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Directions to Driving Tour Stop #2
From Greenhouse Park, turn left out of the
entrance road onto PA Route 403 South. Proceed 2.5
miles on PA Route 403 South to Carpenter's Park
Road and turn left. Proceed 2.0 miles to a dirt
and gravel parking area with a small strip of
blacktop on the left which is the access area for
Yoder Falls, McNally Bridge, and a historic
trolley trace.
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Latitude: 40.2766
Longitude: -78.9233
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Driving Tour Stop #1
Greenhouse Park once was the site of a truck-farming
complex, started by William Barron around 1900. Two
generations later, Tom Barron sold what had grown into a
13-structure complex to Floyd Yoder. After the 1977 Flood,
the Federal Emergency Management Agency acquired the land
and turned it over to Conemaugh Township with the
stipulation that no permanent structures be developed upon
it. Under the operation of Conemaugh Township, the park
has become a favorite outdoor venue for a variety of
annual events, including:
- The Stonycreek Rendezvous, an annual gathering of
whitewater-paddling enthusiasts in late-April.
- Thunder in the Valley, a motorcycle rally that draws
hundreds of thousands to a variety of venues in the
Greater Johnstown area in late-June. Bikers camp and
gather here.
- Wing blasts each July, sponsored by the Conemaugh
Township Volunteer Fire Department, that feature live
entertainment and competitions between local restaurants
and taverns vying for the title of "Grand Wing Master."
The public also uses Greenhouse Park as a place to
picnic, exercise, enjoy nature, and paddle in Whitewater
Park.
Whitewater Park became the first park of its type in
Pennsylvania when it opened in the adjacent section of the
Stonycreek River in 2008 after years of efforts by a
coalition of local groups, spearheaded by the Benscreek
Canoe Club. This artificial set of Class II rapids is
designed for play-boating, learning how to paddle in
whitewater and tubing. But the park also is becoming
popular with fishers and people who find the setting
peaceful and relaxing.
This park complex also marks the beginning of the
Kiski-Conemaugh River Water Trail, which extends for 84
river miles through the Stonycreek, Conemaugh and
Kiskiminetas rivers before ending at the Allegheny River
near Freeport.
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