Canoe Creek State Park

Hiking   -  Biking   -  Horseback Riding   -  Picnicking   -  Swimming   -  Boating   -  Fishing   -  Hunting   -  Education   -  Disc Golfing   -  Cross-country Skiing   -  Ice Fishing   -  Ice Skating   -  Iceboating   -  Cabins  

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Picnicking: Scenic, shaded areas on the east and west sides of the park provide many options for picnics and gatherings. There are picnic tables, charcoal grills and charcoal disposal units.

Three picnic pavilions are available for rental. Picnic pavilions may be reserved up to 11 months in advance for a fee. Unreserved picnic pavilions are free on a first-come, first-served basis.

Make a reservation.

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Swimming: The sand beach is open from May to September, 8 a.m. to sunset. Please read and follow posted rules for swimming. Swim at your own risk.

The sand beach is 350 feet long and has a grass sunning area and sand play areas. The bathhouse has showers and dressing booths.

A snackbar by the swimming beach carries a variety of fast food and drink items.

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Boating: electric motors only
The 155-acre Canoe Lake has boat launching areas on both sides of the lake. Boat mooring is available along the eastern shoreline. The boat rental, adjacent to the swimming area, rents rowboats, paddleboats, kayaks and canoes.

Motorboats must display a current boat registration. Non-powered boats must display one of the following: boat registration; launching permit or mooring permit from Pennsylvania State Parks, available at most state park offices; launching permit from the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission.

Complete information on boating rules and regulations in Pennsylvania is available from the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission Web site.

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Fishing: The beautiful 155-acre Canoe Lake is stocked with walleye, muskellunge, bass, trout, chain pickerel, catfish, crappies and other panfish. Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission laws apply. Ice fishing is a popular winter activity during the extended trout season. The ice thickness is not monitored. For your safety, be sure the ice is four inches thick and carry safety equipment.

Complete information on fishing rules and regulations in Pennsylvania is available from the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission Web site.

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Hunting and Firearms: About 550 acres are open to hunting, trapping and the training of dogs during established seasons. Common game species are deer, pheasant and rabbit.

Hunting woodchucks, also known as groundhogs, is prohibited. Dog training is only permitted from the day following Labor Day through March 31 in designated hunting areas. The Department of Conservation and Natural Resources and the Pennsylvania Game Commission rules and regulations apply. Contact the park office for ADA accessible hunting information.

Use extreme caution with firearms at all times. Other visitors use the park during hunting seasons. Firearms and archery equipment used for hunting may be uncased and ready for use only in authorized hunting areas during hunting seasons. In areas not open to hunting or during non-hunting seasons, firearms and archery equipment shall be kept in the owner's car, trailer or leased campsite. The only exception is that law enforcement officers and individuals with a valid Pennsylvania License to Carry Firearms may carry said firearm concealed on their person while they are within the park.

Complete information on hunting rules and regulations in Pennsylvania is available from the Pennsylvania Game Commission Web site.

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Hiking: 8 miles of trails
The trails explore forests, fields, wetlands, shrubby areas, historic areas and the lakeshore. Brochures on wildlife and geocaching opportunities can be obtained at the education center or the park office.

Hikers should be prepared for trail conditions and dress for the terrain and weather. Please wear fluorescent orange when hiking during hunting seasons.

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Biking: 1 mile trail
The one-mile Bike Trail is between US 22 and Mattern Road. The trail passes through the day use area and the historic site. The trail explores many habitats in the park, like forests, riparian areas, wetlands and fields. Bikes are prohibited on hiking and equestrian trails.

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Horseback Riding: Equestrian trails loop through the north side of the park. Mattern, Hartman, and parts of Moore’s Hill trails can be reached from the parking lot off of Mattern Road. Horse rentals are not available in the area.

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Disc Golfing: A nine-hole disc golf course begins on the sidewalk near the beach house.

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Stay the Night

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Modern Cabins: Eight modern cabins overlook the lake and sleep six people. Cabins offer electric heat, two bedrooms, living room/dining room, bathroom, kitchen and modern conveniences throughout. A fire ring and picnic table are by each cabin.

The cabins are within walking distance of the swimming area and are available for year-round rental. The rental period in the summer is one week. During the remainder of the year, they may be rented for a minimum of two days.

Explore the cabin map.

Explore cabins for more information.

Make a reservation.

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Winter Activities

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Explore the Winter Report for the current snow and ice depths.

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Cross-country Skiing: All hiking, equestrian and biking trails are available for skiing.

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Iceboating: Iceboats must have a launch permit.

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Ice Fishing: This is a popular winter activity during the extended trout season. The ice thickness is not monitored. For your safety, be sure the ice is four inches thick and carry safety equipment.

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Ice Skating: There are two ponds just north of the Beaver Dam Road Boat Launch.

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Environmental Education and Interpretation

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Canoe Creek State Park offers many popular environmental education and interpretive programs for families, private groups and school groups. Through hands-on activities, guided walks and evening programs, participants gain appreciation, understanding and develop a sense of stewardship toward natural and cultural resources.

Curriculum-based environmental education programs are available to schools and youth groups. Teacher workshops are available. Group programs must be arranged in advance and may be scheduled by calling the park office.

Programs are offered year-round. For more detailed information contact the park office.

An education center highlights the historical and natural resources of the park. Near the modern cabins, the center is open year-round and provides brochures on the education program and the wildlife of the park.

Explore the Calendar of Events for a listing of events from today forward.

Explore environmental education and interpretation for more information.

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Access for People with Disabilities

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All facilities are ADA accessible. With prior approval, service roads can be used for loading and unloading.

If you need an accommodation to participate in park activities due to a disability, please contact the park you plan to visit.

 

Canoe Creek State Park maintains a variety of habitats for wildlife. Old fields, wetlands, a lake and a limestone deep mine are interspersed with deciduous woodlots, which provide excellent habitat for over 200 species of birds and mammals.

Birding

The park is a stopover place during bird migrations and serves as a summer nesting site for others. Canoe Lake is great for seeing migrating waterfowl. Bluebird, indigo bunting, cedar waxwing, oriole, red-winged blackbird and brown thrasher frequent the wetlands along Mary Ann’s Creek. Osprey and bald eagle are noteworthy spring and fall migrants.

Because of Canoe Creek State Park’s excellent biodiversity and habitats, the park has been designated an Important Bird Area and an Important Mammal Area by the National Audubon Society.

Checklists and geocaching brochures can be obtained at the education center or the park office.

Bat Viewing

The Frank Felbaum Bat Sanctuary is one of the largest nursery colonies of little brown bats in Pennsylvania. On warm summer evenings, visitors attend bat programs and watch the exit of the bats. A deep limestone mine is a hibernaculum (where animals hibernate) for almost 30,000 bats of six species, including the federally endangered Indiana bat.

 

Geologic formations in and around the park are rich in limestone. This limestone was extracted and used for many purposes, including supplying a raw material for the once thriving iron and steel industry of Pennsylvania. The park has several old quarry operations. Two calcining plants (limekilns), the Hartman kilns site and the Blair Limestone Company kilns site, operated in the park during the early 1900s. The Blair Limestone Company Kiln remnants are the focus of historical and interpretive programs and displays. This company was a subsidiary of Jones and Laughlin Steel Company of Pittsburgh, Pa. Canoe Creek State Park is a modern day use facility developed during the Project 70 expansion era of state parks and was dedicated in 1979.

Keep in Touch

Add yourself to the DCNR's online community to receive info on this park, or parks in general.

Volunteering

Like to spend time in the outdoors, meet friendly people and help make Pennsylvania State Parks great? Volunteering at a park might be for you.

Becoming a Conservation Volunteer is easy.

• Sign up to be a Conservation Volunteer
  OR
• Contact your local state park directly and ask for the Conservation Volunteer coordinator - you'll be hooked up with an interesting and appropriate project in Pennsylvania's natural resources.
   

Pennsylvania Parks and Forests Foundation

Believing that each generation is responsible for leaving behind a better legacy of good conservation, the Pennsylvania Parks & Forests Foundation (PPFF) was created in 1999 to give supporters and users of Pennsylvania's parks and forests a positive way to contribute to the conservation of our publicly-owned properties. The Pennsylvania Parks & Forests Foundation welcomes the support of individuals and businesses who share a commitment to conserving, protecting, and enhancing the natural, scenic, and recreational areas of this commonwealth. www.paparksandforests.org

Make a Donation

To a park - find this park's address below

To a park or the Bureau of State Parks - Pennsylvania Parks and Forestry Foundation www.paparksandforests.org

Through a purchase at a park gift shop

Thank you for your support!

Education Programs

We love when young people ask us how to get involved!

DiscoverE has programs for young people ages 4 to 17, provided by Pennsylvania State Park educators. By combining recreation and education, we hope to motivate children to learn more and return often, leading to a lifetime of outdoor enjoyment and conservation leadership. 

In Watershed Education, teachers and students assess water quality of a local stream on a quarterly basis and develop strategies to solve local water quality problems. 

ECO Camp - Exploring Careers Outdoors - is a week-long residential camp for a cross-section of high school youth from across Pennsylvania, sponsored by the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR). Participate in action-packed, hands on activities and recreational adventures in Pennsylvania’s state parks and forests that expose youth to conservation, recreation and careers in natural resources. Learn how people make a living working in the outdoors.

Explore education for more information on these and other programs.

Explore the Calendar of Events to find a program near you.

iConservePA

Do you take conservation personally? iConservePA is a Web site managed by the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources whose vision is to inspire citizens to value their natural resources, engage in conservation practices and experience the outdoors. Take conservation personally.

Come Work with Us

Pennsylvania State Parks and the Department of Conservation and Natrual Resources offer a wide range of civil service and non-civil service jobs, from foresters, to rangers, to engineers, to educators, to botanists and so much more. Learn what is currently available.

Tell us What You Think

Contact this park with compliments, concerns and issues about the park.

Canoe Creek State Park

Nearby Attractions

Information on nearby attractions is available from:

Allegheny Mountains Convention and Visitors Bureau www.alleghenymountains.com

The Alleghenies www.thealleghenies.com

Within an hour’s drive of the park are the world famous Horseshoe Curve, Blue Knob Ski Area, The Pennsylvania State University, State Game Land 166, and Rothrock and Gallitzin state forests.

Maps and Downloadables

Below are many of the maps and publications for this park. You can read them or download them and might need special software (all free) to view the publications.

You must have the free Adobe Reader to view the maps and brochures that are in pdf format (.pdf).

Alternate versions of the text of the brochures are in rich text and text formats. Click on the files to view them. To download (.rtf) files:
For Windows users, right click on the link then left click on "Save target as" to download the file to your computer. For Mac users, hold down the "Options" button and click on the link, then select "Save" to download the file to your computer.

Recreational Guide

Canoe Creek State Park Map (.pdf)  (484 kb, 9/11)
Canoe Creek State Park  Recreational Guide (.pdf)  (345 kb, 9/11)
    large print version of the guide text (.rtf)

Interactive GIS Map

The Interactive GIS Map uses Geographic Information Systems to create a map that does not need to be downloaded and features driving directions, searchable park amenities and customizable maps. Please note that the background maps are maintained by a variety of public sources and driving directions usually go to the nearest large road.

Cabin Map

Canoe Creek State Park Cabin Map (.pdf)  (33 kb, 3/11)