Current parks
Park Name | County or Counties | Area in acres (km²) | Date founded |
Stream(s) and / or Lake(s) | Remarks |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Allegheny Islands State Park | Allegheny County | 43 acres (0.17 km²) | 1980 | Allegheny River | Three islands near Pittsburgh with no facilities, no plans for future development |
Archbald Pothole State Park | Lackawanna County | 150 acres (0.61 km²) | 1964 | None | One of world's largest potholes, 38 ft (12 m) deep, largest diameter 42 feet (13 m) by 24 feet (7 m) |
Bald Eagle State Park | Centre County | 5,900 acres (23.88 km²) | 1971 | Bald Eagle Creek, Foster Joseph Sayers Reservior | 1,730 acre (7.00 km²) U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reservoir named for Medal of Honor recipient |
Beltzville State Park | Carbon County | 2,973 acres (12.03 km²) | 1972 | Pohopoco Creek, Beltzville Lake | U.S. Army Corps of Engineers lake is 949 acres (3.84 km²) with 19.8 miles (31.9 km) of shoreline |
Bendigo State Park | Elk County | 100 acres (0.4 km²) | 1959 | East Branch Clarion River | Only 20 acres (0.08 km²) is developed, name is a corruption of Abednego |
Benjamin Rush State Park | Philadelphia County | 275 acres (1.11 km²) | 1975 | None | Site of one of the world's largest community gardens, otherwise undeveloped |
Big Pocono State Park | Monroe County | 1,306 acres (5.29 km²) | 1954 | None | On Camelback Mountain, site of Camelback Ski Area and Waterpark |
Big Spring State Park | Perry County | 45 acres (0.18 km²) | 1936 | Big Spring Run | Has trail to partially completed railroad tunnel in Conococheague Mountain |
Black Moshannon State Park | Centre County | 3,394 acres (13.74 km²) | 1937 | Black Moshannon Creek, Black Moshannon Lake | Has bog with three carnivorous plant species and 17 orchid varieties[e][f] |
Blue Knob State Park | Bedford County | 5,874 acres (23.77 km²) | 1945 | None | Former Recreation Demonstration Area on state's second highest mountain, has Blue Knob All Seasons Resort |
Boyd Big Tree Preserve Conservation Area | Dauphin County | 914 acres (3.7 km²) | 1999 | Unnamed tributary of Fishing Creek | On Blue Mountain, one of three Conservation Areas, named for donor Alex Boyd |
Buchanan's Birthplace State Park | Franklin County | 18.5 acres (0.07 km²) | 1911 | Buck Run | Stone pyramid marks the birthplace of James Buchanan, 15th President of the United States |
Bucktail State Park | Cameron and Clinton Counties | 21,039 acres (85.14 km²) | 1933 | Sinnemahoning Creek, West Branch Susquehanna River | Named for Bucktail Regiment, 75 mile (121 km) undeveloped scenic drive on PA 120 |
Caledonia State Park | Adams and Franklin Counties | 1,125 acres (4.55 km²) | 1903 | Rocky Mountain Creek, Carbaugh Run, East Branch Conococheague Creek | Named for Thaddeus Stevens' iron furnace, home to summer stock "Totem Pole Playhouse" |
Canoe Creek State Park | Blair County | 658 acres (2.66 km²) | 1979 | Canoe Creek (tributary of Raystown Branch Juniata River), Canoe Creek Lake | Home of largest nursery colony of little brown bats in the state[e] |
Chapman State Park | Warren County | 805 acres (3.26 km²) | 1951 | Farnsworth Run, West Branch Tionesta Creek, Chapman Lake | Trailhead for trail system in surrounding Allegheny National Forest |
Cherry Springs State Park | Potter County | 48 acres (0.19 km²) | 1922 | None | Known for some of the clearest, darkest night skies in the state and eastern US[e][f] |
Clear Creek State Park | Jefferson County | 1,676 acres (6.78 km²) | 1922 | Clear Creek, Clarion River | Start of popular canoe trip on 10 miles (6 km) of Clarion River to Cook Forest State Park[f] |
Codorus State Park | York County | 3,329 acres (13.47 km²) | 1966 | Codorus Creek, Lake Marburg | Man-made lake is 1,275 acres (5.16 km²), named for former village of Marburg now flooded by it |
Colonel Denning State Park | Cumberland County | 273 acres (1.1 km²) | 1936 | Doubling Gap Creek, Doubling Gap Lake | Named for William Denning, American Revolutionary War veteran who was never a colonel |
Colton Point State Park | Tioga County | 368 acres (1.49 km²) | 1936 | Pine Creek | On west rim of the Pennsylvania Grand Canyon, 800 feet (244 m) deep here[e][f] |
Cook Forest State Park | Clarion, Forest, and Jefferson Counties | 8,500 acres (34.4 km²) | 1927 | Toms Run, Clarion River | National Natural Landmark, "one of America's top-50 state parks" (National Geographic Traveler)[e][f] |
Cowans Gap State Park | Fulton County | 1,085 acres (4.39 km²) | 1937 | Little Aughwick Creek, Cowans Gap Lake | Site of French and Indian War road, pioneer homestead, lumbering, and CCC camp[f] |
Delaware Canal State Park | Bucks and Northampton Counties | 830 acres (3.36 km²) | 1931 | Delaware River | Runs 60 miles (97 km) along Delaware Canal, only 1800s U.S. towpath canal left continuously intact[e][f] |
Denton Hill State Park | Potter County | 700 acres (2.83 km²) | 1951 | None | Site of Ski Denton resort, also open for summer mountain biking |
Elk State Park | Elk County | 3,192 acres (12.92 km²) | 1963 | East Branch Clarion River, East Branch Lake | U.S. Army Corps of Engineers lake is 1,160 acres (4.69 km²) |
Erie Bluffs State Park | Erie County | 540 acres (2.19 km²) | 2004 | Lake Erie | Has 1.0 mile (0.6 km) of lake coastline and bluffs 90 feet (27 m) tall, being developed |
Evansburg State Park | Montgomery County | 3,349 acres (13.55 km²) | 1979 | Skippack Creek | Has 18 hole Skippack Golf Course, many outdoor recreational opportunities[f] |
Fort Washington State Park | Montgomery County | 493 acres (2 km²) | 1953 | Wissahickon Creek | George Washington camped here in American Revolutionary War's Philadelphia campaign |
Fowlers Hollow State Park | Perry County | 104 acres (0.42 km²) | 1936 | Fowlers Hollow Run | Trailhead for the trail system of the surrounding Tuscarora State Forest |
Frances Slocum State Park | Luzerne County | 1,035 acres (4.19 km²) | 1968 | Abrahams Creek, Frances Slocum Lake | Named for a girl kidnapped by the Lenape who lived the rest of her life with the Miami in Indiana |
French Creek State Park | Berks and Chester Counties | 7,339 acres (29.7 km²) | 1946 | French Creek | Former Recreation Demonstration Area, adjacent to Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site[f] |
Gifford Pinchot State Park | York County | 2,338 acres (9.46 km²) | 1961 | Beaver Creek (tributary of Conewago Creek), Pinchot Lake | Gifford Pinchot was a Pennsylvania governor, conservationist, and first US Forest Service Chief |
Gouldsboro State Park | Monroe and Wayne Counties | 2,880 acres (11.65 km²) | 1958 | Gouldsboro Lake | Named for village named for Jay Gould, next to Tobyhanna Army Depot |
Greenwood Furnace State Park | Huntingdon County | 423 acres (1.71 km²) | 1924 | Standing Stone Creek, Greenwood Lake | Includes ghost town of Greenwood, former ironworks and charcoal hearths[e][f] |
Hickory Run State Park | Carbon County | 15,550 acres (62.93 km²) | 1945 | Hickory Run, Lehigh River, Sand Spring Lake | Large Boulder Field in park is a National Natural Landmark[e] |
Hillman State Park | Washington County | 3,600 acres (14.56 km²) | 1960s | Raccoon Creek | Managed for hunting by the Pennsylvania Game Commission and largely undeveloped |
Hills Creek State Park | Tioga County | 407 acres (1.65 km²) | 1953 | Hills Creek, Hills Creek Lake | Land previously used as a pigment mine for the paint industry |
Hyner Run State Park | Clinton County | 180 acres (0.73 km²) | 1958 | Hyner Run | On the site of Civilian Conservation Corps camp (Camp S-75-PA) |
Hyner View State Park | Clinton County | 6 acres (0.02 km²) | 1965 | None | Scenic view of the West Branch Susquehanna River and launching point for hang gliding[e] |
Jacobsburg Environmental Education Center | Northampton County | 1,168 acres (4.73 km²) | 1959 | Bushkill Creek | Surrounds Jacobsburg National Historic District, where rifles were manufactured during American Revolution[f] |
Jennings Environmental Education Center | Butler County | 300 acres (1.21 km²) | 1979 | Big Run | Contains the only publicly protected relict prairie ecosystem in Pennsylvania, 20 acres (0.08 km²)[e] |
Joseph E. Ibberson Conservation Area | Dauphin County | 350 acres (1.42 km²) | 2000 | None | On Peters Mountain, one of three Conservation Areas, named for donor Joseph E. Ibberson |
Kettle Creek State Park | Clinton County | 1,793 acres (7.26 km²) | 1954 | Kettle Creek, Kettle Creek Reservoir | U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reservoir is 160 acres (0.65 km²), many recreational facilities built by CCC |
Keystone State Park | Westmoreland County | 1,200 acres (4.86 km²) | 1945 | Keystone Run, Keystone Lake | Named for Pennsylvania's official nickname, "The Keystone State" |
Kings Gap Environmental Education and Training Center | Cumberland County | 1,454 acres (5.88 km²) | 1973 | some vernal pools | Training center for park rangers of the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources |
Kinzua Bridge State Park | McKean County | 329 acres (1.33 km²) | 1980 | Kinzua Creek | Had 1882 Historic Civil Engineering Landmark railway bridge, world's highest and longest, destroyed by a tornado in 2003[e][f] |
Kooser State Park | Somerset County | 250 acres (1.01 km²) | 1922 | Kooser Run, Kooser Lake | Site of battles between Native American tribes, part of Whiskey Rebellion [f] |
Lackawanna State Park | Lackawanna County | 1,411 acres (5.71 km²) | 1972 | South Branch Tunkhannock Creek, Lake Lackawanna | On site of a Turn of the Century era community fair |
Laurel Hill State Park | Somerset County | 3,935 acres (15.92 km²) | 1945 | Laurel Hill Creek, Laurel Hill Lake | Former Recreation Demonstration Area with the largest CCC architecture collection of any Pennsylvania state park[f] |
Laurel Mountain State Park | Somerset and Westmoreland Counties | 493 acres (2.00 km²) | 1964 | None | Opened in 1939 by Richard K. Mellon and Rolling Rock brewery as one of the state's first ski areas, donated 1964 |
Laurel Ridge State Park | Cambria, Fayette, Somerset and Westmoreland Counties | 13,625 acres (55.14 km²) | 1967 | Conemaugh River, Youghiogheny River and tributaries | Surrounds the 70 mile (113 km) long Laurel Highlands Hiking Trail |
Laurel Summit State Park | Westmoreland County | 6 acres (0.02 km²) | 1964 | None | Day use picnic area and trailhead, 2,739 feet (835 m) above sea level |
Lehigh Gorge State Park | Carbon and Luzerne Counties | 4,548 acres (18.41 km²) | 1980 | Lehigh River | Lehigh Gorge Trail follows river through park for 26 miles (42 km) |
Leonard Harrison State Park | Tioga County | 585 acres (2.37 km²) | 1922 | Pine Creek | On east rim of the Pennsylvania Grand Canyon, 800 feet (244 m) deep here[e] |
Linn Run State Park | Westmoreland County | 612 acres (2.48 km²) | 1924 | Grove, Rock and Linn Runs and Adams Falls | Once a "barren wasteland", now a thriving second growth forest with an excellent trout stream[f] |
Little Buffalo State Park | Perry County | 923 acres (3.74 km²) | 1972 | Little Buffalo Creek, Holman Lake | Named for the bison that are believed to have once roamed the ridge and valley region of Pennsylvania[f] |
Little Pine State Park | Lycoming County | 2,158 acres (8.73 km²) | 1937 | Little Pine Creek | Historians believe a Shawnee village and burial ground were just north of the park |
Locust Lake State Park | Schuylkill County | 1,089 acres (4.41 km²) | 1966 | Locust Creek, Locust Lake | In a thriving second growth forest on the side of Locust Mountain |
Lyman Run State Park | Potter County | 595 acres (2.41 km²) | 1951 | Lyman Run, Lyman Run Lake | Site of a Prisoner of War Camp during World War II |
Marsh Creek State Park | Chester County | 1,705 acres (6.9 km²) | 1974 | Marsh Creek, Marsh Creek Lake | The village of Milford Mills was flooded by the creation of the lake, last Project 70 / 500 park[f] |
Maurice K. Goddard State Park | Mercer County | 2,856 acres (11.56 km²) | 1972 | Sandy Creek, Lake Wilhelm | Named for Maurice K. Goddard, who led the creation of 45 state parks in 24 years of service |
McCalls Dam State Park | Centre County | 8 acres (0.03 km²) | 1933 | White Deer Creek | In a remote location on a dirt road between R.B. Winter State Park and Eastville. |
McConnells Mill State Park | Lawrence County | 2,546 acres (10.3 km²) | 1957 | Slippery Rock Creek | Features a deep scenic gorge with a restored watermill and a covered bridge[e][f] |
Memorial Lake State Park | Lebanon County | 230 acres (0.93 km²) | 1945 | Indiantown Run, Memorial Lake | Surrounded by Fort Indiantown Gap, headquarters of the Pennsylvania National Guard |
Milton State Park | Northumberland County | 82 acres (0.33 km²) | 1966 | West Branch Susquehanna River | On an island in the river, detroyed by Hurricane Agnes in 1972 and rebuilt |
Mont Alto State Park | Franklin County | 24 acres (0.1 km²) | 1902 | West Branch Antietam Creek | Pennsylvania's current oldest state park and first "State Forest Park", former iron works |
Moraine State Park | Butler County | 16,725 acres (67.68 km²) | 1970 | Muddy Creek, Lake Arthur | Served as the location of the 1973 and 1977 National Scout Jamborees |
Mt. Pisgah State Park | Bradford County | 1,302 acres (5.27 km²) | 1979 | Pisgah Creek, Mill Creek, Stephen Foster Lake | Lake named for renowned American composer Stephen Foster |
Nescopeck State Park | Luzerne County | 3,550 acres (14.37 km²) | 2005 | Nescopeck Creek | One of the newest state parks in Pennsylvania |
Neshaminy State Park | Bucks County | 330 acres (1.34 km²) | 1956 | Delaware River | On an estuary, donated by descendant of James Logan, colonial secretary to William Penn |
Nockamixon State Park | Bucks County | 5,283 acres (21.38 km²) | 1973 | Tohickon Creek, Lake Nockamixon | Nockamixon means "place of soft soil" in the Lenape language |
Nolde Forest Environmental Education Center | Berks County | 665 acres (2.69 km²) | 1970 | Wyomissing Creek | Once a "luxury forest" privately owned by Jacob Nolde |
Norristown Farm Park | Montgomery County | 690 acres (2.79 km²) | 1995 | Stony Creek | Managed by the Montgomery County Department of Parks |
Ohiopyle State Park | Fayette County | 19,052 acres (77.1 km²) | 1965 | Youghiogheny River and tributaries | One of the most popular white-water rafting destinations on the East Coast[e] |
Oil Creek State Park | Venango County | 6,250 acres (25.29 km²) | 1931 | Oil Creek | Edwin Drake drilled the first successful oil well in the world here in 1859[e] |
Ole Bull State Park | Potter County | 132 acres (0.53 km²) | 1925 | Ole Bull Run, Kettle Creek | Location of a Norwegian colony established by renowned violinist Ole Bull |
Parker Dam State Park | Clearfield County | 968 acres (3.92 km²) | 1936 | Laurel Run, Parker Lake | A herd of elk lives in and near the park[f] |
Patterson State Park | Potter County | 10 acres (0.04 km²) | 1925 | None | Day use picnic area on Pennsylvania Route 44, surrounded by Susquehannock State Forest |
Penn-Roosevelt State Park | Centre County | 41 acres (0.17 km²) | 1983 | Sassafras Run, Standing Stone Creek | Once a segregated black Civilian Conservation Corps camp during the Great Depression |
Pine Grove Furnace State Park | Cumberland County | 696 acres (2.82 km²) | 1913 | Mountain Creek, Fuller Lake, Laurel Lake | The furnaces at Pine Grove could consume an acre of trees a day[f] |
Poe Paddy State Park | Centre County | 23 acres (0.09 km²) | 1938 | Big Poe Creek, Penns Creek | Noted by anglers for the shadfly hatch that occurs in late spring |
Poe Valley State Park | Centre County | 620 acres (2.51 km²) | 1938 | Big Poe Creek, Poe Lake | Constructed during the Great Depression by the CCC |
Point State Park | Allegheny County | 36 acres (0.15 km²) | 1974 | Allegheny, Monongahela, Ohio rivers | In downtown Pittsburgh at meeting of three rivers, site of Fort Pitt[f] |
Presque Isle State Park | Erie County | 3,200 acres (12.95 km²) | 1921 | Lake Erie | The most visited state park in Pennsylvania, on a peninsula in lake with many beaches[e][f] |
Prince Gallitzin State Park | Cambria County | 6,249 acres (25.29 km²) | 1965 | Beaverdam Run, Glendale Lake | Named for Demetrius Gallitzin, Russian nobelman turned Roman Catholic priest |
Promised Land State Park | Pike County | 3,000 acres (12.14 km²) | 1905 | Wallenpaupack Creek, Promised Land Lake, Lower Lake | Name is an ironic commentary created by immigrant residents, once owned by the Shakers[f] |
Prompton State Park | Wayne County | 2,000 acres (8.09 km²) | 1962 | Lackawaxen River, Prompton Lake | Northeast Sports Ltd. sponsors outdoor sports there, being developed with help of "Friends of Prompton" |
Prouty Place State Park | Potter County | 5 acres (0.02 km²) | 1925 | Prouty Run | Day use picnic area on Long Toe Road |
Pymatuning State Park | Crawford County | 21,122 acres (85.48 km²) | 1934 | Shenango River, Pymatuning Lake | The largest state park in Pennsylvania, with one of the largest lakes[e] |
R. B. Winter State Park | Union County | 695 acres (2.81 km²) | 1933 | Halfway Creek, Halfway Lake | Has first cement and stone dam ever built by the Civilian Conservation Corps[f] |
Raccoon Creek State Park | Beaver County | 7,572 acres (30.64 km²) | 1945 | Little Traverse Creek, Raccoon Lake | Built by CCC, WPA as one of five state National Park Service Recreational Demonstration Areas[e][f] |
Ralph Stover State Park | Bucks County | 45 acres (0.18 km²) | 1931 | Tohickon Creek | "High Rocks" portion of the park donated to Pennsylvania by James Michener in 1956 |
Ravensburg State Park | Clinton County | 78 acres (0.32 km²) | 1933 | Rauchtown Run | Named for the ravens that flock near the gorge[f] |
Reeds Gap State Park | Mifflin County | 220 acres (0.89 km²) | 1938 | Honey Creek | Once a gathering place for the locals to hold picnics and listen to travelling evangelists |
Ricketts Glen State Park | Columbia, Luzerne, and Sullivan Counties | 13,050 acres (52.81 km²) | 1942 | Kitchen Creek | Slated to become a National Park, but did not due to redirection of funds during World War II[e] |
Ridley Creek State Park | Delaware County | 2,606 acres (10.55 km²) | 1972 | Ridley Creek | Adjacent to the John J. Tyler Arboretum[f] |
Ryerson Station State Park | Greene County | 1,164 acres (4.71 km²) | 1967 | North Fork of the Dunkard Fork of Wheeling Creek, Ronald J. Duke Lake | 52 acre (0.21 km²) man-made lake, 38 miles (61 km) from next nearest Pennsylvania state park (Hillman) |
S. B. Elliott State Park | Clearfield County | 318 acres (1.29 km²) | 1933 | Stony Run | Named for Simon B. Elliott, a noted Pennsylvania conservationist and legislator[f] |
Salt Springs State Park | Susquehanna County | 405 acres (1.64 km²) | 1973 | Fall Brook | Large hemlocks over 500 years old are some of the largest trees in the state, has three waterfalls |
Samuel S. Lewis State Park | York County | 85 acres (0.34 km²) | 1954 | None | Named for donor, a Secretary of Department of Forests and Waters, now popular for star gazing |
Sand Bridge State Park | Union County | 3 acres (0.01 km²) | 1978 | Rapid Run | The smallest state park in Pennsylvania, a day use picnic area on Pennsylvania Route 192 |
Shawnee State Park | Bedford County | 3,983 acres (16.12 km²) | 1951 | Lake Shawnee | Rental lodge on an island in the lake |
Shikellamy State Park | Northumberland and Union Counties | 132 acres (0.53 km²) | 1960 | West Branch and North Branch Susquehanna River | Overlook at confluence of West Branch and North Branch Susquehanna River, marina added in 1972 |
Sinnemahoning State Park | Cameron County and Potter County Counties | 1,910 acres (7.73 km²) | 1962 | Sinnemahoning Creek, George B. Stevenson Reservoir | U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reservoir is 142 acres (0.57 km²), park home to rare elk and bald eagle |
Sizerville State Park | Cameron County and Potter Counties | 386 acres (1.56 km²) | 1924 | Cowley Run, Portage Creek, Driftwood Branch, and Sinnemahoning Creek | Named for the nearby ghost town of Sizerville |
Susquehanna State Park | Lycoming County | 20 acres (0.08 km²) | 1961 | West Branch Susquehanna River | Operated by the Williamsport/Lycoming Chamber of Commerce, home to paddlewheeler Hiawatha |
Susquehannock State Park | Lancaster County | 224 acres (0.91 km²) | 1965 | Susquehanna River | Named for the Susquehannock, whose chief village was nearby, on bluffs overlooking the river |
Swatara State Park | Lebanon and Schuylkill Counties | 3,515 acres (14.22 km²) | 1987 | Swatara Creek | Rail Trail on former Lebanon & Tremont Branch of Philadelphia & Reading Railroad, being developed[f] |
Tobyhanna State Park | Monroe County | 5,440 acres (22.01 km²) | 1949 | Tobyhanna Creek, Tobyhanna Lake | Once part of an artillery range for Tobyhanna Army Depot |
Trough Creek State Park | Huntingdon County | 554 acres (2.24 km²) | 1936 | Great Trough Creek, Raystown Lake | Bald eagles have migrated here naturally since the early 1990s[e][f] |
Tuscarora State Park | Schuylkill County | 1,618 acres (6.55 km²) | 1971 | Locust Creek, Tuscarora Lake | The Tuscarora moved to area after Tuscarora War in North Carolina, later forced out by colonial settlement |
Tyler State Park | Bucks County | 1,711 acres (6.92 km²) | 1974 | Neshaminy Creek | Old original stone dwellings in park are fine examples of early farm dwellings of rural Pennsylvania |
Upper Pine Bottom State Park | Lycoming County | 5 acres (0.02 km²) | 1924 | Upper Pine Bottom Run | A roadside park and picnic area for day use only, on Pennsylvania Route 44 |
Varden Conservation Area | Wayne County | 343 acres (1.39 km²) | 2001 | Middle Creek | One of three Conservation Areas, donor is Dr. Mead Shaffer, being developed |
Warriors Path State Park | Bedford County | 349 acres (1.41 km²) | 1965 | Raystown Branch Juniata River | Named for the Great Indian Warpath used by the Iroquois in war raids on the Cherokee and other tribes |
Whipple Dam State Park | Huntingdon County | 256 acres (1.04 km²) | 1928 | Whipple Lake | A camp for Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, and Campfire Girls on north side of lake used 1928 to 1941[f] |
White Clay Creek Preserve | Chester County | 1,255 acres (5.08 km²) | 1984 | White Clay Creek | Donated by DuPont to preserve "diverse and unique plant and animal species, and the rich cultural heritage of the area" |
Worlds End State Park | Sullivan County | 780 acres (3.16 km²) | 1932 | Loyalsock Creek | "Must See Park" known for trout fishing, white-water kayaking, camping, hiking on Loyalsock Trail[e][f] |
Yellow Creek State Park | Indiana County | 3,140 acres (12.71 km²) | 1963 | Yellow Creek, Yellow Creek Lake | Crossed by the Kittanning Path, a major east-west Native American trail during the 18th century |