Gouldsboro State Park
Encyclopedia
Gouldsboro State Park is a 2880 acres (1,165 ha) Pennsylvania state park in Coolbaugh Township, Monroe County
Monroe County, Pennsylvania
-National protected areas:* Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area * Middle Delaware National Scenic River -Demographics:As of the census of 2010, there are 176,567 people, 49,454 households, and 36,447 families residing in the county. The population density was 228 people per square mile...

 and Lehigh Township
Lehigh Township, Wayne County, Pennsylvania
Lehigh Township is a township in Wayne County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 1,881 at the 2010 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of , of which, of it is land and of it is water.-Demographics:As of the census of 2000,...

, Wayne County
Wayne County, Pennsylvania
As of the census of 2000, there were 47,722 people, 18,350 households, and 12,936 families residing in the county. The population density was 65 people per square mile . There were 30,593 housing units at an average density of 42 per square mile...

, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...

 in the United States. The park includes the 250 acres (101.2 ha) Gouldsboro Lake. Gouldsboro State Park is located very close to Tobyhanna State Park
Tobyhanna State Park
Tobyhanna State Park is a Pennsylvania state park on mostly in Coolbaugh Township, Monroe County, with a small portion of the park in Dreher and Lehigh townships in Wayne County, all in Pennsylvania in the United States. The park includes the Tobyhanna Lake and a portion of Tobyhanna Creek...

 and Pennsylvania State Game Lands
Pennsylvania State Game Lands
The Pennsylvania State Game Lands are lands managed by the Pennsylvania Game Commission for hunting, trapping, and fishing. These lands, often not usable for farming or development, are donated to the PGC or purchased by the PGC with hunting license monies.The Pennsylvania Game Commission runs a...

 127 and 312. It is on Pennsylvania Route 507
Pennsylvania Route 507
Pennsylvania Route 507 is a long state highway located in Monroe, Wayne, and Pike counties in Pennsylvania. The southern terminus is at I 380 near Gouldsboro. The northern terminus is at US 6 in Palmyra Township. PA 507 runs nearly parallel to Lake Wallenpaupack for the northern section. In...

 near the small village of Gouldsboro
Lehigh Township, Wayne County, Pennsylvania
Lehigh Township is a township in Wayne County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 1,881 at the 2010 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of , of which, of it is land and of it is water.-Demographics:As of the census of 2000,...

.

History

Gouldsboro State Park is named for Gouldsboro, which was in turn named for Jay Gould
Jay Gould
Jason "Jay" Gould was a leading American railroad developer and speculator. He has long been vilified as an archetypal robber baron, whose successes made him the ninth richest American in history. Condé Nast Portfolio ranked Gould as the 8th worst American CEO of all time...

 (1836 - 1892). Gould, a native of New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...

, acquired an immense fortune during the Industrial Revolution
Industrial Revolution
The Industrial Revolution was a period from the 18th to the 19th century where major changes in agriculture, manufacturing, mining, transportation, and technology had a profound effect on the social, economic and cultural conditions of the times...

, part of which included ownership of ten percent of all the rail tracks
Rail tracks
The track on a railway or railroad, also known as the permanent way, is the structure consisting of the rails, fasteners, sleepers and ballast , plus the underlying subgrade...

 in the United States at the time of his death. One of his railroads passed by what is now the eastern boundary of the park. Gould was also the co-owner of a tannery
Tanning
Tanning is the making of leather from the skins of animals which does not easily decompose. Traditionally, tanning used tannin, an acidic chemical compound from which the tanning process draws its name . Coloring may occur during tanning...

 in nearby Thornhurst. Raw hides were shipped from the western United States and Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...

 on the railroads owned by Gould to Gouldsboro. The hides were then sent to Thornhurst
Thornhurst Township, Pennsylvania
Thornhurst Township is a township in Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 1,085 at the 2010 census.-Geography:...

 by way of wagons traversing a plank road
Plank road
A plank road or puncheon is a dirt path or road covered with a series of planks, similar to the wooden sidewalks one would see in a Western movie. Plank roads were very popular in Ontario, the U.S. Northeast and U.S. Midwest in the first half of the 19th century...

.

As of 2006, this rail line forms the dividing line between Gouldsboro State Park and Tobyhanna State Park
Tobyhanna State Park
Tobyhanna State Park is a Pennsylvania state park on mostly in Coolbaugh Township, Monroe County, with a small portion of the park in Dreher and Lehigh townships in Wayne County, all in Pennsylvania in the United States. The park includes the Tobyhanna Lake and a portion of Tobyhanna Creek...

 in Monroe County, and is owned by the Lackawanna County Railroad Authority and operated by the Delaware-Lackawanna Railroad Co. Inc. Tourist excursions on this line are operated by Steamtown National Historic Site
Steamtown National Historic Site
Steamtown National Historic Site is a railroad museum and heritage railroad located on in downtown Scranton, Pennsylvania, at the site of the former Scranton yards of the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad . The museum is built around a working replica turntable and a roundhouse that is...

, and run from Steamtown's yard in Scranton
Scranton, Pennsylvania
Scranton is a city in the northeastern part of Pennsylvania, United States. It is the county seat of Lackawanna County and the largest principal city in the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre metropolitan area. Scranton had a population of 76,089 in 2010, according to the U.S...

 to Tobyhanna
Tobyhanna Township, Pennsylvania
Tobyhanna Township is a township in Monroe County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 6,152 at the 2000 census. Tobyhanna Township has Tobyhanna Elementary Center and Locust Lake Village.-Geography:...

.

A dam and spillway were built on an existing lake in 1895 by the North Jersey & Pocono Mountain Ice Company. The new dam allowed more ice to be harvested from the lake in winter. In 1956 the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission
Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission
The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission is the state agency responsible for the regulation of all fishing and boating in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania...

 took over ownership of the dam. The park opened in 1958 and the dam was transferred to the DCNR in 2003.

Inspections on the dam in 1979 revealed "the dam’s drain gate was inoperable and its spillway was deteriorating". The lake was partially drained in 1985 and 1995 for repairs to the dam and spillway, and completely drained in January 2005. Repairs included removing debris, installing a culvert, fence and erosion control measures, and replacing the spillway. Repairs were completed and the lake was refilled in January 2008.

Gouldsboro Lake

Gouldsboro Lake is a 250 acres (101.2 ha) man made lake. It is open to boating
Boating
Boating is the leisurely activity of travelling by boat, or the recreational use of a boat whether powerboats, sailboats, or man-powered vessels , focused on the travel itself, as well as sports activities, such as fishing or water skiing...

, swimming, fishing
Fishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch wild fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....

 and ice fishing
Ice fishing
Ice fishing is the practice of catching fish with lines and fish hooks or spears through an opening in the ice on a frozen body of water. Ice anglers may sit on the stool in the open on a frozen lake, or in a heated cabin on the ice, some with bunks and amenities.-Locations:It is a popular pastime...

. Gas powered boats are prohibited on Gouldsboro Lake. Electric powered and non powered boats must have current registration from any state, or a launch permit from the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission
Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission
The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission is the state agency responsible for the regulation of all fishing and boating in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania...

. A beach at the lake is open from Memorial Day
Memorial Day
Memorial Day is a United States federal holiday observed on the last Monday of May. Formerly known as Decoration Day, it originated after the American Civil War to commemorate the fallen Union soldiers of the Civil War...

 weekend through Labor Day
Labor Day
Labor Day is a United States federal holiday observed on the first Monday in September that celebrates the economic and social contributions of workers.-History:...

 weekend. Swim at your own risk, as lifeguard
Lifeguard
A lifeguard supervises the safety and rescue of swimmers, surfers, and other water sports participants such as in a swimming pool, water park, or beach. Lifeguards are strong swimmers and trained in first aid, certified in water rescue using a variety of aids and equipment depending on...

s are not provided. Gouldsboro Lake is a warm water fishery. The common game fish are pickerel
American pickerel
The American pickerels are two subspecies of Esox americanus, a species of freshwater fish in the pike family of order Esociformes: the redfin pickerel, E. americanus americanus Gmelin, 1789, and the grass pickerel, E. americanus vermiculatus Lesueur, 1846.Both subspecies are native to North America...

, yellow perch
Yellow perch
The yellow perch is a species of perch found in the United States and Canada, where it is often referred to by the shortform perch. Yellow perch look similar to the European perch, but are paler and more yellowish, with less red in the fins. They have six to eight dark, vertical bars on their sides...

, bass
Bass (fish)
Bass is a name shared by many different species of popular gamefish. The term encompasses both freshwater and marine species. All belong to the large order Perciformes, or perch-like fishes, and in fact the word bass comes from Middle English bars, meaning "perch."-Types of basses:*The temperate...

, walleye
Walleye
Walleye is a freshwater perciform fish native to most of Canada and to the northern United States. It is a North American close relative of the European pikeperch...

, sunfish
Pumpkinseed
The pumpkinseed sunfish is a freshwater fish of the sunfish family of order Perciformes. It is also referred to as "pond perch", "common sunfish", "punkys", and "sunny".-Range and distribution:...

, muskellunge
Muskellunge
A muskellunge , also known as a muskelunge, muscallonge, milliganong, or maskinonge , is a large, relatively uncommon freshwater fish of North America. Muskellunge are the largest member of the pike family, Esocidae...

, and catfish
Catfish
Catfishes are a diverse group of ray-finned fish. Named for their prominent barbels, which resemble a cat's whiskers, catfish range in size and behavior from the heaviest and longest, the Mekong giant catfish from Southeast Asia and the second longest, the wels catfish of Eurasia, to detritivores...

. Gouldsboro Lake is also a popular ice fishing destination, however the thickness of the ice is not monitored by the park staff so visitors are asked to use caution when venturing out onto the ice.

Hunting and trapping

Hunting
Hunting
Hunting is the practice of pursuing any living thing, usually wildlife, for food, recreation, or trade. In present-day use, the term refers to lawful hunting, as distinguished from poaching, which is the killing, trapping or capture of the hunted species contrary to applicable law...

 is permitted at Gouldsboro State Park. Hunters are expected to follow the rules and regulations of the Pennsylvania Game Commission
Pennsylvania Game Commission
The Pennsylvania Game Commission is the state agency responsible for wildlife conservation and management in Pennsylvania in the United States...

. The common game species are squirrels
Eastern Gray Squirrel
The eastern gray squirrel is a tree squirrel in the genus Sciurus native to the eastern and midwestern United States, and to the southerly portions of the eastern provinces of Canada...

, Wild Turkey
Wild Turkey
The Wild Turkey is native to North America and is the heaviest member of the Galliformes. It is the same species as the domestic turkey, which derives from the South Mexican subspecies of wild turkey .Adult wild turkeys have long reddish-yellow to grayish-green...

, white-tailed deer
White-tailed Deer
The white-tailed deer , also known as the Virginia deer or simply as the whitetail, is a medium-sized deer native to the United States , Canada, Mexico, Central America, and South America as far south as Peru...

, black bear
American black bear
The American black bear is a medium-sized bear native to North America. It is the continent's smallest and most common bear species. Black bears are omnivores, with their diets varying greatly depending on season and location. They typically live in largely forested areas, but do leave forests in...

, and snowshoe hare
Snowshoe Hare
The Snowshoe Hare , also called the Varying Hare, or Snowshoe Rabbit, is a species of hare found in North America. It has the name "snowshoe" because of the large size of its hind feet and the marks its tail leaves. The animal's feet prevent it from sinking into the snow when it hops and walks...

. The hunting of groundhog
Groundhog
The groundhog , also known as a woodchuck, whistle-pig, or in some areas as a land-beaver, is a rodent of the family Sciuridae, belonging to the group of large ground squirrels known as marmots. Other marmots, such as the yellow-bellied and hoary marmots, live in rocky and mountainous areas, but...

s is prohibited. The trapping of muskrat
Muskrat
The muskrat , the only species in genus Ondatra, is a medium-sized semi-aquatic rodent native to North America, and introduced in parts of Europe, Asia, and South America. The muskrat is found in wetlands and is a very successful animal over a wide range of climates and habitats...

s, raccoon
Raccoon
Procyon is a genus of nocturnal mammals, comprising three species commonly known as raccoons, in the family Procyonidae. The most familiar species, the common raccoon , is often known simply as "the" raccoon, as the two other raccoon species in the genus are native only to the tropics and are...

s, beaver
Beaver
The beaver is a primarily nocturnal, large, semi-aquatic rodent. Castor includes two extant species, North American Beaver and Eurasian Beaver . Beavers are known for building dams, canals, and lodges . They are the second-largest rodent in the world...

, mink
Mink
There are two living species referred to as "mink": the European Mink and the American Mink. The extinct Sea Mink is related to the American Mink, but was much larger. All three species are dark-colored, semi-aquatic, carnivorous mammals of the family Mustelidae, which also includes the weasels and...

, fox
Fox
Fox is a common name for many species of omnivorous mammals belonging to the Canidae family. Foxes are small to medium-sized canids , characterized by possessing a long narrow snout, and a bushy tail .Members of about 37 species are referred to as foxes, of which only 12 species actually belong to...

, and coyote
Coyote
The coyote , also known as the American jackal or the prairie wolf, is a species of canine found throughout North and Central America, ranging from Panama in the south, north through Mexico, the United States and Canada...

 is permitted with the proper license.

Picnics

Gouldsboro State Park has five picnic
Picnic
In contemporary usage, a picnic can be defined simply as a pleasure excursion at which a meal is eaten outdoors , ideally taking place in a beautiful landscape such as a park, beside a lake or with an interesting view and possibly at a public event such as before an open air theatre performance,...

 areas with about 300 picnic table
Picnic table
A picnic table is a modified table with attached benches, designed for eating a meal outdoors .-Uses:...

s. All five picnic areas are shaded and open year round. There is one pavilion
Pavilion (structure)
In architecture a pavilion has two main meanings.-Free-standing structure:Pavilion may refer to a free-standing structure sited a short distance from a main residence, whose architecture makes it an object of pleasure. Large or small, there is usually a connection with relaxation and pleasure in...

 with an electric hook-up.

Trails

  • Old Route 611 is a 1.25 miles (2 km) "easy" trail that is flat and wide and runs parallel to Interstate 380
    Interstate 380 (Pennsylvania)
    Interstate 380 is a spur highway in northeast Pennsylvania that connects Interstate 80 with Interstate 81 and Interstate 84. The northern terminus of I-380 is at Interstate 84 near Elmhurst, PA; the southern terminus is in Tunkhannock Township at the junction with Interstate 80. The entire length...

     on the western edge of the park. The trail is open to hiking
    Hiking
    Hiking is an outdoor activity which consists of walking in natural environments, often in mountainous or other scenic terrain. People often hike on hiking trails. It is such a popular activity that there are numerous hiking organizations worldwide. The health benefits of different types of hiking...

    , bicycling
    Cycling
    Cycling, also called bicycling or biking, is the use of bicycles for transport, recreation, or for sport. Persons engaged in cycling are cyclists or bicyclists...

     and cross-country skiing
    Cross-country skiing
    Cross-country skiing is a winter sport in which participants propel themselves across snow-covered terrain using skis and poles...

    .

  • Prospect Rock Trail is a 5.8 miles (9.3 km) "difficult" trail that is a loop that begins and ends in the day use area, passing over some very rugged terrain.

  • Frank Gantz Trail is a 3.2 miles (5.1 km) "difficult" trail that connects Gouldsboro State Park with Tobyhanna State Park. The trail is very rocky and therefore very demanding, with an estimated round trip completion time of three hours.

Nearby state parks

The following state parks are within 30 miles (48.3 km) of Gouldsboro State Park:
  • Archbald Pothole State Park
    Archbald Pothole State Park
    Archbald Pothole State Park is a Pennsylvania state park in Archbald, Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania in the United States. The focal point of the park is Archbald Pothole. The pothole is a remnant of the Wisconsin Glacial Period, deep with a largest diameter of by . It has drawn tourists since...

     (Lackawanna County
    Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania
    As of the census of 2000, there were 213,295 people, 86,218 households, and 55,783 families residing in the county. The population density was 465 people per square mile . There were 95,362 housing units at an average density of 208 per square mile...

  • Beltzville State Park
    Beltzville State Park
    Beltzville State Park is a Pennsylvania state park in Franklin and Towamensing townships, Carbon County, Pennsylvania in the United States. The park was developed around the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers flood control project, Beltzville Dam on Pohopoco Creek. Beltzville Lake is a with of...

     (Carbon County
    Carbon County, Pennsylvania
    As of the census of 2000, there were 58,802 people, 23,701 households, and 16,424 families residing in the county. The population density was 154 people per square mile . There were 30,492 housing units at an average density of 80 per square mile...

    )
  • Big Pocono State Park
    Big Pocono State Park
    Big Pocono State Park is a Pennsylvania state park in Jackson and Pocono townships in Monroe County, Pennsylvania in northeastern Pennsylvania in the United States...

     (Monroe County)
  • Frances Slocum State Park
    Frances Slocum State Park
    Frances Slocum State Park is a Pennsylvania state park in Kingston Township, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. Frances Slocum Lake is a man-made, horseshoe-shaped lake that is a popular fishing and boating destination...

     (Luzerne County
    Luzerne County, Pennsylvania
    - Demographics :As of the 2010 census, the county was 90.7% White, 3.4% Black or African American, 0.2% Native American, 1.0% Asian, 3.3% were of some other race, and 1.5% were two or more races. 6.7% of the population was of Hispanic or Latino ancestry...

    )
  • Jacobsburg Environmental Education Center
    Jacobsburg Environmental Education Center
    Jacobsburg Environmental Education Center is a Pennsylvania state park near Wind Gap, in Bushkill Township, Northampton County in Pennsylvania, in the United States. The Jacobsburg National Historic District is almost entirely surrounded by the park...

     (Northampton County
    Northampton County, Pennsylvania
    As of the 2010 census, the county was 86.3% White, 5.0% Black or African American, 0.2% Native American or Alaskan Native, 2.4% Asian, 0.0% Native Hawaiian, 2.2% were two or more races, and 3.8% were some other race. 10.5% of the population were of Hispanic or Latino ancestry.As of the census of...

    )
  • Hickory Run State Park
    Hickory Run State Park
    Hickory Run State Park is a Pennsylvania state park in Kidder and Penn Forest Townships in Carbon County, Pennsylvania in the United States. The park is spread across the Pocono Mountains...

     (Carbon County)
  • Lackawanna State Park
    Lackawanna State Park
    Lackawanna State Park is a Pennsylvania state park in Benton and North Abington Townships, Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania in the United States. Lake Lackawanna, a man-made lake, is the central focus of recreation at the park...

     (Lackawanna County)
  • Lehigh Gorge State Park
    Lehigh Gorge State Park
    Lehigh Gorge State Park is a Pennsylvania state park in Luzerne and Carbon Counties, Pennsylvania in the United States. The park encompasses the Lehigh Gorge, which stretches along the Lehigh River from a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers flood control dam in Luzerne County to Jim Thorpe in Carbon County...

     (Carbon and Luzerne Counties)
  • Nescopeck State Park
    Nescopeck State Park
    Nescopeck State Park is a Pennsylvania state park on in Butler and Dennison Townships, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania in the United States. The park is one of the newest state parks in Pennsylvania, with the Environmental Education Center there opening in April, 2005. The state began acquiring the...

     (Luzerne County)
  • Promised Land State Park
    Promised Land State Park
    Promised Land State Park is a Pennsylvania state park in Blooming Grove, Greene and Palmyra Townships, Pike County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. The approximately park is mostly surrounded by Delaware State Forest. It is in the Poconos and sits at . The second growth forests in Promised...

     (Pike County
    Pike County, Pennsylvania
    -National protected areas:* Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area * Middle Delaware National Scenic River * Upper Delaware Scenic and Recreational River -Demographics:...

    )
  • Prompton State Park
    Prompton State Park
    Prompton State Park is a Pennsylvania state park on in Clinton and Dyberry Townships, Wayne County, Pennsylvania in the United States. This park, which was established in 1962, is officially listed by the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources as being undeveloped. This...

     (Wayne County)
  • Tobyhanna State Park
    Tobyhanna State Park
    Tobyhanna State Park is a Pennsylvania state park on mostly in Coolbaugh Township, Monroe County, with a small portion of the park in Dreher and Lehigh townships in Wayne County, all in Pennsylvania in the United States. The park includes the Tobyhanna Lake and a portion of Tobyhanna Creek...

     (Monroe and Wayne Counties)
  • Varden Conservation Area
    Varden Conservation Area
    Varden Conservation Area is a Pennsylvania state park on in Lake and South Canaan Townships, Wayne County, Pennsylvania in the United States. The conservation area is currently under development. The land was donated to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in December 2001 by Dr. Mead Shaffer a...

    (Wayne County)
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