Orangeville

Orangeville offers several distinct themes to help you plan your trip: a nature and education area, a historic pair of bridges, and a track for open-wheel racing. The details explain what makes Frank W. Kocher Memorial Park special, what distinguishes the Twin Bridges, and what type of motorsport is featured at Greenwood Valley Action Tracks. This gives you specific points of reference to choose the focus of your trip according to your interests.

Nature and Getting Your Bearings in the Park

Frank W. Kocher Memorial Park is a nature and education area in Orangeville. It has a nature scavenger hunt; the activity page is available to download or at the park kiosks. If you plan to do the scavenger hunt, check the page for current materials before your visit. As a specific activity, the scavenger hunt complements the park’s nature and education focus.

Johnson Flats is a section of the park about half a mile north of the main park along Route 487. This provides a geographic reference point in relation to the main park. While the scavenger hunt describes a specific park activity, Johnson Flats locates another part of the park in relation to the main park. The two details therefore serve different purposes in your planning: one concerns an activity, the other the location of a park section.

The Twin Bridges and Their History

The East Paden Covered Bridge and the West Paden Covered Bridge form the pair known as the “Twin Bridges” in Orangeville. They are considered the only pair of twin covered bridges in the United States. Both bridges were built in 1884. The West Paden Covered Bridge has a longer history: flooding swept away the original structure in 2006, and the bridge was rebuilt in 2008.

The dates refer to different events: 1884 is the year the pair was built, while the flooding and reconstruction are part of the West Paden Covered Bridge’s history. This helps distinguish the bridges’ significance as a pair from the later individual history of the West Paden Bridge. Anyone interested in historic covered bridges will find both a shared timeline and a specific reconstruction story here.

Motorsport and Other Offerings

Greenwood Valley Action Tracks offers a different perspective: the track is a 1/5-mile banked dirt oval for open-wheel racing. The length refers to the track’s distance; the dirt surface and banking are additional features of the oval. The type of racing mentioned distinguishes this motorsport focus from the nature and history themes. If you’re interested in a particular track layout and type of racing, these details provide specific points of reference for planning your trip.

Guests at Forks Farm Campground have access to swimming and fishing; this access is reserved for campground guests. Forks Farm Market offers a self-service market. If you want to factor access to the market into your plans, check the latest information before your visit.

Different Focuses for Your Trip

The topics mentioned differ in the questions they answer: the park is about nature, a specific activity, and finding your way to Johnson Flats; the Twin Bridges are about their shared construction year and the history of the West Paden Covered Bridge; and Greenwood Valley Action Tracks specifies the track and type of racing. These differences can help you tailor your trip to your own interests.

Discover more destinations: Berwick, Lime Ridge, Centralia, Mifflinville, Numidia, Bloomsburg

Go to the regional travel overview: Columbia.