Prince Gallitzin is a personal favorite of mine. As a kid, this was the park that we camped at most frequently, and now, we have started camping their with our own kids! It's such a beautiful park - definitely a favorite.
We headed out on a cold, but sunny Sunday to Prince Gallitzin. It took us about 1 1/2 to get there, but the kids did great. We first pulled into the camping office - which of course was "closed for the season" - and then headed to the next stop, Pickerel Pond. There we found a playground and a two very fun bridges.
The kids had the best time running circles from one bridge to the other and even found a 'tree cave' on our hike. After a few more stops at Beaver Valley Marina and McKee's Run (which were basically boat launches), we went to Beaverdam and had fun running around there.
Overall, we had a great time at Prince Gallitzin. We had most of the park to ourselves - not too many others there - and there was plenty of space to run around and have a great time. Plus, even though we had been there a bunch, there was a lot we hadn't seen before!!
On to the next stop, Allegheny Portage Railroad National Historic Site - which was the first railroad constructed through the Allegheny Mountains - that connected two canal lines. We stopped here, quickly taking a walk through the museum and then headed down to the railroad tracks and the Lemon House. The kids had a fun time running around ... and checking out the Lemon House - which was a tavern located alongside the railroad tracks. Overall, a short stop, but a neat place to visit. The kids weren't into the "history" of it, but liked checking it out.
And although we have been at Prince Gallitzin a ton of times, we had never been at Beaverdam - so that was very fun!
Overall, we had a great time at Prince Gallitzin. We had most of the park to ourselves - not too many others there - and there was plenty of space to run around and have a great time. Plus, even though we had been there a bunch, there was a lot we hadn't seen before!! After a quick stop at the bathrooms we decided to head out to Horseshoe Curve next. This is another spot that my family went to often during my childhood - my dad is a train buff. If you don't know, Horseshoe Curve is a famous railroad horseshoe-shaped curve near Altoona that is called an "engineering marvel" and is labeled a National Historic Landmark. The kids were excited about seeing it ... of course, little did we know, that the park is closed for the season!! Bummer!
Great trip .... will definitely head up to Prince Gallitzin again ... :)
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