Destination Thursday: an early September stroll through the meadow flowers of Moraine State Park

The gently rolling hills, lush forests and sparkling waters disguise a land that has endured the effects of continental glaciers and massive mineral extraction.

Moraine State Park features 3,225-acre Lake Arthur, an outstanding warm water fishery that is also great for sailing and boating. Visitors sometimes see osprey that were reintroduced to the park. Of special interest is the Frank Preston Conservation Area and a 7-mile paved bike trail that winds around the north shore of the lake. The best time to see fall meadow flowers at Moraine State Park is during the first two weeks of September.

In 1926, Frank W. Preston of England moved to the town of Meridian and opened a glass research lab. A leader in glass research, Dr. Preston was also a geologist and naturalist. On a trip to the Muddy Creek Valley, he noticed how the hills changed their shape and attributed it to the glacial periods. Preston studied the land for decades and named many of the landforms after Edmund Watts Arthur, a prominent Pittsburgh attorney and naturalist. With the support of friends, Preston formed Western Pennsylvania Conservancy, which went on to later purchase land that recreated the glacial landscape and preserved open space. Muddy Creek was dammed to create modern Lake Arthur as a smaller version of glacial Lake Watts.

Park information, launch permits, cabin information and assistance can be obtained at the park office near the entrance to the South Shore. It is open year round Monday through Friday 8 a.m. - 4 p.m. A secondary office at the Davis Hollow Marina on the North Shore can provide marina applications and general park information. It is open 24 hours a day April 15 through October 30th.

Directions to Moraine State Park.

WPC Daily featured a history of the damming of Lake Arthur in our May 23rd Entry

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