Austin Dam Park

Biking is allowed in the park. Hybrid and mountain bicycles are highly recommended to better tolerate a wide range of riding conditions within the park.

Fishing is allowed in the park. Freeman Run runs through the park. For Fishing License purchase, fishing rules, and fishing regulations please visit Pennsylvania Fish & Wildlife.

There are nature trails. Many along the stream and through the park. Some trailing leads to the Austin Dam ruins and some trailing up the forested hills and vista areas. Search "Austin Dam Memorial Park MyHikes" to see Hiking Trails listings and descriptions. An additional free activity: Caches are hidden in the park. Visit the Allegheny GeoTrail to learn more about Geocaching. Another free feature in the park is an Artesian Aquifer Trail (blue blazed) near the Campground at the Northern Entrance. This groundwater spring flows under positive pressure and was once used as a water source to fill the ice pond (embankments still there today). The ice pond was used to harvest ice blocks in the winter. The ice blocks were stored in an ice house (foundation remains are still there today) for use in homes and stores in the Town of Austin for cold storage refrigeration year-around.

Horseback riding is allowed in the park. Summit Trail Rides hosts trail rides by appointment (additional fee apply) in the park. Summit Trail Rides is located in the Susquehanna State Forest in Coudersport PA. They start on Memorial Day and offer weekly trail rides. Trail groups would be 4-8 people and last approximately 1 hour.

Snowshoeing and cross-country skiing is allowed in the park. Gift-shop, Welcome Center, water spigots, and toilets facilities are closed in the winter from November through mid-April. No winter maintenance on park access roads in the winter (ice and snow covered).

This is one of the most scenic and remote regions of Penn’s Woods. It offers a great opportunity to view Pennsylvania’s white-tailed deer, wild turkey and other wildlife. The park supports a rare population of the Baltimore Checkerspot butterfly. This butterfly's larval uses the Turtlehead Wildflower as its host plant. A popular activity is Stargazing in our region. The Milky Way shines so bright in the Park, it literally casts your shadow! In most places, people can only see a couple of hundred stars, but here, campers can see thousands!

The Coudersport Ice Mine is located near-by (a short drive within 30 minutes). The Coudersport Ice Mine is an ice cave located in Sweden Township, Pennsylvania, that forms icicles in the spring and summer but not in the winter. Ice formations appear in the shaft during the spring of the year, continue through the hot weather, and disappear in winter.

Susquehannock State Forest is one of eight state forests located in the Pennsylvania Wilds region. Our region is mainly covered by hardwood forest. The forest is named for the Susquehannocks, a Native American tribe who once lived in the Susquehanna River basin.

The park is on the Allegheny Plateau, western section of the Appalachian Mountains. The high plateau has been worn away by streams to form the sloping valleys, hillsides and hilly ridges. Our Susquehanna river headwaters drain into the Chesapeake Bay.

The Stargazing at Cherry Springs State Park is located near-by (a short drive within 30 minutes). Cherry Springs presents dark skies for studying, gazing, or gaining a better understanding of our place in the universe.

East Branch of Freeman Run flows through the park. Freeman Run is a stream in Potter County, in the state of Pennsylvania. Freeman Run is classified as a Wild Trout Fishery. Wetlands associated with Freeman Run are classified as Exceptional Value Wetlands. Make it a point to visit Artesian Aquifer Trail located near the Campground at North Entrance. Find the Artesian Spring, and the old ice block pond.

Wetlands associated with Freeman Run are classified as Exceptional Value Wetlands. These wetlands support species such as woodfrogs and spring peepers. Vernal pools exist in the park. Vernal pool is a seasonal body of standing water that typically forms in the spring from melting snow and other runoff, dries out completely in the summer, often refills in the autumn, and provides an important breeding habitat for many terrestrial or semiaquatic species, such as frogs and salamanders.