2 July 2016 Tyler Coke Works and Shaggers Inn

99 years ago there were over 400 coke ovens in Tyler making coke for use in Buffalo steel plants. The ovens have been silent for a long time, but seeing the rows of ovens in the reforesting area is an amazing site. This is an unopened area owned by DCNR. We were lucky to visit here before as part of the CCC geotrail. This time we were back seeking a cache permitted as part of the Clearfield County geotrail. The author at this site was able to add much more life to a visit to the Tyler Coke Ovens.

The area between the rows of old coke ovens is now a haven to wildflowers. We were able to spot pyrola in bloom and helleborine nearly ready to bloom.

While the Tyler coke ovens were a re-visit for us, we also made a new visit to a location called Shaggers Inn. Shaggers Inn Pond serves as a wildlife sanctuary nestled between Moshannon State Forest and Parker Dam State Park. The area is also apparently a very good location for evening star gazing. We couldn't stay for the stars so we just enjoyed the trails and the wild life. The nesting ospreys were a nice sight.