R. B. Winter State Park
Encyclopedia
R. B. Winter State Park (also known as Raymond B. Winter State Park) is a Pennsylvania state park on 695 acres (281.3 ha) in Hartley Township, Union County
, Pennsylvania
in the United States. It is in the ridge and valley region of Pennsylvania and is surrounded by Bald Eagle State Forest
. R. B. Winter State Park is in a shallow basin that is surrounded by ridges. Halfway Lake
is the central recreational focus of the park. The park is 18 miles (29 km) west of Lewisburg
on Pennsylvania Route 192
.
The park was originally called "Halfway Dam State Park", but was renamed "R.B. Winter State Park" on May 23, 1957 to honor state forester Raymond Burrows Winter, who was instrumental in establishing the park and had worked there and the surrounding state forest for 45 years.
, "so thick that for a mile at a time we could not find the place the size of a hand, where the sun could penetrate, even in the clearest day..." Some examples of this dense forest still stand today at R. B. Winter State Park. The Rapid Run Natural Area is 39 acres (15.8 ha) of land set aside "to provide a location for scientific observation of natural systems, to protect an example of a typical and unique plant and animal community, and to protect and outstanding example of natural interest and beauty." This natural area has been largely untouched since it was last logged for timber in 1850. Pileated Woodpecker
s can been seen in this area. Barred Owl
s also live in the Rapid Run Natural Area. Vernal pool
s fill each spring to provide water for fairy shrimp
, caddis-flies
, Spotted Salamander
s, and Wood Frog
s.
dam, the first cement and stone dam ever built by the Civilian Conservation Corps
. The temperature of the water in Halfway Lake is always about 50 °F (10 °C). This is because much of the lake is filled with water that comes from directly underground. Little Bubbler is an artesian spring that seeps up through the sand on the west end of the beach at R. B. Winter State Park. Swimming is permitted but lifeguards are not provided as of 2008. Halfway Lake is a cold water fishery that is stocked with brook
, brown
and rainbow trout
. Ice fishing
is permitted when the lake is frozen and the ice is at least 4 inches (10.2 cm) thick.
. All the sites have access to modern restrooms with showers. Each camp site also has its own fire ring, picnic table
and lantern holder. There are three cottage
s that sleep up to five people. The cottages have electric lights and a small baseboard heater as well as wooden floors, windows, skylights, porches, a picnic table and fire ring. There is one modern cabin that is available to rent year-round. It is two stories with a furnished living area, kitchen, one-and-a-half baths, four bedrooms and two porches.
R. B. Winter State Park has 6.3 miles (10 km) of hiking trails that meander around the park and along the lakeshore. The park is also a trailhead for the hiking, mountain biking and snow mobile trails in Bald Eagle State Forest. Most of the trails in the park are open to mountain biking
except for Rapid Run Trail and Mid State Trail and part of Overlook Trail. R. B. Winter State Park is open to cross-country skiing
and snowmobiling
during the winter months.
. The common game species are Ruffed Grouse
, Eastern Gray Squirrel
, Wild Turkey
, American Black Bear
, White-tailed deer
, and Woodcock
s. The hunting of Groundhog
s is prohibited.
Union County, Pennsylvania
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 41,624 people, 13,178 households, and 9,211 families residing in the county. The population density was 131 people per square mile . There were 14,684 housing units at an average density of 46 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. It is in the ridge and valley region of Pennsylvania and is surrounded by Bald Eagle State Forest
Bald Eagle State Forest
Bald Eagle State Forest is a Pennsylvania state forest in Pennsylvania Bureau of Forestry District #7. The main office is located in Laurelton in Union County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. The forest is found in Centre, Clinton, Mifflin, Snyder, and Union Counties...
. R. B. Winter State Park is in a shallow basin that is surrounded by ridges. Halfway Lake
Halfway Lake
Halfway Lake is a lake of Halifax Regional Municipality, Nova Scotia, Canada.Halfway Lake is also a lake in Hartley Township, Union County, Pennsylvania in the United States. It is also the main focus of R.B. Winter State Park. The lake is filled by spring-fed mountain streams. It was formed by...
is the central recreational focus of the park. The park is 18 miles (29 km) west of Lewisburg
Lewisburg, Pennsylvania
Lewisburg is a borough in Union County, Pennsylvania, United States, south by southeast of Williamsport and north of Harrisburg. In the past, it was the commercial center for a fertile grain and general farming region. The population was 5,620 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Union...
on Pennsylvania Route 192
Pennsylvania Route 192
Pennsylvania Route 192 is a state highway located in central Pennsylvania. The western terminus of the route is at Pennsylvania Route 144 in Centre Hall. The eastern terminus is at U.S. Route 15 in Lewisburg.-Centre County:...
.
The park was originally called "Halfway Dam State Park", but was renamed "R.B. Winter State Park" on May 23, 1957 to honor state forester Raymond Burrows Winter, who was instrumental in establishing the park and had worked there and the surrounding state forest for 45 years.
Rapid Run Natural Area
The first settlers in the area found a very dense forest that was according to Conrad WeiserConrad Weiser
Weiser's colonial service began in 1731. The Iroquois sent Shikellamy, an Oneida chief, as an emissary to other tribes and the British. Shikellamy lived on the Susquehanna River at Shamokin village, near present-day Sunbury, Pennsylvania. An oral tradition holds that Weiser met Shikellamy while...
, "so thick that for a mile at a time we could not find the place the size of a hand, where the sun could penetrate, even in the clearest day..." Some examples of this dense forest still stand today at R. B. Winter State Park. The Rapid Run Natural Area is 39 acres (15.8 ha) of land set aside "to provide a location for scientific observation of natural systems, to protect an example of a typical and unique plant and animal community, and to protect and outstanding example of natural interest and beauty." This natural area has been largely untouched since it was last logged for timber in 1850. Pileated Woodpecker
Pileated Woodpecker
The Pileated Woodpecker is a very large North American woodpecker, almost crow-sized, inhabiting deciduous forests in eastern North America, the Great Lakes, the boreal forests of Canada, and parts of the Pacific coast. It is also the largest woodpecker in America.Adults are long, and weigh...
s can been seen in this area. Barred Owl
Barred Owl
The Barred Owl is a large typical owl. It goes by many other names, including eight hooter, rain owl, wood owl, and striped owl, but is probably best known as the hoot owl.-Description:...
s also live in the Rapid Run Natural Area. Vernal pool
Vernal pool
Vernal pools, also called vernal ponds or ephemeral pools, are temporary pools of water. They are usually devoid of fish, and thus allow the safe development of natal amphibian and insect species...
s fill each spring to provide water for fairy shrimp
Fairy shrimp
Anostraca is one of the four orders of crustaceans in the class Branchiopoda; its members are also known as fairy shrimp. They are usually long . Most species have 20 body segments, bearing 11 pairs of leaf-like phyllopodia , and the body lacks a carapace...
, caddis-flies
Trichoptera
The caddisflies are an order, Trichoptera, of insects with approximately 12,000 described species. Also called sedge-flies or rail-flies, they are small moth-like insects having two pairs of hairy membranous wings...
, Spotted Salamander
Spotted Salamander
The Spotted Salamander or Yellow-spotted Salamander is a mole salamander common in the eastern United States and Canada. The Spotted Salamander is the State amphibian of South Carolina. It has recently been found that its embryos have algae living inside them in a mutualistic...
s, and Wood Frog
Wood Frog
The Wood Frog has a broad distribution over North America, extending from the southern Appalachians to the boreal forest with several notable disjunct populations including lowland eastern North Carolina...
s.
Halfway Lake
Halfway Lake is filled by spring fed mountain streams. It is contained by a hand-laid native sandstoneSandstone
Sandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized minerals or rock grains.Most sandstone is composed of quartz and/or feldspar because these are the most common minerals in the Earth's crust. Like sand, sandstone may be any colour, but the most common colours are tan, brown, yellow,...
dam, the first cement and stone dam ever built by the Civilian Conservation Corps
Civilian Conservation Corps
The Civilian Conservation Corps was a public work relief program that operated from 1933 to 1942 in the United States for unemployed, unmarried men from relief families, ages 18–25. A part of the New Deal of President Franklin D...
. The temperature of the water in Halfway Lake is always about 50 °F (10 °C). This is because much of the lake is filled with water that comes from directly underground. Little Bubbler is an artesian spring that seeps up through the sand on the west end of the beach at R. B. Winter State Park. Swimming is permitted but lifeguards are not provided as of 2008. Halfway Lake is a cold water fishery that is stocked with brook
Brook trout
The brook trout, Salvelinus fontinalis, is a species of fish in the salmon family of order Salmoniformes. In many parts of its range, it is known as the speckled trout or squaretail. A potamodromous population in Lake Superior are known as coaster trout or, simply, as coasters...
, brown
Brown trout
The brown trout and the sea trout are fish of the same species....
and rainbow trout
Rainbow trout
The rainbow trout is a species of salmonid native to tributaries of the Pacific Ocean in Asia and North America. The steelhead is a sea run rainbow trout usually returning to freshwater to spawn after 2 to 3 years at sea. In other words, rainbow trout and steelhead trout are the same species....
. 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...
is permitted when the lake is frozen and the ice is at least 4 inches (10.2 cm) thick.
Camping
People interested in staying overnight at R. B. Winter State park have three options. They can stay at one of the 59 modern camp sites some of which are equipped with electricityElectricity
Electricity is a general term encompassing a variety of phenomena resulting from the presence and flow of electric charge. These include many easily recognizable phenomena, such as lightning, static electricity, and the flow of electrical current in an electrical wire...
. All the sites have access to modern restrooms with showers. Each camp site also has its own fire ring, picnic table
Picnic table
A picnic table is a modified table with attached benches, designed for eating a meal outdoors .-Uses:...
and lantern holder. There are three cottage
Cottage
__toc__In modern usage, a cottage is usually a modest, often cozy dwelling, typically in a rural or semi-rural location. However there are cottage-style dwellings in cities, and in places such as Canada the term exists with no connotations of size at all...
s that sleep up to five people. The cottages have electric lights and a small baseboard heater as well as wooden floors, windows, skylights, porches, a picnic table and fire ring. There is one modern cabin that is available to rent year-round. It is two stories with a furnished living area, kitchen, one-and-a-half baths, four bedrooms and two porches.
Trails
Mountain biking
Mountain biking is a sport which consists of riding bicycles off-road, often over rough terrain, using specially adapted mountain bikes. Mountain bikes share similarities with other bikes, but incorporate features designed to enhance durability and performance in rough terrain.Mountain biking can...
except for Rapid Run Trail and Mid State Trail and part of Overlook Trail. R. B. Winter State Park is open to 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 snowmobiling
Snowmobile
A snowmobile, also known in some places as a snowmachine, or sled,is a land vehicle for winter travel on snow. Designed to be operated on snow and ice, they require no road or trail. Design variations enable some machines to operate in deep snow or forests; most are used on open terrain, including...
during the winter months.
Hunting
Hunting is permitted on 487 acres (197.1 ha) of R.B. Winter State Park. Hunters are expected to follow the rules and regulations of the Pennsylvania Game CommissionPennsylvania 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 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"...
, Eastern Gray 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...
, 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...
, American 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...
, 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 Woodcock
Woodcock
The woodcocks are a group of seven or eight very similar living species of wading birds in the genus Scolopax. Only two woodcocks are widespread, the others being localized island endemics. Most are found in the Northern Hemisphere but a few range into Wallacea...
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.
Nearby state parks
The following state parks are within 30 miles (48.3 km) of R. B. Winter State Park:- Bald Eagle State ParkBald Eagle State ParkBald Eagle State Park is a Pennsylvania state park in Howard, Liberty, and Marion townships in Centre County, Pennsylvania in the United States. The park includes the Joseph Foster Sayers Reservoir, formed by damming Bald Eagle Creek and other smaller streams and covering . Bald Eagle State Park...
(Centre CountyCentre County, PennsylvaniaCentre County is a county located in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. It is part of the State College, Pennsylvania Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of 2010, the population was 153,990....
) - Bucktail State Park Natural AreaBucktail State Park Natural AreaBucktail State Park Natural Area is a Pennsylvania state park in Cameron and Clinton Counties in Pennsylvania in the United States. The park follows Pennsylvania Route 120 for between Emporium and Lock Haven...
(CameronCameron County, PennsylvaniaAs of the census of 2000, there were 5,974 people, 2,465 households, and 1,624 families residing in the county. The population density was 15 people per square mile . There were 4,592 housing units at an average density of 12 per square mile...
and Clinton CountiesClinton County, PennsylvaniaAs of the census of 2000, there were 37,914 people, 14,773 households, and 9,927 families residing in the county. The population density was 43 people per square mile . There were 18,166 housing units at an average density of 20 per square mile...
) - Little Pine State ParkLittle Pine State ParkLittle Pine State Park is a Pennsylvania state park on in Cummings Township, Lycoming County, Pennsylvania in the United States. Little Pine State park is along of Little Pine Creek, a tributary of Pine Creek, in the midst of the Tiadaghton State Forest. A dam on the creek has created a lake...
(Lycoming CountyLycoming County, Pennsylvania-Appalachian Mountains and Allegheny Plateau:Lycoming County is divided between the Appalachian Mountains in the south, the dissected Allegheny Plateau in the north and east, and the valley of the West Branch Susquehanna River between these.-West Branch Susquehanna River:The West Branch of the...
) - McCalls Dam State ParkMcCalls Dam State ParkMcCalls Dam State Park is a Pennsylvania state park on in Miles Township, Centre County, Pennsylvania in the United States. The park is in the eastern most tip of Centre County, south of Clinton County and north of Union County. McCalls Dam State Park is in a remote location on a dirt road between...
(Centre County) - Milton State ParkMilton State ParkMilton State Park is an Pennsylvania state park in Milton in Northumberland County, Pennsylvania in the United States. The park is on Montgomery Island in the West Branch Susquehanna River, just east of the village of West Milton in Union County. Milton State Park is on Pennsylvania Route...
(Northumberland CountyNorthumberland County, PennsylvaniaThere were 38,835 households out of which 27.30% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.40% were married couples living together, 9.60% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.10% were non-families. 30.20% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.50% had...
) - Poe Paddy State ParkPoe Paddy State ParkPoe Paddy State Park is a Pennsylvania state park in Haines Township, Centre County, Pennsylvania in the United States. The park is surrounded by Bald Eagle State Forest. Poe Valley State Park is to the east. The park is at the confluence of Big Poe Creek and Penns Creek. Poe Paddy State Park is...
(Centre County) - Poe Valley State ParkPoe Valley State ParkPoe Valley State Park is a Pennsylvania state park in Penn Township, Centre County, Pennsylvania in the United States. The park is surrounded by Bald Eagle State Forest. Poe Paddy State Park is to the west. The forests of the park surround the Poe Lake. Poe Valley State Park is in isolated Poe...
(Centre County) - Ravensburg State ParkRavensburg State ParkRavensburg State Park is a Pennsylvania state park in Crawford Township in Clinton County, Pennsylvania in the United States. It is in a gorge carved by Rauchtown Run through the side of Nippenose Mountain. Ravensburg State Park is of wooded land that is almost entirely surrounded by Tiadaghton...
(Clinton County) - Reeds Gap State ParkReeds Gap State ParkReeds Gap State Park is a Pennsylvania state park in Armagh Township, Mifflin County, Pennsylvania in the United States. The park is largely a wilderness area with large white pine and hemlock trees. Honey Creek flows through the park, providing a habitat for trout. Reeds Gap State Park is from U.S...
(Mifflin CountyMifflin County, PennsylvaniaMifflin County is a county located in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. As of 2010, the population was 46,682. Its county seat is Lewistown. It is named after Thomas Mifflin, the first Governor of Pennsylvania.-Geography:...
) - Sand Bridge State ParkSand Bridge State ParkSand Bridge State Park is a Pennsylvania state park on in Lewis Township, Union County, Pennsylvania in the United States. The park is the smallest state park in Pennsylvania and consists of a picnic area just off Pennsylvania Route 192. It has three picnic pavilions that were built by the...
(Union County) - Shikellamy State ParkShikellamy State ParkShikellamy State Park is a Pennsylvania state park located at the confluence of the West Branch Susquehanna River and Susquehanna River in Pennsylvania in the United States. The park is divided into two sections. The older part, on a bluff on the western bank of the river, is the Shikellamy...
(NorthumberlandNorthumberland County, PennsylvaniaThere were 38,835 households out of which 27.30% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.40% were married couples living together, 9.60% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.10% were non-families. 30.20% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.50% had...
and Union Counties) - Susquehanna State ParkSusquehanna State Park (Pennsylvania)Susquehanna State Park is a Pennsylvania state park on in Williamsport in Lycoming County, Pennsylvania in the United States. The park is on the West Branch Susquehanna River in the western part of Williamsport, and is operated by the Williamsport / Lycoming Chamber of Commerce in cooperation with...
(Lycoming County) - Upper Pine Bottom State ParkUpper Pine Bottom State ParkUpper Pine Bottom State Park is a Pennsylvania state park in Lycoming County, Pennsylvania in the United States. The park is in Cummings Township on Pennsylvania Route 44 and is surrounded by the Tiadaghton State Forest. It is on Upper Pine Bottom Run, which gave the park its name and is a...
(Lycoming County)