Dense fog on LHHT
Black Moshannon Bog Natural Area

Black Moshannon Bog Natural Area

Black Moshannon State Park was a new adventure to me. It’s nice to be getting to some of the parks that I haven’t been to, so check one more off my list! Black Moshannon was stunning. The foliage, the bog, the lake. Unbelievable! We started the day with a good long hike on the Moss-Hanne Trail. This led right into the Black Moshannon Bog Natural Area. Yes, I’ve been to a bog before but never walked through one. Everything I read in preparation said that it would be a wet and muddy trail and that was accurate. Thankfully there are sections of raised boardwalk to get through most of the mucky stuff. Shortly after leaving the trailhead the first sign post is for the Alegheny Front Trail. About half mile or so from there I got to the first portion of the bog where the Black Moshannon Creek snaked it’s way through. After this first section of boardwalk was much needed shade of the forest of Pine Stands. Next I hit the second part of the boardwalk through the marsh and bog. Not far from here is the Blueberry Trail. I decided to keep going on the Moss-Hanne trail until it got so swampy I couldn’t go any further, turning around and heading back from where I came. This was an awesome trail to stretch my legs in between making photography. The elevation was perfect, only gaining roughly 520ft over 7 miles. I didn’t do the entire 7 but easily did 3.5 in just under a few hours.

The bog was very cool leading me through overgrown grasses, pitcher plants, various wildflowers all while the crickets were chirping, birds overhead, and frogs hopping around underneath. Black Moshannan Bog is not from past glacier activity, unlike Spruce Flats Bog. Instead, the bog formed because of the beds of sandstone that lie flat, a short distance below the surface of the earth. The sandstone formations in the park do not absorb water very well, so any depression in them will collect water.

There are many more trails to explore here and I cannot wait to get a chance to do so. From beautiful views to remote trails Black Moshannon has something for everyone.

SLB Photography
error: Content is protected, please contact StacyB@slb-photography.net for usage.