The trails at state parks are rated easy to difficult.

If the roads through our state parks were rated, the one accessing the 19th-century grist mill at McConnells Mill State Park would be rated difficult to dangerous.

Turning the curve going downhill out of the Kildoo picnic area, drivers have to navigate a narrow, one-way path gouged with holes. The side of the road is washed away, leaving jagged ravines. On a recent visit, travelers also had to maneuver around a car with its front end stuck in one such ravine.

Hikers often choose the road to walk back up to the parking area, avoiding the steep steps from the mill to the Kildoo area. Those driving past the mill have less room to navigate through the huge natural rock formations while adjusting for road conditions.

The recently passed state budget has allocated $61 million for use in our state parks this year. The money is needed.

Taking its toll are the ravages of time and the additional use of our state parks – 40 million people, we are told, visit state parks each year.

A notice on the McConnells Mill State Park website reveals another safety issue. It lets visitors know that water at the Kildoo Day Use Area is not fit to drink. The system needs to be updated. “A project is being developed to fix the problem, but a time frame is not currently available,” the statement reads.

Dustin Drew, manager of Moraine and McConnells Mill state parks, shared with Butler Eagle readers July 24 in our PA Budget Local Impact series that the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources chooses what projects the additional $135,000 in COVID-19-related funding will be spent on.

Drew said capital projects at parks are funded and contracted out quickly because some pose safety and quality-of-life issues.

We hope that McConnells Mill gets the attention it needs and quickly.

Moraine State Park alone needs more than $20 million for upgrades to keep the park operating, according to DCNR Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn. Some needs are shared between the sister parks.

“We need work on the existing dams, and that should happen within the year at McConnells Mill and Moraine,” Drew said.

Visiting the historic mill, which is going through an upgrade of its own, and the spectacular Slippery Rock Creek Gorge should be a relaxing and inspiring experience. Hopefully, it will be again soon.

— DJS