Awash in the Scout Hole

Gently flowing cool water on a hot summer day. Tall trees along the bank that cast their welcome shadows over the stream. A large rock that served as a launch pad for eager swimmers.

It seemed like heaven to the young boys splashing with joy in the hidden back channel of this hallowed creek.

Google Earth view: The secluded swimming hole is above the island in the upper middle of the image.

And while I'm engrossed with this particular memory -- one that's come to life on the cusp of summer, 2026 -- I have to admit this isn't even my favorite swimming hole. Yet it was magical enough to attract me gleefully, and quite often.

The Scout Hole was a secluded treasure in the Slippery Rock Creek in Wurtemburg, Lawrence County, Pa. It got its name, we were told, because the Boy Scouts had a bucolic cabin nearby, and it was said that they were the builders of a rock dam across the creek's channel.

We never saw a single Boy Scout here, but we certainly had a lot of company:

Fish swimming freely in the stream, tiny minnows darting around our legs, ducks floating by, and . . . well, the one time I was swimming underwater and inadvertently grabbed a water dog -- sometimes called a hellbender -- and I managed to release it before I got a nasty bite. I also made a hasty retreat from the water, catching my composure for about a half hour. Whew!

A waterdog is a handsome beast!

Though the Scouts originally constructed the makeshift stone dam, there was no sign they maintained it. So we continued to use its name and, each spring, we rebuilt the stone dam that made the water, oh, just a little deeper and somewhat calmer.

Of all its attractive qualities, its isolated location is near the top of my list. I admit I swam there alone from time to time, certainly not the wisest course, but I always felt the Slippery Rock and I had a special relationship. Admittedly, I love that lovely stream to this very day.

The creek easily is seen from an escarpment at Wurtemburg, but the midstream island and the tall grass that grows there hide the Scout Hole, and it's easy to spend much of the day there in tranquility.

Dee King Dombach, a Wurtemburg native and fellow Slippery Rock Creek aficionado, described the descent to the creek and island. She lived only a few houses away from the descending trail, and loved swimming in the refreshing stream.

Dee was kind enough to share the location of the house she lived in near the creek.

"There was a janky path down the hillside where Jerry Workley kept a bathtub full of minnows” for fishing bait, she said. The glistening water that filled the bathtub flowed from an adjacent fresh spring.

It was prudent to exercise caution on that path on that steep hillside -- the stairs were made of cement blocks set side by side that sometimes jarred loose. These steps had been built by property owner Workley, a friendly man who was quick to grant us passage to his property.

Finally, we had to wade across the Slippery Rock's main channel to reach the island, then the Scout Hole. The water in the main channel was swift but shallow, and oh-so clear. There were times we'd stop and search for treasures such as freshwater clams that were hiding between the stones.

No matter what distractions the rivulet crossing offered, reaching the exhilarating waters at the Scout Hole proved to be worth the effort.

A day filled with memories was about to be born.

********

Author's note: 

Oh! My favorite swimming hole in the Slippery Rock? It was called Fowler's Rock, just below a higher cliff across Route 488 from the present-day Wurtemburg-Perry Township Fire Hall. Yes, the name was passed down and we don't know its origin. And while I may have written about it in the past, I hope to share more creek memories in the next few weeks when I write "Return to the Rock."

A somewhat dated photo, likely before 2000, from the area around Fowler's Rock that lies upstream and to the right. A lot of local swimmers gathered there, day and night.

You see, in "Return to the Rock," I will be focusing on what absolutely will be a tear-jerking experience for me: At nearly 73 years old, I will touch my beloved Slippery Rock Creek water for what likely will be my last time.

Yes, I will be crying.

I hope you'll come back and join me when I share that upcoming adventure!