, the path is well maintained. There is not much, if any garbage strewn about like you might see in the inner city trails you can find.

Just past the red gate main entrance.

As you continue walking down this road, you will come to a point where on your left hand side there is a trail labeled "Goat Path". This path will lead up the side of the mountain, but be warned - this path is very steep and in some places will require that you pull yourself up and over with roots or surrounding trees. If you're looking for a challenge path and a great view - I definitely recommend this path. However, this day we took things a bit easier and did not go up this way.

After you cross a small bridge and utility shed on your left - you will come to a clearing where Zindel Park is located. The park itself contains the old maintenance workers house as mentioned in the overview, a monument with lava rock from Mt Etna in Italy and a very neat dam just behind the house.

To the left is the Goat Path ascending the hillside, straight ahead is leading to the bridge

A small structure just before the bridge you must cross to get to Zindel Park

Crossing the small bridge, looking down into the small stream

Just across the bridge and small structure - around a small bend in the road

The utility shed with graffiti on it

A small friend made along the way! (American Giant Millipede)

A view of the entrance to Zindel Park

The monument made from Lava Rock imported from Mt Etna, Italy

Unfortunately, I did not get any shots of the maintenance workers old house or the dam that is behind the house. We will be making a trip back out at some point to revisit this location and get some more photos!

The Bad

To be quite honest, with how short of a walk this was to Zindel Park and how easy going it was, there isn't really much that I can complain about. One thing that you may want to note is that there are no rest rooms in the area, so make sure to consider this before your visit. To some that have gone on more challenging trails, this might be a little bit slow for your tastes, but that is entirely dependent on the person.

Additionally, other visitors frequent this site with their dogs and can sometimes not clean up as they should (despite there being baggies provided at the entrance of the park). So, watch out for any surprises their four legged friends may have left for you.

Finally, if you are going after a heavy rain, expect there to be a little bit of mud. Like many trails, puddles, mud and the like are common after such storms and can dirty up a nice set of new shoes.

Conclusion

All in all, we highly recommend this lovely little park. The walk is incredibly easy, there is options to take more difficult trails if you want to push yourself. The history of the park is fascinating along side the absolutely stunning views that mother nature has to offer herself. If you are in the area or even if you're driving through - this place is certainly worth the time to check out and admire.

It should be noted that there was some debate on whether the Zindel Park house be torn down and replaced with facilities, but the locals challenged this. The house may or may not be around in the following years - so it may be best to visit while it remains!

Happy trails, all.

Our Rating

9/10