A couple weeks ago I went to McConnells Mill to photograph it’s icy nature. As we hiked the trails and climbed the steep cliffs, I hadn’t realized I had gotten amazing photographs until later when I plugged my camera card into the computer. Our adventure was hard, exhausting, but exciting. There wasn’t a dull moment while we were there.

McConnells Mill State Park in located in Lawrence County. Surrounded by 2,546 acres of the Slippery Rock Gorge, McConnells Mill was created by the draining of glacial lakes thousands of years ago. The park’s gorge has massive steep sides and the valley is covered with huge boulders. It’s a national natural landmark. Daniel Kennedy built the first mill on Slippery Rock Creek in 1852, but a fire destroyed the mill, so he had to rebuild it in 1868. Then, Thomas McConnell bought the mill in 1875 and improved it. He turned it into one of the first rolling mills in the country. It processed corn, oats, wheat, and buckwheat for local customers, but poor profits and outdated equipment closed the mill in 1982. Thomas H. Hartman then handed the property over to the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy in 1946, and then later to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. His wish was that it be preserved for the future generations. McConnells Mill State Park was formally dedicated in October of 1957. This information is from the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation website. You can see more about the park here: McConnells Mill State Park.

If you missed it, make sure to check out my behind the scenes from McConnells Mill!

Behind the Scenes