Zindel Park is a park located on the south end of McElhattan in Clinton County. In the twenties, there were issues with Lock Haven’s water system (Keller Reservoir located in Zindel Park) so the city put in pipes of a different gauge. As they were doing this, they decided to add a park as a tourist attraction, and named it Zindel, after Philip Zindel, the water supervisor. Construction happened in 1929. The large house was originally built for the maintenance man. The lava rocks from Mt. Aetna were sent to Philip Zindel by his sister, Annie, who was living in Italy.
The park was a popular attraction until World War II, when it was closed to address concerns that the enemy might poison the city’s water supply. At the time, Piper was in Lock Haven busy making planes to contribute to the war effort, and another business, Pennwoven, was making a metal mesh that was used in nuclear bombs, so it was reasonable that Lock Haven could be a target for sabotage. The park reopened in the 1950s but was not as popular as it had once been, and the park began to fall into disrepair. Then, in the early 2000s, people began to rediscover Zindel Park.
Today the park is a very popular spot for hikers. It is still in need of maintenance, but it is a nice place to explore. The popular Frozen Snot adventure race is held in February at Zindel Park. The Boulder Beast race also takes participants through Zindal Park. There are also several trails located in the park area.
Parking coordinates have been added to the cache page. At the large parking area, you will see a locked gate blocking off the road. You will need to park here and walk/bike about ¼ mile to get to the dam and Lava House area. This will be off to your left from the main roadway into the park.
To receive credit for this virtual, post a picture of yourself or GPS/phone with The Lava House to prove that you visited this area. Any log without the appropriate picture will be deleted.
Zindel park is open to hunting so visitors/hikers should wear orange during hunting season. Leashed dogs are allowed. Please note that there are not any restrooms available here.
Hope you enjoy your visit.
Valley Girl View-Zindel Park (credit-Datrucks Crew)
Virtual Rewards 3.0 - 2022-2023
This Virtual Cache is part of a limited release of Virtuals created between March 1, 2022 and March 1, 2023. Only 4,000 cache owners were given the opportunity to hide a Virtual Cache. Learn more about Virtual Rewards 3.0 on the Geocaching Blog.