Mt. Pisgah State Park
Encyclopedia
Mt. Pisgah State Park is a 1302 acres (526.9 ha) Pennsylvania state park in Smithfield
, Springfield
, Troy
and West Burlington
Townships, Bradford County
, Pennsylvania
in the United States. The park is located almost exactly halfway between Troy
and Towanda
, along Pennsylvania State Route 3019, near U.S. Route 6
, at the base of Mt. Pisgah
. The park is bordered by Mill Creek, Mt. Pisgah County Park and State Game Land 289
. Mill Creek which flows through the park has been dammed and forms Stephen Foster Lake a 75 acres (30.4 ha) man-made lake.
from New England
. They cleared the land of its dense old-growth forest of pine
and hardwood
trees for farming
. The stumps were stacked in fence rows, which still form the boundary of some of the old fields in the park. The land was used primarily for farming until 1969 when it was purchased by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Stephen Foster
Lake, named for the famed composer
and former resident of Tioga County was formed by damming Mill Creek in 1977. Mt. Pisgah State Park was opened to the public in 1979.
, fishing
, ice fishing
, and ice skating
. Gas powered boats are not permitted on the lake. Electric powered and non powered boats must have proper registration with any state. The boat launch is one the northern shore near a dock, restrooms, parking and a boat renting concessionaire. Anglers will find Perch
, Bass
, crappie
and Bluegill
in Stephen Foster Lake. Ice fishing is permitted but only when the ice is 4 inches (10.2 cm) thick. The thickness of the ice is monitored at the boat launch and fishing dock. Ice skating is permitted in the monitored areas.
is permitted on about 1100 acres (445.2 ha) of Mount Pisgah State Park. Hunters are expected to follow the rules and regulations of the Pennsylvania State Game Commission. The common game species are Ruffed Grouse
, squirrel
s, turkey
, white-tailed deer
and rabbit
s. The hunting of groundhog
s is prohibited. Hunting is permitted on the adjacent State Game Land 289.
is open on weekends beginning Memorial Day
weekend through mid June when the schools in Pennsylvania are closed for the summer. Following the dismissal of school the pool is open daily until mid August when school begins. From mid August until Labor Day
weekend the pool is open only on the weekends. The pool closes for the season at the conclusion of Labor Day weekend. The hours of operation are 11:00 am until 7:00 pm. Lifeguard
s are on duty when the pool is open.
court and horseshoe
pit nearby the picnic area.
Smithfield Township, Bradford County, Pennsylvania
Smithfield Township is a township in Bradford County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 1,538 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of 41.7 square miles , of which, 41.6 square miles of it is land and...
, Springfield
Springfield Township, Bradford County, Pennsylvania
Springfield Township is a township in Bradford County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 1,167 at the 2000 census.-Geography:...
, Troy
Troy Township, Bradford County, Pennsylvania
Troy Township is a township in Bradford County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 1,645 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of 36.6 square miles , of which, 36.5 square miles of it is land and...
and West Burlington
West Burlington Township, Pennsylvania
West Burlington Township is a township in Bradford County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 782 at the 2000 census.-Geography:...
Townships, Bradford County
Bradford County, Pennsylvania
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 62,761 people, 24,453 households, and 17,312 families residing in the county. The population density was 54 people per square mile . There were 28,664 housing units at an average density of 25 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 located almost exactly halfway between Troy
Troy, Pennsylvania
Troy is a borough in Bradford County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 1,508 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Troy is located at ....
and Towanda
Towanda, Pennsylvania
Towanda is a borough in and the county seat of Bradford County, Pennsylvania, United States, northwest of Wilkes Barre, on the Susquehanna River. The name means "burial ground" in the Algonquian language...
, along Pennsylvania State Route 3019, near U.S. Route 6
U.S. Route 6 in Pennsylvania
U.S. Route 6 travels east–west near the north edge of the U.S. state of Pennsylvania from the Ohio state line near Pymatuning Reservoir east to the Mid-Delaware Bridge over the Delaware River into Port Jervis, New York. It is the longest highway segment in the Commonwealth. Most of it is a...
, at the base of Mt. Pisgah
Mt. Pisgah (Pennsylvania)
Mt. Pisgah is a peak located in northeastern Pennsylvania's glaciated low plateau region, also known as the Endless Mountains. The mountain peak lies next to a state park named after the mountain, Mt. Pisgah State Park. There is a hiking trail to the summit that has a view of the surrounding...
. The park is bordered by Mill Creek, Mt. Pisgah County Park and State Game Land 289
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...
. Mill Creek which flows through the park has been dammed and forms Stephen Foster Lake a 75 acres (30.4 ha) man-made lake.
History
The land on which Mt. Pisgah State Park is located was not settled permanently until the early 19th century. The first settlers migratedHuman migration
Human migration is physical movement by humans from one area to another, sometimes over long distances or in large groups. Historically this movement was nomadic, often causing significant conflict with the indigenous population and their displacement or cultural assimilation. Only a few nomadic...
from New England
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
. They cleared the land of its dense old-growth forest of pine
Pine
Pines are trees in the genus Pinus ,in the family Pinaceae. They make up the monotypic subfamily Pinoideae. There are about 115 species of pine, although different authorities accept between 105 and 125 species.-Etymology:...
and hardwood
Hardwood
Hardwood is wood from angiosperm trees . It may also be used for those trees themselves: these are usually broad-leaved; in temperate and boreal latitudes they are mostly deciduous, but in tropics and subtropics mostly evergreen.Hardwood contrasts with softwood...
trees for farming
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
. The stumps were stacked in fence rows, which still form the boundary of some of the old fields in the park. The land was used primarily for farming until 1969 when it was purchased by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Stephen Foster
Stephen Foster
Stephen Collins Foster , known as the "father of American music", was the pre-eminent songwriter in the United States of the 19th century...
Lake, named for the famed composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
and former resident of Tioga County was formed by damming Mill Creek in 1977. Mt. Pisgah State Park was opened to the public in 1979.
Stephen Foster Lake
Stephen Foster Lake is open to boatingBoating
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...
, 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....
, 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...
, 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...
. Gas powered boats are not permitted on the lake. Electric powered and non powered boats must have proper registration with any state. The boat launch is one the northern shore near a dock, restrooms, parking and a boat renting concessionaire. Anglers will find Perch
Perch
Perch is a common name for fish of the genus Perca, freshwater gamefish belonging to the family Percidae. The perch, of which there are three species in different geographical areas, lend their name to a large order of vertebrates: the Perciformes, from the Greek perke meaning spotted, and the...
, 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...
, crappie
Crappie
Crappie is a genus of freshwater fish in the sunfish family of order Perciformes. The type species is P. annularis, the white crappie...
and Bluegill
Bluegill
The Bluegill is a species of freshwater fish sometimes referred to as bream, brim, or copper nose. It is a member of the sunfish family Centrarchidae of the order Perciformes.-Range and distribution:...
in Stephen Foster Lake. Ice fishing is permitted but only when the ice is 4 inches (10.2 cm) thick. The thickness of the ice is monitored at the boat launch and fishing dock. Ice skating is permitted in the monitored areas.
Hunting
HuntingHunting
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 on about 1100 acres (445.2 ha) of Mount Pisgah State Park. Hunters are expected to follow the rules and regulations of the Pennsylvania State Game Commission. The common game species are Ruffed Grouse
Ruffed Grouse
The Ruffed Grouse is a medium-sized grouse occurring in forests from the Appalachian Mountains across Canada to Alaska. It is non-migratory.The Ruffed Grouse is frequently referred to as a "partridge"...
, squirrel
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...
s, 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...
and rabbit
Eastern Cottontail
The eastern cottontail is a New World cottontail rabbit, a member of the family Leporidae. It is one of the most common rabbit species in North America.-Distribution:...
s. 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. Hunting is permitted on the adjacent State Game Land 289.
Swimming
The swimming poolSwimming pool
A swimming pool, swimming bath, wading pool, or simply a pool, is a container filled with water intended for swimming or water-based recreation. There are many standard sizes; the largest is the Olympic-size swimming pool...
is open on weekends beginning 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 mid June when the schools in Pennsylvania are closed for the summer. Following the dismissal of school the pool is open daily until mid August when school begins. From mid August until 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 the pool is open only on the weekends. The pool closes for the season at the conclusion of Labor Day weekend. The hours of operation are 11:00 am until 7:00 pm. 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 on duty when the pool is open.
Picnics
The picnic area overlooks the lake near the swimming pool. It is partially wooded and visitors may choose between sunny or shaded picnic areas. There is a sand volleyballBeach volleyball
Beach volleyball, or sand volleyball, is an Olympic team sport played by two teams of two players on a sand court divided by a net.Like volleyball, the object of the game is to send the ball over the net in order to ground it on the opponent’s court, and to prevent the same effort by the opponent....
court and horseshoe
Horseshoes
Horseshoes is an outdoor game played between two people using four horseshoes and two throwing targets set in a sandbox area. The game is played by the players alternating turns tossing horseshoes at stakes in the ground, which are traditionally placed 40 feet apart...
pit nearby the picnic area.
Nearby state parks
The following state parks are within 30 miles (48.3 km) of Mt. Pisgah State Park:- Hills Creek State ParkHills Creek State ParkHills Creek State Park is a Pennsylvania state park in Charleston Township, Tioga County, Pennsylvania in the United States. Hills Creek Lake, a man-made lake, is the focal point of the park. It is open for year-round recreation. Hills Creek State Park is in the Allegheny Plateau region of...
(Tioga CountyTioga County, PennsylvaniaTioga County is a county located in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. As of the 2010 census, the population was 41,981. Tioga County was created on March 26, 1804, from part of Lycoming County and named for the Tioga River. Its county seat is Wellsboro....
) - Newton Battlefield State Park (Chemung County, New YorkChemung County, New YorkChemung County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. It is part of the 'Elmira, New York Metropolitan Statistical Area' which encompasses all of Chemung County. As of the 2010 census, the population was 88,830. Its name is derived from the name of a Delaware Indian village . Its...
) - Worlds End State ParkWorlds End State ParkWorlds End State Park is a Pennsylvania state park in Sullivan County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. The park, nearly surrounded by Loyalsock State Forest, is in the Loyalsock Creek valley on Pennsylvania Route 154, in Forks and Shrewsbury Townships just east of the borough of Forksville....
(Sullivan CountySullivan County, PennsylvaniaSullivan County is a county located in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. As of 2010, the population is 6,428. Sullivan County was created on March 15, 1847, from part of Lycoming County and named for Charles Sullivan, leader of the Pennsylvania Senate...
)