Hickernell Spring, Hartleton, PA

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Directions:

Description

Beautiful spring in Bald Eagle State Park area. Located along the north side of Rt. 45. There is a small area for parking in front of the spring.

Nearest Address

West of Hartleton on Rt. 45.

Directions from Nearest Address

Follow Rt. 45 west of Hartleton (or east of Woodward). The spring is located in a mountainous area north of Rt. 45.

Vital Information

  • Fee: No Fee
  • Access: Public
  • Flow: Continuous
  • TDS: N/A
  • Temp: N/A
  • pH: N/A

Hours Spring is Open:

Always

GPS:

40.9050745; -77.2413649

Submitted by: Luke Chohany

Responses

  1. I have always loved this spring and have filled my jugs here for years. One week ago I took my nephew to fill up our bottles and then we went to a nearby town to have it tested. I thought it would be a fun project. We learned that the TDS (total disolved solids) were very low. I thought he said 14, but I’m not sure. He did say it was low and that most spring waters have a low TDS. He also tested the ph. It was 7.0 exactly which is neutral to slightly acidic, but overall this is fine.. Iron test: LOW (that’s good).

    He then asked me where I got the water. I told him it was afrom this spring. Several of the employees told me that they had this water tested twice in the last three years and that it came back POSITIVE both times for fecal matter (human or animal) and also for bacteria. They told me the strain of bacteria and said it was related to ecol i. I am sorry but I don’t remember the exact name of the bacteria. They even had it tested over the summer. When I say TESTED I mean that they sent it to an independent lab.

    I see hundreds of people filling their jugs here and, unfortunately, everyone believes the water is fresh, clean, and pure. I was one of those people for years. It is located in such a beautiful, secluded forest area that you would think it’s fine, but it’s not. I am posting this to educate. If there is any question, please take a sample of this water yourself and send it to a lab to verify.

    The lesson here is that pH, total dissolved solids (TDS), and Iron levels are simply not enough to determine water safety. Remember, bacteria loves moiture (water). Please be careful.

  2. None of the posts here provide information about the bacterial contaminates claimed; those comments are here-say. Anyone who is concerned about the safety or attributes of their drinking water (from
    any source) should have it tested personally and then make decisions based on the data received – and publicize only substantiated claims.

  3. part 2 of my comment:

    In case you are wondering, I have had many health issues over the years, including several sinus infections and digestive issues. I never attributed it to the water. There may be a connection, there may not be. I’m not saying either way. What I do know is that I had the water tested for me this past winter by a kinesiologist who performed a muscle test to determine how good the water was for my body. On a scale of 1 to 10 it tested a 3. Even distilled water tested a 6.

  4. Just stopped by here. Will post video at http://d-blog-roadtrip.blogspot.com/ soon.
    The Spring is in a little stone enclave on the north side of the road. It's right next to a little, abandoned, stone shack. There are a lot of plastic posts next to drains along the road, so they can distract you.

    If you're driving West (a beautiful drive from I-80 -> PA 15-S to 45W) the spring is on your right side, and if you see Smoky The Bear, you've gone just a wee bit too far.

    I had a little sip from the spring and feel a little funny. . .or it could be in my head. I stopped for dinner at a restaurant (Elk Creek Cafe) in Millheim, about 20 minutes farther west, and the bartender told me she had just spoken with the guy who tested the water. He said it was some of the cleanest around, so that's what I know.

    I'll let you know if I start hurling in the night, but this is my first Spring visit, and I'm really, really excited! Many more to come. . .will post on the blog above if you're all interested. Enjoy!

How to Collect Spring Water

Drinking pure spring water is one of the most important things we can do for our health. Our bodies are over 99% water at the molecular level, so water affects every aspect of our biology. Yet, not all water is created equal. Almost all the bottled spring water available is pasteurized for shelf stability, which neutralizes many of the powerful health benefits such as increased hydrogen, healthy probiotics, and crystalline structure. For more about why unprocessed spring water is the best water to drink, read this.

The best way to guarantee you are getting real unprocessed spring water is to collect it yourself. This is a short and simple guide filled with information about how to gather spring water. We will cover how to find a spring, how to collect the water, how to honor the spring, how to store the water properly and other tips.

FindASpring.org is the best resource for locating a spring near you. However, not all springs are on the map. First, check the map to see if there is a spring in your local area. If there is, look at the reviews and comments. Has anyone shared helpful information about flow rate or posted a water test result? Is the spring in a pristine area? Do a bit of research and make sure the spring is safe to drink from. If you have any doubt about the purity, don’t risk it and get a water test, HERE. If you don’t see a spring on the map in your area, there still might be some that aren’t listed yet. First, ask the older generation who have lived in your area a long time if they know. You can also ask people in your community who might already get spring water such as people at a health food store or at a farmers market. Another great option is to view A US forest service map, where many springs have been marked. You can view these maps through the Gaia GPS or All Trails hiking apps on your phone. The map overlay you want is USGS Topo. Not all are easily accessible or ideal for drinking, but some are and it can be a fun adventure to find them. We have found over half a dozen great springs this way.

Once you’ve found your spring, figure out how you are going to gather the water. Is it right on the side of the road and easy to access or do you have to hike to it? We recommend storing spring water in glass instead of plastic to preserve the purity of the water. It is better for the environment, your body, and the water. Even BPA free plastic has toxic chemicals that can leach into water and cause health issues. If you do want to use plastic for safety reasons when filling at the spring, we recommend transferring the water to glass as soon as possible. FindASpring is sponsored by Alive Waters, which offers beautiful reusable glass. They have a 2.5 gallon option, which is a convenient size for carrying that isn’t too heavy. They also sell handles that you can use to transport the jugs even more easily. If you have to hike to access the spring, we recommend putting the water jugs into an extra large backpack to hike the water out with ease. We use Osprey packs that hold 2 jugs each. You can also use a wheelbarrow or even a stroller depending on how easy a walk it is.

Filling 2.5 Gallon Alive Waters Jug

When you get to the spring, remember to first give back before you take. Springs are considered sacred in indigenous cultures around the world for their life giving water and also as a connection to the inner earth. A powerful and simple way to give back is to clean up. Is there any trash that needs to be collected? Could you move any dead leaves or sticks to improve the flow rate? Show up in service. Some other wonderful ways to give is with a moment of expressing verbal gratitude, singing songs to the water, offering the water an ethically sourced crystal, a feather, or some other physical gift. Flowers are a popular and beautiful thing to offer, but please be careful to source organic ones as most flowers from the store are sprayed with pesticides and can be toxic to put near a spring. Also, flowers can attract bugs as they decay, so it can be best to offer them to the flowing water directly or a little downstream from the spring head.

When gathering the water, fill the jug as close to the spring head as possible, never gather downstream. Be very careful as wet glass is extremely slippery. Make sure the lid is securely fastened. When transporting the spring water home, the jugs can sometimes slide around the car. Secure them in place or wrap them with towels or something so they don’t crash into each other.

How you store your spring water is essential. It is not pasteurized like spring water from the store, so it will start growing algae if left in direct sunlight. This is good because it means it’s alive! If the water you drink can’t even support the most basic life forms, how do you think it will support your body? Store your water in a cool, dark place such as a dark corner, pantry or closet. The fridge is ideal if you have room. Some people prefer to filter their water through a Berkey filter before drinking, but if the spring is pure, it’s not necessary. We drink our spring water completely unfiltered.

How long the water stays good for depends on how cold a temperature it’s stored at. Spring water is best fresh. We personally do not prefer to drink spring water past 2 weeks old. However, we know other people that will drink it at a month old. It’s great to get in a rhythm where you know how long the water lasts you and put your collection day on the calendar in advance.

I believe that water is calling us to reconnect with her in the deepest way, to gather our own water. Just like our ancestors did. Our ancestors didn’t have fancy water machines. They also didn’t create villages or settle where there was no water. Water was revered as the center of the community and the nodal point around which life could spiral out and take root.

Here’s to restoring the sacred connection with the waters of life.

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