Scotia Barrens — Attraction in Patton Township

There is not a lot left of the Scotia Barrens. 2 structures are all that remain in the wooded area along with the previous area that was sanctioned for rail road tracks. Path seemed clear and easy enough to follow, but that's more than likely because it seems to be a hang out and/or party spot for teenagers. Empty beer bottles, spray paint cans, and trash littered the larger structure along with the remains of fires. Not only that, but the entire area around the structures was plagued by an awful smell. Honestly probably a mix of stagnant water, and pee, but near the larger structure it smelled like something was decaying near by (and it honestly could have been - didn't see any remains though). While there is definitely some interesting history here I wouldn't advise anyone drive more than maybe 20 minutes out of their way to see the remains of the town. In retrospect it was interesting to see, but not worth the drive that we took. Compared to other things you can see in PA I would so far rank this at the very bottom of my list. Passing through State College? Give it a stop and cross it off. Making a trip out of it?...

10/10 once we got beyond the stress of trying to find the place. There's nothing marked on how to find the place, we went way past it and found ourselves at a shooting range. Also super cool but after asking a few people no locals seemed to know what the heck we were talking about. I ended up finding the coordinates for the gate where the hike begins 40.800420, -77.946291 There's many many trails they all fork off into different directions we tried walking as straight as we could and ended up there. It was a great ruins and we were able to climb up to the top of them. Definitely one of the more kid friendly abandoned places as you don't have to hike too far to find it. But remember the graffiti is unfortunate all over, it can be racist or sexual so be mindful. Also a dog friendly stop but there is some broken glass and stuff so doggy shoes are a must! We rushed a little and got done in about an hour but you could definitely be spending the day...

The village of Scotia has a rich history from the days of Andrew Carnegie mining iron ore. Throughout the area, you can find foundations of structures from that time. Unfortunately, low life's have vandalized some of the structures which is a criminal offense. This whole area now is PA State Game Lands WMU 176 and visitors must abide by all state game land regulations. In fact, regulations state there are certain times of the year you are not permitted on state game lands unless you are a licensed hunter engaged in hunting. WMU 176 has a shooting range and there is a lot of hunting so you will hear a lot of gunfire. This area is highly infested with various species of ticks so take precautions. WMU 176 has many miles of paths and trails to explore so there is plenty for the hiker, bird watcher, photographer and nature enthusiast to see. Remember, take only photographs...leave...