“September 24, 2023, marks 100 years since the establishment of the Allegheny National Forest. To commemorate this historic milestone, the ANF Centennial Geocache trail has been established to provide an opportunity to connect the American public to the outdoors, encourage families to explore the national forest, and provide educational and recreational opportunities for users of the trail. We encourage you to join the fun, enjoy the adventure, and learn more about your national forest while respecting and protecting our natural resources! The Allegheny National Forest includes land in four Pennsylvania counties (Elk, Forest, McKean, and Warren Counties).
This geocache is one of a total of 28 ANF Centennial Geocaches placed throughout the Allegheny National Forest. In order to complete the GeoTrail, you must find at least 5 ANF Centennial Geocaches in each of the four counties which include part of the Allegheny National Forest. Each cache will contain a unique laminated code word to be found on the logbook, to be written in your passport as proof of finding the cache. Please remember to write the code word on your passport before or after signing the logbook, and return the logbook to the cache container when finished. The next person who finds the cache is also going to need it!
Please remember to also log your find on geocaching.com after you find the cache and tell us about your adventure or anything that you found interesting during your visit. Please post pictures of your visit to the Allegheny National Forest as well with your log or on social media sites. Before setting out to find the ANF Centennial GeoTrail caches, you will need an official passport document. Passports are free and can be obtained by downloading and printing the passport document from the website www.pennsoil.org “
The Coal Knob Fire tower was built on the summit of Coal Knob in 1924, shortly after the creation of the Allegheny National Forest. It was manned by USFS personnel 24/7 whenever the danger of fire was deemed high. He/she would basically live alone in the tower for a specified time period until another fire watcher relieved them. The fire watchers had three tools they used to detect, locate and notify forestry personnel of the discovery of a fire. A pair of binoculars, an Osborne Fire Finder and a landline telephone to connect them with the outside world. Once a fire was detected, the fire watcher would get its true bearing using the Osborne device ,then call the local Forestry office to report it. They would then call other fire towers and ask the watchers if they could see a fire anywhere in their viewing area. If so, the bearing was determined and the two bearings plotted on a topographic map of the forest. Where the bearings intersected, was the site of the fire and fire crews could be dispatched to the exact area needed.
My father took my older brother and me up to this tower when I was a little boy (grade school) in the early 50’s and we climbed the two or three flights of stairs to the to inside of the tower where the gentleman on duty graciously explained his job and what his duties consisted of. The Osborne device was located in the exact center of the room and was accessible from all four sides. It sat on rollers that ran on tracks allowing it to be moved left or right if the thin vertical wooden framework between the windows interfered with taking a bearing.
The tower was disassembled years ago as new technologies could do the same job and save the expense of manning and maintaining the towers. Today you can still see traces of the tower if you hike the bike/hike trail. There is a benchmark (MA2377 “Coal Knob”) imbedded in the bedrock in the middle of the trail that is pretty hard to miss. It is located right under what would have been the exact center of the tower. There are two green benches there also and behind the one on the left is one of the 4 stone foundations that the legs of the tower were bolted to. I’m sure if you search the nearby area you could find some of the anchors embedded in the bedrock that the tower’s guy wires were fastened to.
There is also a second benchmark nearby (MA2378 “Kinzua”) that you can find if you want. There is a metal witness post about 5 feet from the BM. I uncovered the BM when we placed the cache to make it easier to find. BM is recessed slightly in the bedrock. I included a picture on the cache page.
Although you can find the cache hidden nearby by bushwhacking from the road, I would strongly suggest that you use the bike/hike trail which will take slightly longer but be much easier and a more pleasant experience. Mountain bikers can pass by anywhere on the trail so be watchful for them and step aside to let them pass. There are toilets located at the picnic area at nearby Jakes Rocks and great views of the Kinzua Dam and Allegheny Reservoir by driving Jakes Rocks loop. Pease remember to replace the cache in the same exact location you found it and conceal it at least as well as found. Don’t forget to write down the Code Word from the inside cover of the logbook before you leave. The cache is about 10-15 yards off the trail on the left as you walk from the first bench mark mentioned above. Wear some fluorescent orange in hunting season.
WP’s are included to help you park, find the trailhead and the picnic area and toilets. There are no toilets on the trail to Coal Knob.