Hidden Gem In Pennsylvania

Hawaii threw up in south-western PA

I couldn’t believe my eyes the first time my sister sent a pic of Big Springs to me. “edited for sure.” I texted back.

So, I decided I needed to check this place out myself to see if it was as dreamy blue as the pictures made it seem- and it sure was! Two years later, I still escape to this magical slice of tropics near my small hometown.

Roughly three miles deep into the lush green forests near Forbes State Forest, a small spring is hidden where not many have looked.

As inviting as the water looks, you may not want to go in unless you have worked up a sweat! Maybe run. Do some jumping jacks. pushups. Definitely, break out a sweat because this is the coldest water I’ve ever swum in. I decided to dive in from a dead tree floating on the opposite end of the pool. Swimming to the other side was an utterly unreal experience. You just, kind of have to ignore the fact that your body is in shock from the icy water.

As pretty as it seems, it is equally deceiving. I thought I could easily walk right into the middle of the water and feel the sand beneath my feet. Haha, but jokes on me! The spring is an illusion. The middle is eighteen feet deep and to make it even a little scarier, any item that gets thrown into it gets engulfed into the bubbling, white sand. I did not know this info before I dove in… maybe next time I’ll just float on a raft because now I’m a little terrified.

This piece of magic is worth the hike whether you want to take the plunge or not! I highly recommend packing some fresh berries and a sammy to munch on while you admire this place. It is a perfect spot for lunch with a view and I could stick around here and admire it for hours. I am sure you could too ?