Delve into the Trough Creek State Park Ice Mine; an eerily chilly geological oddity that stays cool even in the heat of summer.
The Ice Mine is tucked in the Trough Creek Gorge on the northeastern edge of Trough Creek State Park. At the end of the road, so to speak. It was likely originally dug as an exploratory pit mine. Strangely, ice accumulates in the mine well into the warm spring months, and the air in the pit never rises above 50 degrees Fahrenheit, even on the hottest summer days!
The chilling effect of the mine was inadvertently enhanced by the construction of the Juniata and Southern railroad railbed (which is now the road). Cold air flows down through the rock voids in the side of the gorge (cool air being denser than warm air) and accumulates in the Ice Mine. The railbed acts as a dam, trapping the cold air in the mine.
You can feel the eerie temperature gradient as you descend the steps into the mine. At the bottom is a small tomb-like cave.
We visited the Ice Mine on a hot, humid July day in the mid 80’s F. Although there was no ice on our visit, amazingly, the temperature was in the briskly refreshing upper 40’s F.
Explore the Ice Mine with us on in the video below.
The Ice Mine is marked with the red box on the excerpt from the DCNR Tough Creek State Park map.
Coordinates are: 40.33206, -78.1234.
The Ice Mine is accessible by car and there is a parking lot adjacent to the Ice Mine.
The anomalous Ice Mine is a fun place to chill – literally! The oddity is worth the visit if you are in the area and is a short walk from the Trough Creek State Park Campground. If you are considering staying at the campground, be sure to check out our Complete Trough Creek State Park Camping Review to help you select the perfect site before you go.
While you are here, don’t miss the Amazing Balanced Rock, Rainbow Falls, Copperas Rock and Ledges Trail as well as Paradise Furnace and the Abandoned Cemetery right down the road.
Also, be sure to check out our other adventures.
