List of Pennsylvania state parks


There are 121 state parks in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania, as of 2016. The Pennsylvania Bureau of State Parks, a division of the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, is the governing body for all these parks, and directly operates 113 of them. The remaining eight are operated in cooperation with other public and private organizations.
The first Pennsylvania state park, at Valley Forge, opened in 1893 and was given to the National Park Service for America's bicentennial in 1976. There are a total of seventeen former Pennsylvania state parks: four former parks have been transferred to the NPS, four to the Pennsylvania Historical Museum Commission, two to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, one to both the Corps and the Pennsylvania Game Commission, five to the Pennsylvania Bureau of Forestry, and one has ceased to exist. Nine current and two former state parks have had major name changes or have been known under alternate names.
The list gives an overview of Pennsylvania state parks and a brief history of their development since the first park opened in 1893. State parks range in size from to, with nearly one percent of Pennsylvania's land as state park land. According to Dan Cupper, "Pennsylvania is the thirty-third largest state, but only Alaska and California have more park land".

Overview

There are state parks in 61 of Pennsylvania's 67 counties, which nearly reaches Pennsylvania's goal of having a state park within 25 miles of every resident in the Commonwealth. Eleven of the 121 parks do not have "State Park" in their name. Three are "Conservation Areas": Boyd Big Tree Preserve, Joseph E. Ibberson, and Varden; four are "Environmental Education Centers": Jacobsburg, Jennings, Kings Gap and Nolde Forest; White Clay Creek is a "Preserve"; Norristown is a "Farm Park"; and Big Spring is a "State Forest Picnic Area".
Seven parks are undeveloped with no facilities: Allegheny Islands, Benjamin Rush, Bucktail, Erie Bluffs, Prompton, Swatara, and Varden; the last four of these are in the process of being developed. Five state parks are small picnic areas: Laurel Summit, Patterson, Prouty Place, Sand Bridge, and Upper Pine Bottom. Five state parks have major U.S. Army Corps of Engineers dams and/or lakes: Bald Eagle, Beltzville, Elk, Kettle Creek, and Sinnemahoning. Three former parks now belong, at least partly, to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Seven parks preserve the industrial past: Canoe Creek is the site of a former lime kiln, and Caledonia, French Creek, Greenwood Furnace, Kings Gap, Mont Alto, and Pine Grove Furnace are all former iron furnace sites. Eight current parks and one former park contain at least part of eight different National Natural Landmarks.
According to the DCNR, the 121 state parks in Pennsylvania are on more than with some 606 full-time and more than 1,600 part-time employees serving approximately 36 million visitors each year. Admission to all Pennsylvania state parks is free, although there are fees charged for use of cabins, marinas, etc. Pennsylvania's 121 state parks offer "over 7,000 family campsites, 286 cabins, nearly 30,000 picnic tables, 56 major recreational lakes, 10 marinas, 61 beaches for swimming, 17 swimming pools" and over 1,000 miles of trails.

History

Pennsylvania's first state park was Valley Forge State Park, purchased by the Commonwealth on May 30, 1893 to preserve Valley Forge. It was transferred to the National Park Service on the Bicentennial of the United States, July 4, 1976. Many state parks still preserve history: as of 2012, forty-two Pennsylvania state park sites are on the National Register of Historic Places, including two National Historic Landmarks, twenty-eight Civilian Conservation Corps sites in nineteen parks, and twelve other parks' historic sites and districts. Eight of the former state parks were also chiefly historic.
In addition to preserving historic sites, Pennsylvania also sought to preserve natural beauty and offer opportunities for recreation in its state parks. In 1902 Mont Alto State Forest Park was the second park established, a year after the state "Bureau of Forestry" was set up to purchase, preserve, and restore Pennsylvania's forests, which had been ravaged by lumbering, charcoal production, and wild fires. Parks were added sporadically until the 1930s, some mere camping and picnic areas in state forests, while others preserved unique sites. The 1930s saw a great expansion of parks and their facilities under Governor Gifford Pinchot, who cooperated with President Franklin Roosevelt, despite their being of different political parties. The Civilian Conservation Corps established 113 CCC camps in Pennsylvania. Using CCC and Works Progress Administration labor, the NPS built five Recreation Demonstration Areas, which became Pennsylvania state parks in 1945 and 1946: Blue Knob, French Creek, Hickory Run, Laurel Hill, and Raccoon Creek. The CCC also "fought forest fires, planted trees, built roads, buildings, picnic areas, swimming areas, campgrounds and created many state parks".
In 1956, there were forty-four state parks in Pennsylvania, mostly in rural areas. Forty-five parks had been added by 1979, mostly near urban areas, and the system had increased by. This was thanks largely to the efforts of Maurice K. Goddard, who served as director of the precursors to the DCNR for twenty-four years under six administrations. The number of visitors to parks more than tripled in this time and two voter approved bond issues raised millions of dollars for park expansions and improvements. All this expansion was not without costs and by 1988 there was an estimated $90 million in deferred maintenance. In 1993, as the park system celebrated its one-hundredth anniversary, new tax and bond revenues were earmarked for the parks. Since 2000, parks are being improved through the state's Growing Greener and Growing Greener II and bond programs.

Current parks

Other names of current parks

The following are significantly different former or alternate names for nine current Pennsylvania state parks. Note that many parks were originally "State Forest Parks" or were state public camping or picnic areas in Pennsylvania state forests. In modern times, some "State Parks" have become "Environmental Education Centers", while other parks have dropped one word from their name. Such minor name changes are not included in this table.
Former or alternate NameCounty or countiesDate name changedCurrent park nameRemarks
Adams Falls Class A CampgroundWestmoreland CountyunknownLinn Run State ParkAdams Falls is a waterfall on Linn Run within Linn Run State Park.
Halfway State ParkUnion County1955R. B. Winter State ParkPark was renamed for Raymond B. Winter, a Forest Ranger who established it and worked there 45 years; also known as "Halfway Dam State Park".
High Rocks State ParkBucks CountyunknownRalph Stover State Park"High Rocks" refers to part of park added in 1956; this name is listed in the USGS GNIS, but was never an official DCNR name or separate park.
Pennsylvania State Park at ErieErie CountyunknownPresque Isle State ParkThis was only the second "State Park" by name in the state when established in 1921; also known unofficially as "Peninsula State Park".
Sandy Creek State ParkMercer County1969Maurice K. Goddard State ParkProposed as "Sandy Creek", but the name was changed before park officially opened in 1972.
Theodore Roosevelt State ParkBucks and Northampton Counties1989Delaware Canal State ParkPark was originally named for Theodore Roosevelt, who had no connection to it; renamed for its focus, the Delaware Canal.
Tohickon State ParkBucks County1965Nockamixon State ParkPark was proposed in 1958 as "Tohickon", but the name was changed before the park officially opened in 1973.
Whirl's End State ParkSullivan County1936 and 1943Worlds End State Park"Whirl's End" 1936–1943 ; "Worlds End" 1932–1936 and 1943 to present ; also known as "Whirl's Glen"
Valhalla State Forest ParkPotter County1920sOle Bull State Park"Valhalla" was a settlement in Ole Bull's failed Norwegian colony, now within the boundaries of Ole Bull State Park.

Former parks

The following eighteen were once Pennsylvania state parks, but have been transferred to federal or state agencies, or ceased to exist.
Former state parkCounty or countiesDate jurisdiction changedCurrent nameRemarks
Allegheny River State ParkVenango County1980Kennerdell tractNow part of Clear Creek State Forest
Blue Marsh State ParkBerks County1978Blue Marsh Lake and Pennsylvania State Game Lands Number 280Park was completed, but without funds to operate it, so was given to the Pennsylvania Game Commission, now also partly a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers site.
Brandywine Battlefield State ParkDelaware CountyunknownBrandywine BattlefieldNow a Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission site
Bushy Run Battlefield State ParkWestmoreland CountyunknownBushy Run BattlefieldNow a Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission site
Colerain State ParkHuntingdon CountyunknownColerain Picnic AreaNow part of Rothrock State Forest although as of 2012 it is not shown on the official state forest web site or map; also known historically as "Colerain Forge".
Conrad Weiser Memorial ParkBerks County1953Conrad Weiser HomesteadNow a Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission site
Crooked Creek State ParkArmstrong CountyunknownCrooked Creek Lake Recreation AreaNow a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers site
Curwensville State ParkClearfield CountyunknownCurwensville Lake on the West Branch Susquehanna RiverNow a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers site, recreation area operated by Clearfield County
Drake Well State ParkVenango County1943Drake Well MuseumNow a Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission site
Fort Necessity State ParkFayette County1961Fort Necessity National BattlefieldNow part of a National Park Service site
George W. Childs State ParkPike County1983George W. Childs Recreation SiteNow part of Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, a National Park Service site; it was donated to the state for a park in 1912 by the widow of Dr. Childs.
Hemlock State Forest ParkPerry CountyunknownHemlocks Natural AreaNow part of Tuscarora State Forest
Independence Mall State ParkPhiladelphia County1975Independence National Historical ParkNow a National Park Service site
Moosic Lake State ParkLackawanna County1930sNo longer in existenceThe Pennsylvania state legislature created park in early 1930s, but did not fund it, so it never came into existence.
Snyder-Middleswarth State ParkSnyder County1980sSnyder Middleswarth Natural Area and Picnic AreaNow part of Bald Eagle State Forest, established 1921
Valley Forge State ParkMontgomery County1976Valley Forge National Historical ParkNow a National Park Service site, it was established in 1893 as the first state park in Pennsylvania.
Voneida State Forest ParkCentre CountyunknownHairy Johns State Forest Picnic AreaNow part of Bald Eagle State Forest, it was established 1922 and named for "Hairy John" Voneida

Other names of former parks

The following are significantly different former or alternate names for two former Pennsylvania state parks. One former park dropped one word from its name. Such minor name changes are not included in this table.
Former or alternate nameCounty or countiesDate name changedFormer park nameRemarks
Braddock Grave State ParkFayette County1961Part of Fort Necessity State ParkNow part of Fort Necessity National Battlefield
Hairy John's State Forest ParkCentre CountyunknownVoneida State Forest ParkNow a State Forest Picnic Area in Bald Eagle State Forest, it was originally named for "Hairy John" Voneida, a 19th-century hermit who lived nearby.