Major changes are coming to the Porcupine Run-Winslow Hill Viewing
Areas, with construction of a new parking lot and the relocation of a
portion of Dewey Road scheduled to begin on April 27, 2015. The project
has been scaled back somewhat from what was originally planned and
restrooms will not be built at this time. The primary purpose of this
is to improve traffic safety as the current entrance to Dewey Road is
located on a sharp curve with limited visibility to the south. Also the
parking lot along Winslow Hill Road has unregulated access to the road
over a significant distance, which increases the chance of collisions..
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| Winslow Hill Road- Dewey Road Entrance To Left |
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| Parking Lot Along Winslow Hill Road |
The new parking lot is to be just in front of the old
one. The upper portion of Dewey Rd will intersect with Winslow Hill Rd
somewhere near or past the end of the old parking lot shown in the
photo above. To access the new parking lot one will travel a short
distance on Dewey Rd to the entrance. Provisions will be made to gate
the parking lot and close it to the public when desired. There are
currently no plans to close Dewey Rd at any time as it is a public
Township Road, which provides access to multiple landowners as well as
the large area of State Game Lands 311 at the end of Dewey Rd.
As
important, or perhaps more important to many is the decision to add the
area known as "The Saddle" to The Restricted Area beginning June 1,
2015. This effectively means that from that date The Saddle is to be
posted with restricted area signs the same as the areas along Dewey Road
and users will be required to follow the designated routes, which will
be the same or much the same as the trails that were established for
horse and bicycle riders. This is effective until the last Saturday in
September or the first day of archery deer season. I am not completely
clear on this point, but it should be posted plainly on the restricted
area signs.
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| All Users Will Be Required To Stay On Designated Routes During Restricted Period |
Officials point to increased visitation to the area and pressure on the resource as reason for the changes.
In
1998 there was an estimated 72,000 visitors to Pennsylvania Elk
Country, while in 2014 it was reported that over 400, 000 people passed
through Elk Country Visitor Center. In light of increased traffic and
congestion on Winslow Hill and the drastic increase of use of the Dewey
Road--Saddle Area in particular, The Pennsylvania Game Commission began
placing more emphasis on controlling secondary users such as horse and
bicycle riders last year, when designated routes for horse and bicycle
riders were plainly marked and an extensive public relations campaign
was implemented to make the public aware of the regulations.
Actually
State Game Lands regulations have required for many years that horses
and bicycles be used only on designated routes unless one is actively
engaged in legal hunting or trapping. It is also illegal to ride a
non-motorized vehicle,
conveyance or animal from the last Saturday in September until the
third Saturday in January, and prior to one hour after close of
lawful hunting hours for spring turkey season from the second
Saturday in April through the last Saturday in May, inclusive, except
on Sundays or while lawfully engaged in hunting,
trapping or fishing.
Most are aware of the recent
attempt on the part of certain members of the PGC board of commissioners
to ban all secondary users from the SGLs during the period of time that
horses and bicycles are banned, but I have been told that at this point
it doesn't seem likely this will happen and that nature enthusiasts
will be permitted to walk anywhere in The Saddle from the end of the
restricted period until the next June, but one would do well to remember
that anything can change at any time.
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| Test Hill-Former State Forest Land runs along edge of meadow to right |
At this point it is not completely clear just where
the designated routes will be, but generally speaking they will be much
the same if not the exact same as they were last year. An important
point to remember is there is no longer any State Forest Land in The
Saddle (many will recall the white boundary markers that are plainly
visible along the edge of the woods on Test Hill once the foliage is
gone and not as noticeable along the entire lower edge of The Saddle).
This land was acquired from DCNR by the PGC as part of a lands trade and
is now part of SGL 311 and as such may be restricted to what extent the
PGC may decide.
I hope to discuss this a bit more as well as deal with more changes that are coming in another post in the near future.
