Bear Trip – Hibernia Railroad, Iron Mine, & St. Patrick’s Cementery

We will be wrapping up our Paws for Action requirement by visiting a local historical place – the remains of an abandoned iron mine in the Hibernia section of Rockaway.  This is a rather famous iron mine as it dates back to the late 17th century, remaining open unitl the 1960's and was a primary source for musket balls for the Revolutionary War.  It is now one of the largest bat habitats in North America (please note, the mine is sealed off to visitors, so this is more about seeing the remains of the railroad servicing the mine, foundations of the support buildings, slag piles and air shafts, abandoned farmers walls, etc.).  We will then be taking a hike to the St. Patrick Cemetery,  the abandoned cemetery for the mining community.  Some of these graves date back to the late 1800's.  The cemetery helps to tell the story of the local community.  We will finish up by creating some headstone rubbings.  The boys then will need to do some research to find a little more out about the person.

PLEASE NOTE: the hike to the cemetery is not easy.  There is an extended steep section and a portion where you need to climb on top of rocks.  The boys should not have a problem, but please keep that in mind in relation to siblings or chaperones.  Since wet rocks are slippery rocks, this trip will be weather dependent.