Celebrate the PA State Parks system’s 125th anniversary in the PA Wilds

By Karen Elias

Let’s say you don’t have time for a vacation this year but you want to take some day-trips without spending a whole lot of money.  Here’s my suggestion: Try Pennsylvania’s state parks.

Our award-winning park network covers 300,000 acres and offers recreational opportunities throughout the state.

Of the 121 parks that comprise our system, 29 of them are located here in the Pennsylvania Wilds and you’ll be sure to find several within driving distance of your own back door.

Photo credit: Ole Bull State Park, Kinzua Bridge State Park and Sizerville State Park by Karen Elias

This is the 125th anniversary of Pennsylvania’s state parks.  

To see how far we’ve come, it helps to look at a little history.  By the end of the 19th century, it was becoming clear that industrialization was stripping the state of its natural resources.  The forests that gave the state its name had been virtually denuded. Lakes and streams were polluted, soils depleted, and animal life deprived of its cover and driven in some cases to extinction.  Citizens became alarmed and began pushing for restoration.

In 1893 a bill was signed that established the PA Forestry Commission.  One of its first acts was to purchase 7,500 acres in Clinton County, located along the I-80 Frontier, to be used to “furnish timber, protect the water supply of Young Woman’s Creek, and provide recreation for citizens.”

Thus began decades of hard work to restore the state’s natural beauty and environmental health.  Gradually more and more land was set aside in the form of state parks for reforestation and for wildlife and water protection, with the understanding that such protected habitats would not only provide recreational opportunities but would enhance the health and well-being of Pennsylvania’s residents.  

We’ve done so well that in 2009 our system was given the National Gold Medal Award declaring our parks the best in the nation, the highest honor a park system can receive.  

We can take enormous pride in the fact that Pennsylvania has worked successfully to protect some of the most spectacular natural resources in the country.

Our state park system hosts over 35 million visitors a year.  

And my friends and I are among them. A couple of years ago, we decided we wanted to visit every state park within our system.  At each new park, we have our PA State Parks & State Forests Passport books stamped and ask to be directed to the spots that are not to be missed. We’ve made it now to 40, so we’re a third of the way toward our goal. We started with the parks closest to home, but now we’re ranging farther afield, which sometimes gives us the opportunity to stay overnight in a part of the state we haven’t yet explored.  

Here are some highlights.

Our parks provide fascinating glimpses of the past and bear witness to the work of the Civilian Conservation Corps.  

Look for the charming stone pavilions at Black Moshannon and the rustic cabins and CCC museum at Parker Dam.

They offer special places to let the spirit soar.  

Enjoy the “big view” of the West Branch Susquehanna River from the overlook at Hyner View.  Or look out at breathtaking mountains of the Pennsylvania Grand Canyon from the vistas at Leonard Harrison or Colton Point. (Often, these parks feature waterfalls that are not to be missed, such as the one at the base of the Turkey Trail at Leonard Harrison.)

They offer the peace of the deep forest.  

At Cook Forest State Park, visitors can experience the wonder of old-growth pines and hemlocks, some of which are 350 to 450 years old, or hike the Forest Cathedral Trail.

They feature biking and hiking trails designed to accommodate everyone, from beginner to experienced adventurer.

 Try out the 16 miles of trails at Parker Dam or the opportunities to mountain bike at Kettle Creek. Hike the trails that connect to the Mid-State Trail at Little Pine and Ravensburg state parks, or try out the network of trails in Tiadaghton State Forest.

And finally, their lakes and rivers offer opportunities for fishing and paddling.

Whether angling for trout at the First Fork of Sinnemahoning Creek at Sinnemahoning State Park or taking an early-morning kayak paddle to look for bird life along the shore of Joseph Sayers Reservoir at Bald Eagle State Park, there is something for everyone.

As I recall my own experience at our state parks, I think about the way the cares of the day slip away as my kayak is lowered into the water, or as I set off with my walking stick into the woods, or as we prepare a slow meal that always seems especially delicious when it’s eaten outdoors.  And I’m grateful that I live in Pennsylvania, where we have a constitutionally-protected right to “clean air, pure water and the preservation of the natural, scenic, historic and aesthetic values of the environment.”

Our parks’ green spaces, protected and preserved through hard work and constitutional right, are gifts that offer innumerable benefits, including enhanced health and peace of mind.  They’re beautiful. They’re relaxing. They’re fun. And they’re free.

Let’s go!

About the Author: Karen Elias, retired after 40 years of teaching college English, is now working as a freelance writer and environmental advocate in Lock Haven.  She recently completed training to become a Climate Reality leader and is using her writing to increase both awareness of our precious natural resources and support for environmental sustainability.