Memorial Lake State Park
Encyclopedia
Memorial Lake State Park is a Pennsylvania state park on 230 acres (93.1 ha) in East Hanover Township
, Lebanon County
, Pennsylvania
in the United States. The park is completely surrounded by Fort Indiantown Gap
Military Reservation, headquarters of the Pennsylvania National Guard
. It includes Memorial Lake, which is 85 acres (34.4 ha), and is a 30 minute drive from Harrisburg
just off Exit 85 of Interstate 81
.
Memorial Lake State Park was established in 1945 in memory and honor of Pennsylvania National Guard soldiers who served in World War I
and World War II
. Hiking
, picnic
king, cross-country skiing
, and ice skating
are some of the recreational activities available at the park.
Fishing
and ice fishing
are popular recreational activities at the park. The common game fish are largemouth bass
, muskellunge
, northern pike
, yellow perch
, white crappie, black crappie, bullhead, channel catfish
, carp
, sucker
, trout
, and various species of panfish
. Memorial Lake is a warm water fishery. All rules and regulations of the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission
apply.
There are two boat launches at Memorial Lake. Gas powered boats are prohibited. Non powered and electric powered boats must display a current registration from any state or a launch permit from the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission.
East Hanover Township, Lebanon County, Pennsylvania
East Hanover Township is a township in Lebanon County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 2,858 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Lebanon, PA Metropolitan Statistical Area...
, Lebanon County
Lebanon County, Pennsylvania
As of the census of 2000, there were 120,327 people and 32,771 families residing in the county. The population density was 332 people per square mile . There were 49,320 housing units at an average density of 136 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 is completely surrounded by Fort Indiantown Gap
Fort Indiantown Gap
Fort Indiantown Gap, also referred to as "The Gap" or "FIG", is a census-designated place and U.S. Army post primarily located in Lebanon County, Pennsylvania. A portion of the installation is located in eastern Dauphin County...
Military Reservation, headquarters of the Pennsylvania National Guard
Pennsylvania National Guard
The Pennsylvania National Guard is composed of the Pennsylvania Army National Guard and the Pennsylvania Air National Guard. It is one of the largest National Guards in the nation. It has the largest Army National Guard of all the states and the fourth largest Air National Guard. These forces are...
. It includes Memorial Lake, which is 85 acres (34.4 ha), and is a 30 minute drive from Harrisburg
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
Harrisburg is the capital of Pennsylvania. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 49,528, making it the ninth largest city in Pennsylvania...
just off Exit 85 of Interstate 81
Interstate 81
Interstate 81 is an Interstate Highway in the eastern part of the United States. Its southern terminus is at Interstate 40 in Dandridge, Tennessee; its northern terminus is on Wellesley Island at the Canadian border, where the Thousand Islands Bridge connects it to Highway 401, the main freeway...
.
Memorial Lake State Park was established in 1945 in memory and honor of Pennsylvania National Guard soldiers who served in World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
and World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. 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...
, 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,...
king, 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...
, and ice skating
Ice skating
Ice skating is moving on ice by using ice skates. It can be done for a variety of reasons, including leisure, traveling, and various sports. Ice skating occurs both on specially prepared indoor and outdoor tracks, as well as on naturally occurring bodies of frozen water, such as lakes and...
are some of the recreational activities available at the park.
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...
are popular recreational activities at the park. The common game fish are largemouth bass
Largemouth bass
The largemouth bass is a species of black bass in the sunfish family native to North America . It is also known as widemouth bass, bigmouth, black bass, bucketmouth, Potter's fish, Florida bass, Florida largemouth, green bass, green trout, linesides, Oswego bass, southern largemouth...
, 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...
, northern pike
Northern Pike
The northern pike , is a species of carnivorous fish of the genus Esox...
, 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...
, white crappie, black crappie, bullhead, channel catfish
Channel catfish
Channel catfish, Ictalurus punctatus, is North America's most numerous catfish species. It is the official fish of Missouri, Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas, and Tennessee, and is informally referred to as a "channel cat". In the United States they are the most fished catfish species with approximately 8...
, carp
Carp
Carp are various species of oily freshwater fish of the family Cyprinidae, a very large group of fish native to Europe and Asia. The cypriniformes are traditionally grouped with the Characiformes, Siluriformes and Gymnotiformes to create the superorder Ostariophysi, since these groups have certain...
, sucker
Catostomidae
Catostomidae is the sucker family of the order Cypriniformes. There are 80 species in this family of freshwater fishes. Catostomidae are found in North America, east central China, and eastern Siberia...
, trout
Trout
Trout is the name for a number of species of freshwater and saltwater fish belonging to the Salmoninae subfamily of the family Salmonidae. Salmon belong to the same family as trout. Most salmon species spend almost all their lives in salt water...
, and various species of panfish
Panfish
A panfish, also spelled pan-fish or pan fish, is an edible game fish that usually doesn't outgrow the size of a frying pan. The term is also commonly used by anglers to refer to any small catch that will fit in a pan, but is large enough to be legal. However its definition and usage varies with...
. Memorial Lake is a warm water fishery. All rules and regulations of 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...
apply.
There are two boat launches at Memorial Lake. Gas powered boats are prohibited. Non powered and electric powered boats must display a current registration from any state or a launch permit from the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission.
Nearby state parks
The following state parks are within 30 miles (48.3 km) of Memorial Lake State Park:- Boyd Big Tree Preserve Conservation AreaBoyd Big Tree Preserve Conservation AreaBoyd Big Tree Preserve Conservation Area is a Pennsylvania state park in Lower Paxton and Middle Paxton Townships, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania in the United States. The land for the conservation area was donated to the state by real estate developer Alex Boyd in 1999. Boyd Big Tree Preserve...
(Dauphin CountyDauphin County, PennsylvaniaDauphin County is a county in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and is one of the three counties comprising the Harrisburg–Carlisle Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of 2010 census, the population was 268,100. The county includes the city of Harrisburg, which has served as the state capital...
) - Gifford Pinchot State ParkGifford Pinchot State ParkGifford Pinchot State Park is a Pennsylvania state park in Warrington Township, York County, Pennsylvania in the United States. The park contains wooded hillsides, reverting farm fields, and Pinchot Lake. It is near York and Harrisburg in the south-central part of the state.The park is named...
(York CountyYork County, PennsylvaniaYork County is a county in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. As of 2010, the population was 434,972. It is in the Susquehanna Valley, a large fertile agricultural region in South Central Pennsylvania....
) - Joseph E. Ibberson Conservation AreaJoseph E. Ibberson Conservation AreaJoseph E. Ibberson Conservation Area is a Pennsylvania state park in Middle Paxton and Wayne Townships, Dauphin Couny, Pennsylvania in the United States....
(Dauphin County) - Samuel S. Lewis State ParkSamuel S. Lewis State ParkSamuel S. Lewis State Park is a Pennsylvania state park in Lower Windsor Township, York County, Pennsylvania in the United States. Mt. Pisgah is an high ridge that is the focus of recreation for the park. The ridge separates East Prospect Valley from Kreutz Creek Valley. An overlook on Mt. Pisgah...
(York County) - Swatara State ParkSwatara State ParkSwatara State Park is a Pennsylvania state park in Bethel, Swatara and Union Townships, Lebanon and Pine Grove Township, Schuylkill Counties in Pennsylvania in the United States. of Swatara Creek lie within the park's boundaries, which are roughly formed by Pennsylvania Route 443 to the north and...
(Lebanon and Schuylkill CountiesSchuylkill County, Pennsylvania-Notable people:*Boxing heavyweight great Muhammad Ali had his training camp in Deer Lake.*Charles Justin Bailey, commanding general of the 81st Division in World War I, was born in Tamaqua on June 21, 1859....
)