Pausing on the Loyalsock Trail in Worlds End State Park, Pa. (Compass Points Media / flickr)
The place has a name only a disaster movie director can appreciate. Worlds End State Park in northeastern Pennsylvania, despite its name, has a comely environment for waterfalls and inspiring vistas, plus it hosts a portion of the 59-mile Loyalsock Trail.
The apocalyptic name has more to do with optical illusions rather than Biblical endings. Actually, the roots of the name are a little under dispute, as the Pennsylvania park system notes in a 1935 essay by W.S. Swingler, an assistant director of Wyoming State Park:
“There was even a dispute as to the proper name of the area. Some people called it Worlds End, others Whirl’s Glen, and still others Whirls End. The first name arose from the topography of the place. Seven mountain ranges converge on the point and one does receive the sensation of being at the ultimate ends of the earth. The proponents of the second name base their claim upon the whirlpool in the Loyalsock Creek and the third name was probably a contraction of the other two. Since the whirlpool had largely disappeared, it was decided that the name Worlds End would be the most appropriate. Hence, the name Worlds End State Forest Park.”
Either way, a visit to Worlds End State Park opens up tremendous hiking and backpacking opportunities.
We’re heading out for the Fourth of July weekend. Have a great one. If you’re traveling, take Backcountry Radio with you and look for a new episode this Thursday. Check out our roster of Trail Blazes hiking guides and get the best trail guides for your favorite parks and trails. You can join the scores of other Compass Points readers on Facebook, where we interact and upload photos. And come take part in the lively Twitter conversation.
The height of summer is upon us. Hike on!
