Fulton County: Hiking Trails and History

At Cowans Gap State Park, a lake, hiking trails, and traces of the Civilian Conservation Corps come together. The 1,085-acre park is located in Allens Valley in Fulton County. Its main attractions include a 42-acre lake, two campgrounds, rustic Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) cabins, and numerous hiking trails. The operating season varies for individual facilities. The park is open daily year-round from sunrise to sunset; day-use areas close at dusk.

Hiking Trails and Landscapes

Within the park, the Standing Stone Trail passes a historic CCC incinerator and offers views of Cowans Gap Lake and lower Path Valley. This combines a historic structure with views of the lake and valley along one hiking route.

Beyond the park, the landscape is also a defining feature: Fulton County has more than 50,000 acres of Pennsylvania state forest land, with lakes and streams rich in wildlife and fish. Revised in January 2021, the State Game Lands No. 53 map describes the area west of McConnellsburg as 5,901 acres of hilly to mountainous, densely forested terrain with a 200-acre lake. The map offers another view of the landscape around the park.

Another recreational option is Great Cove Golf Club. It has an 18-hole course, a large driving range, and a practice green.

Buildings and Cultural History

The Fulton House was built as an inn and tavern in 1793 and expanded in 1820. The museum in the original eastern part of the building comprises four rooms and a log-cabin kitchen. It exhibits furniture, tools, household items, and decorative objects relating to the cultural and material history of Fulton County in the 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries. The Museum Annex is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Another historic building is the Winegardner School in Taylor Township: a fully restored, partially furnished one-room schoolhouse. The McConnellsburg Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1993 and includes 144 contributing buildings.

Other historic sites point to different eras. George Croghan began building Fort Lyttelton in 1755; it was reportedly in ruins by 1764. Among those buried in Big Spring Graveyard are victims of the Great Cove Massacre of November 1, 1755. At the site of the Last Confederate Bivouac, a Confederate force under General Bradley T. Johnson camped on July 31, 1864, after raiding and burning Chambersburg.

Roads and transportation routes also carry history: Routes 16 and 30, the Lincoln Highway, follow the course of the first public road through Fulton County. East of the Forbes-Road-Raystown-Path marker site, two branches of the Raystown Path diverge; these include the General Forbes Road through Cowan Gap. Hunter Mill was a gristmill built by pioneers and commissioned by William Hunter in 1812.

Trip Planning and Finding Accommodation

These different themes give you a practical basis for organizing your travel plans without reducing nature and history to a single experience.

Fulton County is easily accessible via Interstate Routes 68, 70, and 81, as well as the Pennsylvania Turnpike. Since road conditions and construction work can change, check current traffic conditions before you travel.

Discover More Destinations

Needmore, Northampton, Union County, Bucks, Snyder County, Crawford County, Schuylkill County, Bradford County

For the main travel overview: Pennsylvania.