Ferncliff Peninsula Natural Area, espace naturel protégé américain
Ferncliff Peninsula Natural Area is a protected natural area in Ohiopyle State Park located within a bend of the Youghiogheny River. The property spans about 100 acres with trails that wind through forests, over rocky terrain, and along the river, offering views of waterfalls and fossils embedded in the rocks.
The area was developed in the 1880s with a large four-story hotel that attracted railroad travelers and operated for about 60 years. After railroad service declined in the 1940s, the hotel closed, and in 1951 Edgar Kaufmann purchased the land to protect it from logging and later donated it to a conservation group before it became part of the State Park in the 1960s.
The name Ferncliff refers to the ferns that grow on the rocky cliffs and define the place. Visitors notice today how nature has reclaimed the spot where a large hotel once stood, and how photographers and nature lovers use the area to share quiet moments with the river and forest.
The main trail is about 1.8 miles long and loops around the peninsula with different starting points in town or at the parking area. Wear sturdy shoes because of the rocky terrain, be careful on wet or slippery spots near the river, and avoid unmarked side trails that can be unsafe.
The property hosts a rare collection of plant species that normally grow further south and survive here because of a warm microclimate created by a sharp river bend. These southern plants create an unexpected ecological contrast in this northern region and draw botanists and curious visitors who want to discover the geological processes at work.
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