During the fall season, the Lake Side Trail becomes more than a three mile hike the shoreline of Hills Creek Lake. This beautiful scene catches a reflection of northern Pennsylvania's Tioga forestland with colorful hint that October has arrived. Here in Tioga County, pockets of national forestland still hold stands of old hemlocks and white spruce, with a mix of hardwoods that include the colorful maples, alder, ash and beech.
     Nearby Mansfield, the Hills Creek State Park surrounds Hills Creek and a 137 acre lake. The parkland was purchased in 1950, and Kellys Swamp was eventually flooded once the Hills Creek Dam was in place. Today, the lake offers fishing, swimming and boating, plus an 85 site campground and numerous picnic areas. Modern cabins, camping cottages, and yurts offer other ways to enjoy an overnight experience.
     Along with a busy beaver colony, muskrats, heron, osprey and eagles enjoy the Hills Creek Lake. During migration periods, resident birds are joined by buffleheads, the common merganser and loon. Over the park's trails, hikers can be greeted by any type of wildlife, from good sized whitetail to one of the smallest woodpeckers imaginable.