Balanced Rock – Trough Creek State Park

Trough Creek State Park is it’s own little gem. I try to make the 2.5 hour drive at least once if not twice a year. Trough Creek has many little secrets tucked away but not a huge trail system, and one that’s a little confusing and sometimes not well marked. Usually I make it here in the winter when Rainbow Falls is frozen over or ice is forming along the creek. This time I decided to go during the summer. I know of Balanced Rock, Rainbow Falls, and the Ice Mine. Balanced Rock was always one of the land features that intrigued me. It’s this huge boulder that after thousands of years is left teetering on the edge of a cliff. I’d have to say it’s probably one of the biggest draws in the park! While we were there at least a dozen or so people stopped for a visit. I can say that I was finally happy with the results of the photo. I find that while Balanced Rock is incredibly popular, it’s also very tough to photograph and I spent quite some time making a photo of it. That’s not all the park has to offer and I finally found Raven’s Rock, which from the reflections of the creek look like hundreds of flocking birds. We Really wanted to hike Brumbaugh Trail but could not find it. That was disappointing. Even still, we took Ledges trail to Copperas Rock Trail which made for a nice little hike up to the park’s highest point with a lovely view of the valley down below. I’d recommend Trough Creek to anyone looking for some unique geological landmarks and a short hike in either direction from Balanced Rock can lead to some peace and quiet off the trail.