The Tamarack Swamp (actually, it's a bog; geologists know the difference, H&H doesn't) is located within Sproul State Forest in Clinton County and contains one of the most unique natural habitats in Western Pennsylvania. It features its namesake conifer among a varied wetlands' collection of bird and plant life, and even includes one flower that munches on insects.
It was originally a logging and gas drilling site; now it seems to be the home of high school keggers. But it's also the origin of the legend of George. Here's the story...
There's a ribbon of a trail that winds through the swamp. One day two school buses tried to pass one another in opposite directions. The road was too narrow, and the vehicles bumped and splashed into the Tamarack. According to local lore, several-to-many of the kiddies lost their lives.
After the accident, one the drivers - yep, George - returned to the scene of the fatal wreck, and filled with remorse, hanged himself off one of the trio of bridges that spanned the lane.
Legend has it that if you drive over each bridge and chant "GEORGE, GEORGE, GEORGE," you'll hear thrashing under the bridges from the driver's tormented spirit. It's also claimed that you'll hear the voices of small children out in the swamp and your car will be covered with their handprints. To make the adventure even dicier, cars were said to stall on the bridges, making them easy prey for George.
A popular game among the area youth is to dare one other to get out of the car, run down the dark road, and make it back to the car before George tears them to pieces. We'd guess with an attitude like that, he obviously prefers to do his eternal penance in solitude.
In fact, the footrace with George is pretty much the only game in town now. The state closed the trail to vehicles, making it accessible only to pedestrian traffic.
Some people report that the rusting hulks of the buses still remain, but what they see are actually the remnants of a couple of old campers parked out in the swamp. There's also an unsubstantiated tale alleging that a small town once existed there, but sank in the swamp. Apparitions and the sounds of former residents are claimed to float through the bog.
Another thing that remains unexplained is the UFO sightings reported by swamp visitors. The Tamarack appears to be an intergalactic tourist trap, too.
So if you're around the parkland, stop by and see if George is under his bridge or if a UFO is hovering. If not, maybe you'll at least get to see a swamp mosquito or two become a snack for the Tamarack flora.
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