Visiting the Lost Children of the Alleghenies Monument

How to Get to the Lost Children of the Alleghenies Monument and Burial Site in Bedford County, PA

The Lost Children of the Alleghenies were two young brothers who wandered away from their Bedford County, PA home and perished in the nearby mountains in April, 1856, despite a massive search effort to save them.

Sign next to the Cox Monument on State Game Lands 26 in Bedford County PA.
Sign next to the Cox Monument on State Game Lands 26 in Bedford County.

On the 50th anniversary of their deaths, in 1906, a marble monument was erected on the spot their bodies were found, next to Ciana Run on present-day State Game Lands 26.

The Lost Children of the Alleghenies monument was dedicated on May 8, 1906.
The Lost Children of the Alleghenies Monument was dedicated on May 8, 1906.

What Happened to the Lost Children of the Alleghenies

On April 24th, 1856 Samuel Cox returned home from a morning of hunting to discover that his children George (age 7) and Joseph (age 5) had wandered away from home.

"Wandered from Home April 24, 1856" engraved on the Cox Children monument in Bedford County PA.
“Wandered from Home April 24, 1856” engraved on the Cox Children Monument.

Samuel and his wife Susannah (who thought the children had gone hunting with Samuel) began to frantically search for the children, and were soon joined by friends and neighbors in the search.

The Lost Children of the Alleghenies monument along Ciana Run in Bedford County.
The Lost Children of the Alleghenies Monument along Ciana Run in Bedford County.

By the second day of the search, nearly one thousand people had poured into the region to search for the children, but to no avail.

The Lost Children of the Alleghenies Monument is protected from vandals and the weather by a fenced-in enclosure.
The Lost Children of the Alleghenies Monument is protected from vandals and the weather by a fenced-in enclosure.

Ten days after the two boys went missing, a nearby farmer named Jacob Dilbert began having dreams in which he went searching for and successfully located the children.

Portrait of Jacob Dibert whose dreams helped locate the Lost Children of the Alleghenies.
Portrait of Jacob Dibert whose dreams helped locate the Lost Children of the Alleghenies (public domain image).

After having the same dream three nights in a row, he convinced his brother-in-law to accompany him and see if in fact he could locate this route he had followed in his dreams.

Ciana Run next to the Lost Children of the Alleghenies monument in Bedford County.
Ciana Run in Bedford County at the spot where the Lost Children of the Alleghenies were found.

Miraculously, they were able to locate several of the landmarks in Jacob’s dreams, and tragically they found the two boys deceased at the foot of a birch tree along Ciana Run, exactly as Jacob had seen them in his dreams.

The Lost Children of the Alleghenies were found by Jacob Dibert and Harrison Whysong on May 8, 1856.
The Lost Children of the Alleghenies were found by Jacob Dibert and Harrison Whysong on May 8, 1856.

165 years later, people still come to this spot to pay their respects to the two young brothers who tragically perished here in the forest.

Joseph and George Cox monument on State Game Lands 26 in Bedford County.
Joseph and George Cox Monument on State Game Lands 26 in Bedford County.

How to Find the Lost Children of the Alleghenies Monument

The Lost Children of the Alleghenies Monument (or Cox Monument as it is also called) is located on State Game Lands 26 in Bedford County.

How to find the Lost Children of the Alleghenies monument on State Game Lands 26 near Blue Knob State Park.
How to find the Lost Children of the Alleghenies Monument on State Game Lands 26 near Blue Knob State Park.

Turn off of Route 869 when you see the sign pictured below, and travel approximately 2.5 miles to the parking area along Monument Road.

Directional sign along Route 869 showing the way to the Lost Children of the Alleghenies Memorial.
Directional sign along Route 869 showing the way to the Lost Children of the Alleghenies Memorial.

Half-way to the parking area, you’ll pass the former site of the Blue Knob CCC Camp, which built many of the structures at modern-day Blue Knob State Park.

Blue Knob CCC Camp sign along the road leading to the Lost Children of the Alleghenies Memorial.
Blue Knob CCC Camp sign along the road leading to the Lost Children of the Alleghenies Memorial.

The parking area is located at GPS coordinates 40.29302, -78.60492.

Lost Children of the Alleghenies monument parking area.
Lost Children of the Alleghenies monument parking area.

The trail head is located at the back left corner of the parking lot.

Lost Children of the Alleghenies monument trail head.
Lost Children of the Alleghenies monument trail head.

The parking area is within the boundaries of Blue Knob State Park, however the Lost Children of the Alleghenies Monument is located on State Game Lands 26, so be sure to abide by the PA Game Commission’s blaze orange clothing requirements when visiting.

State Game Lands boundary near the Lost Children of the Alleghenies monument.
State Game Lands boundary near the Lost Children of the Alleghenies Monument.

The hike itself is short – approximately 250 yards and essentially flat.

Trail leading to the Lost Children of the Alleghenies Monument in Blair County Pennsylvania.
Trail leading to the Cox Children’s Memorial in Blair County.

After crossing two footbridges, the well-worn path leads right to the monument and sign that describes the incident, at GPS coordinates 40.29476, -78.60351.

The Lost Children of the Alleghenies Memorial in Blair County Pennsylvania.
The Lost Children of the Alleghenies Memorial.

Important note – Monument Road is not maintained in the winter – so travel at your own risk then (or wait until spring, which is the better option).

Monument Road in Bedford County.
Monument Road in Bedford County.

Please treat the memorial with respect when visiting, as this was the scene of a tragic event.

Mementos left by visitors to the Lost CHildren of the Alleghenies Monument in Bedford County.
Mementos left by visitors to the Cox Monument in Bedford County.

The Lost Children of the Alleghenies Burial Site

The Lost Children of the Alleghenies are buried at the Mount Union Cemetery near Pavia.

The Cox Children AKA the Lost Children of the Alleghenies are buried in the Mount Union Cemetery in Blair County Pennsylvania.
The Cox Children are buried in the Mount Union Cemetery in Blair County.

Their burial site is approximately 7.5 miles south of the monument.

Map showing the distance from the Lost Children of the Alleghenies Monument to their final resting place at the Mount Union Cemetery.
Map showing the distance from the Lost Children of the Alleghenies Monument to their final resting place at the Mount Union Cemetery.

The cemetery is located next to the Mount Union United Methodist Church, which can be found at 2182 Spruce Hollow Rd, Pleasantville, PA 15521.

The Mount Union United Methodist Church where the Lost Children of the Alleghenies are buried is located at 2182 Spruce Hollow Rd, Pleasantville, PA 15521.
The Mount Union United Methodist Church is located at 2182 Spruce Hollow Rd, Pleasantville, PA 15521.

A simple white headstone marks the final resting place of George and Joseph Cox, ages 7 and 5.

The final resting place of Joseph and George Cox, AKA the Lost Children of the Alleghenies.
The final resting place of Joseph and George Cox.

Nearby Attractions

Pavia Overlook at Blue Knob State Park is located atop the second-highest mountain in Pennsylvania!

Exploring Pavia Overlook at Blue Knob State Park in Pennsylvania.
The author at Pavia Overlook.

23 Must-See Attractions in Bedford County is an exceptional guide to more even more nearby adventures in Bedford County.

October at Shawnee State Park.
Shawnee State Park in Bedford County.

From museums to mountain vistas, from scenic backroads to an abandoned superhighway – there are a TON of must-see attractions in Bedford County, PA!

Fall foliage at the Bedford Coffee Pot.
Fall foliage at the Bedford Coffee Pot.

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Rusty Glessner
Rusty Glessner is a professional photographer, lifelong Pennsylvanian, and a frequently-cited authority on PA's best travel destinations.