Last fall and winter a few friends and I spent most of our weekends exploring as many places as we could close to home. We would spend our spare time at work searching Pinterest and google for interesting places in our area. We researched everything from national parks and waterfalls, to abandoned buildings and fun restaurants. Conemaugh Dam was one of those places that came up on our searches. Although at the time we didn’t come across anything about the Tunnelton bridges, they were a lovely surprise once we showed up. If you are anything like me and enjoy experiencing new places, and find beauty in just about everything then you’re going to want to put this place on your list as a place to stop and check out sometime.
The whole reason the Conemaugh Dam was built.
On St. Patricks Day (March 16th) 1936, two inches of rain fell in Western Pennsylvania and managed to cause one of the region’s worst natural disasters. Throughout the winter the Western Pennsylvania area had already accumulated 63 inches of snow. With the rain and warm temperatures the snow melted causing flooding all over. The flood washed into the streets of downtown Pittsburgh, wiping out historic businesses within hours. The river levels reached a high of 46 feet at the Point, which left more than half of the businesses downtown underwater. It took a week for the water to recede. In which time 62 people were found dead, 500 injured, 135,000 homeless, and millions of dollars in damage.
Just a quick side note. Both of the black and white images above do not belong to me. Most images on my blog are taken by me myself and I, but when they are not I will always credit where I got them. So the information about the flood and the black and white photos taken during the flood both came from the Heinz History Center Blog. Feel free to click the link to learn more.
The outcome of the flood.
Because of this massive flood, the Conemaugh dam was constructed as a reservoir to control water levels. Among it, the Youghiogheny Dam, Loyal Hanna Dam, Crooked Creek Dam, Mahoning Creek Dam, Tionesta Lake Dam, and Tygart Lake Dam, were also built as flood measures under the Flood Control Act of 1938. The dam was completed in 1952.
Every time I visit a place that has a dam I am sure to stop and check it. In my opinion, dams are always an interesting sight to see. Not because they are cool looking or anything like that, but mostly because I find them really cool. . The idea of controlling water levels is just a really nifty thing to think about. On top of all that all dams are a little different, and offer different views, so it is always a must-see thing for me.
Tunnelview Historic Site
Right across the way from the Conemaugh dam your will find tunnelview historic site. The tunnelview historic site is 16 acres. The area features an amazing glimpse of transportation history. There is a lovely little recreation area, access to the West Penn Trail, and a trail that walks you through a section of the restored Main Line Canal that once connected Philadelphia to Pittsburgh (1834-1854). On the other side of the recreation area, a little road will lead you down to your first views of the beautiful bridges. The area features two bridges one overtop of the other. They are two different generations of railroad bridges, the oldest being built in 1907, and the taller one being built in 1952. Coming across the bridges and tunnels of the Tunnelview Historic site was not planned in any way for our trip, but it was the most rewarding part of the trip.
Trails and Hiking.
As I stated earlier the West Penn Trail runs directly through the park. The trail is 17 miles long and is a great place to enjoy some easy hiking and bicycling. You can also check out the bow ridge recreation area which features many additional foot trails to explore. One trail in particular, The Woodchuck Nature Trail provides a 45-minute walk through the diverse Western Pennsylvania forest where one can observe native plants species or just take a peaceful walk. While we were there we didn’t get to check out all the trails the area has to offer, but I will be stopping back to check out more and explore all the area has to offer.
And so much more.
There are so many more things the area has to offer, such as kayak ramps, and apparently, I read that people do river floats down this section of the river. So I would say it’s definitely a place to check out for a nice fun relaxing day. I know for sure that I will be back to check it out!
THANKS FOR VISITING!! Have a great day! If your ever out exploring and come across something amazing feel free to share it to me I love to learn about new places!! Also if you ever visit any of the places I have written about please let me know! I love exploring. The whole reason this blog exists is to share my trips with the rest of the world.
If your looking to check out some places nearby buttermilk falls isn’t far. Check out my post about it here.