List of Pennsylvania state parks

Current parks

Other names of former parks

The following are significantly different former or alternate names for two former Pennsylvania state parks.

ee also

*List of Pennsylvania state forests
*Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission
*Pennsylvania Game Commission
*Pennsylvania Scenic Rivers

Notes

:a. Note_label|A|a|noneFour Pennsylvania state parks are also the site of ski areas run by private contractors: Big Pocono (Ski Camelback), Blue Knob (Ski Blue Knob), Denton Hill (Ski Denton), and Laurel Mountain (no ski operations in 2006-2007). Two parks are operated by other governmental bodies: Hillman (managed for hunting by the Pennsylvania Game Commission) and Norristown Farm (operated by the Montgomery County Department of Parks). Three parks are operated by other organizations: Susquehanna (operated by the Williamsport/Lycoming Chamber of Commerce), Prompton (operated by non-profit "Friends of Prompton"), and Salt Springs (operated by non-profit "Friends of Salt Springs"). :b. Note_label|B|b|none The Pennsylvania counties without state parks as of 2007 are: Armstrong, Juniata, Lehigh, Montour, Snyder, and Wyoming counties. Two of these counties are sites of former state parks: Crooked Creek in Armstrong County, and Snyder-Middleswarth in Snyder County. :c. Note_label|C|c|none The goal of having a state park within 25 miles (40 km) of every resident was set by Maurice K. Goddard (Secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Forests and Waters, and then of the Department of Environmental Resources from 1955 to 1979). :d. Note_label|D|d|none The seven National Natural Landmarks at least partly within current state parks (with the park name in parentheses, if different) are: Cook Forest, Ferncliff Peninsula (Ohiopyle), the Glens Natural Area (Ricketts Glen), Hickory Run Boulder Field (Hickory Run), McConnells Mill, the Pine Creek Gorge (includes Colton Point and Leonard Harrison), and Presque Isle. One National Natural Landmark, Snyder Middleswarth Natural Area, is a former state park.:e. Note_label|E|e|none The date of establishment for many Pennsylvania state parks is not always clear, especially for parks developed from state forest property. As an example, consider Upper Pine Bottom, which, as of 2007, is a picnic area surrounded by Tiadaghton State Forest. These state forest lands were acquired by the state by the early 1900s, the site was "Upper Pine Bottom Class B Public Campground" by 1924, the CCC built a pavilion there in 1936 (which is no longer extant), but it was not officially transferred from the Bureau of Forests to State Parks until 1962.:f. Note_label|F|f|none This park was one of twenty-one chosen by the Pennsylvania Bureau of Parks for its "Twenty Must-See Pennsylvania State Parks" list. [cite web| url = http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/stateparks/twenty/20parks.aspx | title = Twenty Must-See Pennsylvania State Parks | accessdate = 2007-02-05| publisher = PA DCNR "Note: Despite the title, there are twenty-one parks in the list, with Colton Point and Leonard Harrison State Parks treated as one."] :g. Note_label|G|g|none This park has one or more historic sites or districts on the National Register of Historic Places.:h. Note_label|H|h|none There have been a considerable number of changes in Pennsylvania's categorization of its state parks and other protected areas over the years, so that what can be called a former state park is not always clear. This can be seen by comparing the following three lists from 1923, 1924, and 1937.
In 1923, the Pennsylvania Department of Forests and Waters listed seven "State Forest Parks": Caledonia, Childs (now part of Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area), Hairy John's (now a picnic area in Bald Eagle State Forest), James Buchanan, Leonard Harrison, Mont Alto, and Valhalla (now Ole Bull). Note this does not include Snyder-Middleswarth State Forest Park, established in 1921.
One year later the state listed twenty-six public campgrounds in state forests, which included three of the previous year's state forest parks, plus twelve sites that later became state parks. The ten Class A Public Campgrounds (with space for cars and tents, on main highways) were: Adams Falls (now Linn Run), Big Spring, Caledonia, Childs, Colerain Forge, Darling Run, Laurel Run Park, Ole Bull, Promised Land, and Tea Springs. The sixteen Class B Public Campgrounds (lean-to shelter, on secondary roads) were: Baldwin, Bear Valley, Cherry Springs Drive, Clear Creek, Donnelly, Joyce Kilmer, Kansas, Kooser, Laurel Hill Summit (now Laurel Summit), Laurel Lake Park, Locusts, McCall's Dam, Ravensburg, Sizerville, Sulphur Springs, and Upper Pine Bottom.
In 1937, the state published a brochure listing the following forty-nine protected areas: six State Parks (Caledonia, Childs, Cook Forest, Presque Isle, Pymatuning, and Ralph Stover); eight State Monuments (Bushy Run, Conrad Weiser, Drake Well, Fort Necessity, Fort Washington, James Buchanan, Valley Forge, and Washington Crossing); ten Forest Recreational Reserves (Clear Creek, Colton Point, Cowans Gap, Kooser Lake, Parker Dam, Pecks Pond, Promised Land Lake, Snow Hill, Whipple Dam, Whirl's End); sixteen Wayside Areas (Big Spring, Black Moshannon, Cherry Spring, Colerain, Greenwood Furnace, Halfway (now R.B. Winter), Joyce Kilmer, Kettle Creek, Mont Alto, Pine Grove Furnace, Reeds Gap, S.B. Elliott, Sideling Hill, Sizerville, and Tea Spring); seven Forest Monuments (Alan Seeger, Bear Meadows, Ole Bull, Detweiler Run, McConnell Narrows, Mount Logan, and Snyder-Middleswarth); and three State Forest Lookouts (Leonard Harrison, Martins Hill, and Mount Riansares). [cite news |title= Pennsylvania has everything! |url= http://www.libraries.psu.edu/do/digitalbookshelf/28559645/28559645_part_1.pdf |format= PDF |work= Brochure |publisher= Pennsylvania State Publicity Commission |date= 1937 |accessdate=2007-03-13 ]
Only twelve of the twenty-six public campgrounds from 1924 are on the 1937 list. Of the forty-nine areas on the 1937 list, twenty-eight are state parks as of 2007, while nine are former state parks, and twelve are in state forests (nine of these still retain their names as state forest picnic, natural or wild areas).

References

External links

* [http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/stateParks/ Official Pennsylvania DCNR Welcome to Pennsylvania State Parks page]