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A former landfill in Pennsylvania’s least populous county could become the state’s newest stargazing attraction.
Officials from Cameron County and the Pennsylvania Timber Heritage Region Promotional Group are working together to renovate the county-owned site. Proposed improvements include a trail, parking, a wildlife viewing area, a dark sky viewing field and more.
The 99-acre site is an hour away from the internationally renowned — and often very crowded — dark sky at Cherry Springs State Park, and 30 minutes from Route 6, “one of the most scenic roads in America,” according to with National Geographic.
“The goal is to develop this site to allow public access and use of the site and hopefully serve as a hub for some education and outreach for dark sky awareness, [light] pollution and increased dark skies in the area,” explained Rowan Crisp, education and outreach administrator for the group Lumber Heritage Region.
Because the area is a reclaimed landfill and former mine, Crisp said the goal is not to disturb the environment in the process of creating amenities — meaning large buildings and excavations are out of the question, while lighter options such as a pavilion and an elk viewing area are available. Cameron County is home to part of Pennsylvania projected herd of wild elk, the largest east of the Mississippi.)
“Right now everything is at stake, but we have to be aware that we don’t want to disturb the land too much and we don’t want the area to lose its wild attractions,” Crisp added.
Once updated, the site could attract 10,000 visitors annually, Cameron County Commissioner Josh Zucal estimated. He said the prospect of more tourists has been met with excitement and reservations from local residents, some of whom worry that crowds with telescopes could detract from the pristine aura of the Pennsylvania wilderness.
Zucal said tension is present as the city considers the location: “We want these people in the city. We want them to experience what we have and have the opportunity to possibly live here. But at the same time… we don’t want to change our dynamic.”
Visitor numbers will likely increase if the site obtains international dark sky certification, which Crisp said is a possibility. Cherry Springs, in neighboring Potter County, already has that designation and attracts 85,000 to 90,000 visitors annually. Stargazing there has been described as a primordial experience and attracts people from all over the world.
Concerns about crowding were not the main focus of a June public meeting about the Cameron County project, but many questions were raised that still need to be answered.
Among the open topics: What is the best way to deal with the “unbearable mosquitoes” in the area? (Bat houses were one idea.) Is Wi-Fi necessary for navigational aids? (Cell service is limited.) How will developers ensure crowds don’t scare away the region’s skittish elk? And can the site be made available in winter, when the nights are longer and conditions are ideal for stargazing?
The site, which today consists of little more than a dirt road, is open to the public from April to October.
And although it’s in one of the darkest zones in the entire state, light pollution is possible.
The firm hired to help with the planning effort, Virginia-based Lardner/Klein Landscape Architects said at the June meeting. The company pointed to nearby Emporium, the county’s largest city with about 2,000 residents, as a potential source of light pollution.
Spotlight PA reported in 2023 that light pollution was a growing concern for authorities, including Zucal, throughout the Pennsylvania wilderness, where darkness is a natural resource. After a drop during the pandemic, light contamination in places like it is slowly rising back up.
Zucal is eyeing a city ordinance on light pollution, “so we can have an umbrella for everyone.”
In the meantime, he’s asking people who think about the Dark Sky project to intervene.
A second public meeting is scheduled for October. Crisp said once the plan is finalized and approved, a final meeting will be held to share the details.
The public can submit ideas and suggestions to be incorporated into a site master plan by emailing the planning team here.
“We intend to complete this plan early next year,” Zucal added. “This is the time for anyone who wants to receive some type of feedback.”
–Newsletter editor Colin Deppen contributed to this report.
