This Lake Trip has Whispering Rocks and Ghost Towns

Trough Creek follows a breathtaking gorge through Trough Creek State Park before emptying into Raystown Lake. In addition to the stunning landscape of the gorge and Terrace Mountain, there are some awesome natural features worth hiking for, like Balanced Rock and Rainbow Falls, both off the Balanced Rock Trail. The Ledges Trail is another must-hike adventure, with sweeping overlooks. There's also a suspension bridge over the creek, an abandoned 1830s iron furnace, and the unique ice mine, a natural tunnel where cold air escapes from the mountain, forming ice in the summer that weirdly melts come winter. Camp, hunt, or fish to further take advantage of Trough Creek.

In a lot of ways, Raystown Lake is reminiscent of a simpler time, and you can really feel that at attractions like the Rockhill Trolley Museum. The museum features dozens of old-fashioned electric trolley cars built between 1895 and 1945, and you can see some in the process of being restored. Don't miss out on the opportunity to take scenic rides on the historic trolleys as well. You'll learn local history, the history of the cars you'll ride on, and how streetcars work. It's only $8 for an all-day adult ticket, and with five departures a day, you can really take advantage. The museum even offers special seasonal events, with themed rides for Easter, Halloween, and more. The volunteers are knowledgeable and helpful, and make for a memorable trip.

There's no better place to learn about the history of the car than at one of the country's oldest auto museums. Huntingdon's Swigart Auto Museum started off as a private collection in 1920, a mere 25 years after the first patented combustion engine automobile. Though the museum has more than 100 historic cars in its collection, it usually only displays 30 or 40 at a time, rotating out objects each year. The staff’s dedication to auto history goes beyond cars themselves, too. You might see vintage carriages, old photos of vintage races, works from renowned artists, auto emblems, bicycles, car badges, hood ornaments, old licenses plates, and tons more.

Central Pennsylvania might not be the first place that comes to mind when you think about ghost towns, but believe it or not, there are a few around. Greenwood Furnace State Park preserves one, a town once called Greenwood that sprung up around an ironworks. The town reached its peak in the 1870s, when 300 families called the community home. They even had their own baseball team, the Energetics. But once technological advances made the iron furnaces obsolete, the town was abandoned. Today, you can still see the iron furnaces, a graveyard, the blacksmith shop, and more. There's also the lake, which was created to power the town's gristmill, that's still perfect for swimming, boating, and fishing. In addition, the park has miles and miles of trails as well as a campground.

The Isett Heritage Museum is a total hidden gem. More than 40,000 artifacts are on display, spread across several historic buildings and 40 impeccably landscaped acres. The emphasis is on rural and local history from the 19th and 20th centuries, and paints a picture of what everyday life was like back then. From a massive collection of antique radios and to a wild array of vintage washing machines, it almost feels a bit like an antique store. Guided tours are included in the price of admission, and can really help add a lot of context to the almost overwhelming displays.