Cooksburg, PA - Cooks Forest State Park

Cooksburg, PA - Cooks Forest State Park

River Road along the Clarion River, PA

I first became aware of the Clarion River and the roads that snake along its banks and cut up through the forest and over the ridges in the mid-1960s when, as a summer camper with the YMCA, I signed up for canoe trips and learned to love this region of Pennsylvania. In years later, I returned to the area with school friends and girlfriends to hike the roads and trails, camp in the dense pine forests and navigate the meandering reaches of the river by canoe.

The Clarion stretches across north central Pennsylvania cutting a crooked path through the mountain ridges and along the valleys to where it flows into the Allegheny River. From the Allegheny River confluence, the river traces upstream through Clarion County to the place where the river forms the boundary between Forest and Jefferson counties, and later between Elk and Jefferson counties. Then where the Elk-Jefferson county line turns southeast, the river continues through the heart of Elk County on its north easterly run through the towns of Ridgeway and Johnsonburg. Victorian houses and small clusters of businesses, churches and cemeteries fill the hollows where the road descends from the ridges to the river valleys below.

But this is a description of the road, not the river. River Road traces the course of the river between the upstream town of Hallton and Cooksburg at the junction of Clarion, Forest and Jefferson counties. This 21 mile road meanders with the river, intermittently following close to the bank and high on the slopes that sheds its snow melt into the river. The surface conditions range from new or well worn asphalt to well packed gravel. Most of what was gravel is now paved. Grades at times become steep, but altogether it is a grand ride.

It rained all the night the day we set out for Cooksburg. The morning was soggy but the day promised to clear up later. As we set out for the northern part of the state, the rain returned and poured almost all the way up. I had decided that we should continue regardless of the weather to reconnoiter the area anyway after the long absence from the area. A few time the cloud cover teased us with intervals of sunshine then dashed those hopes with renewed precipitation. On this trip, my mother and her German Shorthair Pointer were my SAG team so that a return along the meandering road would not be necessary. Virginia and Tory are truly a team, being inseparable except for a few hours at a time for necessary chores and errands. For the longer trips away from home, the Cozy Inn is Tory's home away from home. In this extended outing, she minded her own affairs on the floor in the back next to the trike.

The two hours driving north seemed longer with the rain and the slow going in the diminished visibility of torrents of rain and window condensation. Finally, as Cooksburg came into view, the vague recollection of the turnoff to River Road crystallized in my mind and we turned off Route 36 to follow the river.

Accessibility comes even to the rural woodlands of North Central Pennsylvania

The incessant rain had the whole place hunkered down and out of sight. There was no one around to be seen. Even as we drive the first 13 miles along the road, not even a car or truck passed us or was passed by us the whole time. Then part way to Hallton, there was a construction site where one of the very few river crossing bridges was being replaced and upgraded. Deep areas of mud abounded, so that limited the length of any possible rides for the day to the first 13 miles and not longer. The van even had difficulty slipping through the zone.

New asphalt hides the old character
of the river road.

By 4:00 the rain had relented and a few unfamiliar dry spots on the pavement began to appear. After looping around from the trip limits in Hallton, we came back to where there was a convenient "trailhead" from which to launch the boat, oh, I mean get out the trike and set off along the road. The afternoon sun immediately raised humidity and a dense feeling atmosphere that weighted heavily in my lungs as I started off on the last 8 miles before reaching Route 36 back at the turnoff. The earthy smell of damp rich pine forest and natural gas filled the air as I cruised in the down stream direction. Pine smells and the gas emanated from the forest. The pine odors are self explanatory, but the gas needs a bit of explanation. About 20 feet or so back from the road and as far up in elevation along the steep slope of the mountainside there is a 2.5 inch steel natural gas pipe that serves a few isolated customers who live along this idyllic stretch of byway. It rests directly on the surface of the ground and rests against the roots of trees on the high-side. Over the years, a few pin-holes or coupling leaks let escape just enough gas to be detected by nose but not enough so as anyone is willing to repair the problem. All and all it is not a bad leak problem.

The last part of the river (and River Road) make long wide meanders that obscure the road ahead and alternately reveal its nature. The ride lasted only about one hour but the clearing skies did bring out the dormant riders and hikers. By the time I rolled in to parking lot by the highway, there were dozens of people just beginning their treks for the day. Smoky cook fires filled the air with aromas of charcoal and the better scents of pine bark. With the short ride now done we headed home to Pittsburgh and back into the rainy skies and setting sun, where ever it was.

Autumn would be a good time to return to Cooks Forest and end the ride with a waiting meal and a warm fire prepared by the SAG driver who has to mind the equipment and not make the ride.

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