DIRECTIONS: From the PA 16/PA 75 intersection in the north end of Mercersburg, go west on PA 16 for 4 miles and turn right on Stoney Battery Road and go to the park entrance on the left. Continue on PA 16 anther 0.5 mile and turn left (south) on PA 456. There are plenty of places to stop and explore along this 10-mile valley. Go 1.9 miles to the Cove Valley Camp where you may walk and observe their small lake for waterfowl or wander about for woodland and stream species. If the office is open, they will give you a trail map of the camp. There are Louisiana Waterthrush, Belted Kingfisher, Northern Rough-winged and Tree swallows, Barred Owl, Red-eyed and Blue-headed vireos, Baltimore Oriole, Yellow-Billed Cuckoo, etc. You can get 30 species or more here in the spring. Another stop would be Saunderosa Campground which is about 0.6 mile further south. Here you can park and look for Cedar Waxwing, Orchard and Baltimore orioles, Whip-poor-will, several of the vireos and along the small lake Spotted and Solitary sandpipers and Green Heron, Wood Thrush, etc. Further south (1.1 miles) you come to a small wetland on the right side of the road. Look for Green and Great Blue herons and various ducks and sandpipers in the spring. Also in this area are Yellow Warbler and Least Flycatcher. As you go south you cross the Little Cove Creek and you are never far from it on the main road. The creek attracts various species of birds. At Sylvan, about 5.2 miles further south, you can find Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Warbling Vireo, both orioles, Swamp Sparrow and more. There is a small wetland area here as well. Just beyond the Sylvan Road you can turn west (right) onto Ft. Davis Road and follow it to where SGL 124 borders the road (part of this route is a dirt road). The tract is large and has the Tuscarora Trail in part of it but is mostly wooded with some shrubs and grassland areas. Look for Yellow-breasted Chat, flycatchers, vireos, Indigo Bunting, various warblers, and winter sparrows (White-throated and White-crowned). If you follow Fort Davis Road, you will come to Red Rock Road which borders Licking Creek. This is a dirt road until you get back to PA 456. You need to turn east (left) and follow this road back to Route 456 to complete a loop. This valley is narrow with mountains on either side and there a several roads which are good for birding. Some of these are dirt roads but in good condition. Birding trips here will produce 65 to 85 species in the spring. There are good number of Grasshopper, Savannah, and Vesper sparrows as well as Eastern Meadowlark in the grassland areas. Parking can be difficult at places so be considerate of private property.