Cowans Gap State Park

Hiking   -  Picnicking   -  Swimming   -  Boating   -  Fishing   -  Hunting   -  Education   -  Cross-country Skiing   -  Ice Fishing   -  Ice Skating   -  Organized Group Tenting   -  Cabins   -  Camping

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Picnicking: Picnic areas are along the eastern side of Cowans Gap Lake. Picnic areas are mostly shaded with several CCC-era stone fireplaces and charcoal grills scattered throughout. Four 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. Pavilions 2, 3 and 4 are stone and have a fireplace.

Make a reservation.

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Swimming: The 500-foot sand beach is open from late May to mid-September, 8 a.m. to sunset. Please read and follow posted rules for swimming. Swim at your own risk.

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Food and Refreshment Concession: The concession is in the day use area and serves many snacks and sandwiches. It also has ice, charcoal and other camper supplies. The concession is open Memorial Day weekend to Labor Day.

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Boating: electric motors only
There are two boat launches and 46 mooring spaces on 42-acre Cowans Gap Lake. A boating concession in the day use area rents rowboats, kayaks and paddle boats and is open daily in the summer.

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 42-acre Cowans Gap Lake offers excellent trout fishing and also has bass, perch and panfish. There is an ADA accessible fishing pier. The South Branch of Little Aughwick Creek offers good trout fishing.

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 630 acres are open to hunting, trapping and the training of dogs during established seasons. Common game species are deer, turkey and squirrel. The park land borders Buchanan State Forest, which is open to hunting, trapping and dog training.

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: 11 miles of trails
Trails vary in difficulty from flat to very steep.

Cameron Trail: 0.5-mile, more difficult hiking
This very steep, boundary trail is on the south end of the park and ends atop Cove Mountain. The CCC built this trail for firefighting access to Buchanan State Forest.

Geyer Trail: 0.5-mile, most difficult hiking
This rather steep boundary trail passes through areas of mountain laurel. The trail starts along Aughwick Road then climbs Tuscarora Mountain to Tuscarora Trail.

Logging Road Trail: 1.7 miles, easiest hiking
This old logging road can be walked from one end of the park to the other and is a good trail to use to make loop hikes with other trails on the side of Cove Mountain.

Horseshoe Trail: 0.6 mile, most difficult hiking
This very steep and very rugged trail passes over a lot of loose stone on steep slopes. The trail starts along Aughwick Road below the park dam, crosses the creek and climbs to the top of Cove Mountain ending on the Knobsville Road Trail. Experienced hikers only!

Knobsville Road Trail: 1.3 miles, more difficult hiking
This old road climbs to the top of Cove Mountain, past the park’s landslide interpretive exhibit, a CCC-era incinerator and a park overlook. Cresting Cove Mountain, hikers enter state forest land and can walk down to the intersection of Horseshoe Trail. Please respect private property by not following the old road trace onto private land.

Lakeside Trail: 1.5 miles, easiest hiking
This very pleasant, nearly level, scenic trail encircles Cowans Gap Lake. This is the most popular trail in the park.

One Mile Trail: 0.4 mile, easiest hiking
This mountain laurel shaded trail begins along Aughwick Road just above the park office, then winds along the bottom of Tuscarora Mountain to join the Three Mile Trail. Hikers can then follow Three Mile Trail to the left returning to Aughwick Road across from Parking Lot #3, follow Aughwick Road back to the beginning of One Mile trail having walked about one mile.

Plessinger Trail: 1.1 miles, more difficult hiking
This rocky, streamside trail meanders alongside Aughwick Creek and is a great access trail for anglers and a pleasant walk for wildlife watchers.

Ski Trail: 0.2 mile, easiest hiking
This short spur trail connects Parking Lot #7 with Logging Road Trail above Camping Area B.

Three Mile Trail: 1.1 miles, more difficult hiking
This trail begins along Aughwick Road across from the upper end of Camping Area A. The trail wanders through mountain laurel on the side of Tuscarora Mountain and is a nice trail to walk in June when the mountain laurel is in bloom.

Tuscarora Trail: 2-mile section in the park, more difficult hiking
Tuscarora Trail is a spur trail to the Appalachian Trail. The more popular section to walk is a 1.5-mile section beginning across Aughwick Road from Parking Lot #3, climbing along Tuscarora Mountain to the junction with Geyer Trail. Once at the junction with Geyer Trail, hikers can return to the day use area, retracing the walk from Parking Lot #3, or follow Geyer Trail to Cameron Trail then to Plessinger Trail returning to the day use area, or take the Tuscarora Trail another 2.4 miles south to the top of Big Mountain and a spectacular overlook of the Path Valley and Franklin County. From the Big Mountain Overlook, hikers will have a 3.9-mile return hike back to the park. The Cowans Gap section of the trail is renowned for its unusual rock outcroppings and rock fields.

Standing Stone Hiking Trail: 72 miles, orange blazes, difficult hiking
Starting near the Cowans Gap Beach Area, this trail goes north to join Greenwood Furnace State Park. Part of the Great Eastern Trail system, this trail offers beautiful vistas and a challenging experience to the seasoned hiker. This trail connects to the Mid State Trail, Tuscarora Trail and the Appalachian Trail.

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Stay the Night

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Camping: flush toilets, warm showers, electric hook-ups
Cowans Gap has 201 campsites in two areas. The camping area has a sanitary dump station and modern comfort stations with flush toilets and hot showers. The campsites can accommodate campers from a small tent to a large motor home. Seven walk-in tent sites are adjacent to Camping Area B. An overnight courtesy boat mooring area is provided for registered campers during their stay at the park. The camping area is open from the second Friday of April until the day following deer season in December. Pets are permitted on designated sites.

Explore the campground map.

Explore camping for more information.

Make a reservation.

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Free Camping for Campground Hosts: 2 host positions
The campground host sites amenities include 50-amp electric service with water hookup at one site. Hosts are required to assist park personnel 40 hours per week, five (5) days a week; provide information to visitors; post all sites daily with permits; and clean fire rings. Contact the park office for additional information and availability.

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Rustic Cabins: Ten rustic cabins are available during the spring, summer and fall. The three-room cabins have a four-person overnight capacity and contain a refrigerator, stove, inside fireplace and two bunk beds. There is no indoor plumbing in the cabins. A water faucet is outside. A central comfort station has showers and flush toilets.

Explore the cabin map.

Explore cabins for more information.

Make a reservation.

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Organized Group Tenting: This camping area holds organized groups of up to forty people. The area has a modern restroom with flush toilets and is open from the second Friday of April to the third Sunday in October.

Explore organized group tenting for more information.

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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: Closed park roads and some of the hiking trails are suitable for cross-country skiing.

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Ice Fishing: The 42-acre Cowans Gap Lake is open for ice fishing except for the ice skating area. Ice thickness is monitored only in the ice skating area. For your safety, be sure the ice is four inches thick and carry safety equipment.

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Ice Skating: A section of the lake by the beach is available exclusively for ice skating. Ice thickness is monitored in the beach area.

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Environmental Education and Interpretation

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The park offers a wide variety of environmental education and interpretive programs. 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 April to November. Contact the park office for more detailed information.

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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The park facilities for use by people with disabilities include picnic areas, campground, cabins, parking and a fishing pier. Restrooms in these areas are designated with the symbol for accessibility. A special vehicle permit is issued at the park office to give access to areas of the park not open to vehicles.

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

 

Cowans Gap State Park is in Allens Valley, a narrow, highland valley between Tuscarora and Cove mountains. The valley floor is over seven hundred feet lower than Tuscarora and Cove mountains, yet Allens Valley is still several hundred feet higher than the surrounding valleys. The highland nature of Cowans Gap State Park makes the park an interesting place to see wildlife in all seasons.

Lush vegetation and warm days are hallmarks of summer. Early June is the best time to see the grand displays of mountain laurel along the trails and forestry roads. Watch for deer, bear and even box turtles raiding berry patches. While walking, listen for the ovenbird’s teacher-teacher-teacher call and the drink-your-tea call of the northern towhee as they move about in the brush. As evening approaches, enjoy the flute-like calls of the veery and wood thrush.

Warm summer evenings bring out the bats of Cowans Gap to feast on night-flying insects. Watch the park’s bat boxes for the evening emergence and then enjoy the bats as they dance in the night air catching insects and swooping low over the lake to drink. This is a good time of the year to listen to the bullfrogs as they call into the night jug-o-rum and the twanging call of the green frog.

Fall offers warm breezy days with tree leaves turning to shades of red, golden yellows and orange. Many species of woodland birds make their return visits as they migrate southward. This is a great time to view migrating raptors as they use the updrafts of the mountainsides to conserve energy on their long migration journey. Watch for squirrels, chipmunks and turkey as they compete with the deer and bear for acorns. As you sit around a warm evening campfire, take time to listen for the far off calls of the swan and goose as their v-shaped formations negotiate the dark sky.

Winter is a great time to view the ruggedness of the mountains with their steep rock strewn slopes interspersed with the evergreens mountain laurel and rhododendron. Look for deer and winter birds, like chickadees, titmice and woodpeckers, as they spend their waking hours hunting for food.

Spring brings renewal to the natural environment as spring wildflowers, such as spring beauty and sweet white violets, bloom in the warm spring sunlight before the tree canopy blocks the sun from striking the forest floor. Animals come out of hibernation and many species of migrating birds return or stop at the park on their northward journey. Before the trees get their leaves is a great time to observe warblers as they migrate through or set up their breeding territories. In the mornings, listen for the courtship songs of birds, and listen in the evenings for the courtship calls of frogs and toads along the lakeshore and wetlands.

The Geology of Cowans Gap

Cowans Gap State Park is in Allens Valley, a narrow highland valley between Tuscarora and Cove mountains. Allens Valley runs from south of Cowans Gap Sate Park north to the town of Burnt Cabins. Cowans Gap crosses Tuscarora Mountain, connecting Allens and Path valleys.

A gap is a notch or pass in a mountain. Cowans Gap is an east and west pass in the north and south running Tuscarora Mountain. You can see the gap from the west side of Cowans Lake, looking east, or from PA 75, looking west.

Most gaps are water gaps, which have a stream or river flowing through them. Cowans Gap is a wind gap and has no stream or river—anymore. Millions of years ago, Allens Valley was not very deep. A stream flowed from the southern end of Allens Valley down through the park and out over the hard rocks of Cowans Gap down to Path Valley.

A different stream flowed in the softer rock of the north part of Allens Valley by Burnt Cabins. In a process called stream capture, the two separate streams became one stream. The Burnt Cabins stream quickly eroded the soft rock, deepening and lengthening Allens Valley. The stream’s head (its beginning) slowly moved south until the Burnt Cabins stream’s head met the southern stream flowing out of Cowans Gap. The Burnt Cabins stream eroded Allens Valley faster and deeper than the other stream, until the southern stream eventually flowed into the Burnt Cabins stream, making one long stream that flowed the length of Allens Valley to Burnt Cabins, but did not flow through Cowans Gap.

Over time, the single stream, now called South Branch Little Aughwick Creek, carved Allens Valley deeper until today, the floor of the valley is much lower than left behind Cowans Gap.

 

The history of Cowans Gap State Park is of war, forbidden love and hard work.

Famous Road

The French and Indian War began in 1754 as the French and British fought for the Ohio River Valley, which included western Pennsylvania. Key to the control of the area was the Forks of the Ohio (Pittsburgh), which was held by the French. In 1755, British Major General Edward Braddock carved a new road from Cumberland, Maryland, towards the Forks.

To carry additional supplies to Braddock’s army, Colonel James Burd began a road from Shippensburg that was planned to reach Braddock’s forces at Turkey Foot (Confluence, Pa.). Burd’s Road climbed Tuscarora Mountain by passing through an unnamed gap that eventually became named Cowans Gap. Braddock’s army was defeated and Burd’s Road was never completed past Berlin, Somerset County.

In 1758, the British again sent a campaign toward the Forks of the Ohio. General John Forbes, along with his aide Colonel George Washington and second in command Lieutenant Colonel Henry Bouquet, carved a new road (Forbes Road) that followed Burd’s Road through Bedford County then headed due west to the Forks of the Ohio. General Forbes drove the French out of Pennsylvania. In 1763, Colonel Henry Bouquet again used Forbes Road to break the siege of Fort Pitt during Pontiac’s War.

Names

In 1775, Loyalist John Samuel Cowan met Patriot Mary Mueller in Boston. Although from opposite political parties, the couple eloped several years later and headed for Kentucky. The family story relates that while crossing the Conococheague Creek near Fort Loudon, their wagon broke down. John traded their horses and wagon to a Tuscarora Indian chief for the land that now is known as Cowans Gap.

John secured peace pipe and tomahawk rights from the Indians, marking a big chestnut tree with three slashes, a sign of peace to the Indians. In 1785, John secured a warrant for the land from the Proprietors of Pennsylvania. John and Mary built their house along Forbes Road, near what is now the junction of Stumpy Lane and Aughwick Road.

Most of Cowans Gap State Park is in Allens Valley, named for neighbors of the Cowans.

Industrial Times

Nearby, Mount Pleasant iron furnace operated from 1783 to 1835. Richmond iron furnace operated from 1865 to 1885. The furnaces mined iron ore along the face of Tuscauroa Mountain and in the gap. The furnaces’ demand for charcoal led to the clear-cutting of portions of the forests in the gap and the valley every 20 to 25 years.

Beginning in 1893, Harrison Kalbach, of Lebanon, Pennsylvania, began purchasing land and timbering rights amounting to 4,800 acres around Cowans Gap. Kalbach and Company constructed a railroad of wooden rails from Richmond Furnace up the mountain and into the gap to move the lumber to market. Today’s Richmond Furnace Road follows the old railroad right-of-way. Kalbach and his partner Charles Spangler, of McConnellsburg, operated a portable sawmill in the valley, cutting mainly pine and oak. The final cut ended in 1907, leaving a landscape of over-cut forests and erosion.

Recovery

In 1933, to relieve the rampant unemployment of the Great Depression, President Roosevelt created the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC). The young men in the CCC received food, clothes and a small paycheck.

The CCC boys built roads, trails and recreational facilities, fought fires, planted trees and did many other conservation activities.

Richmond Furnace Camp S-54 was built next to the new forestry station here at Cowans Gap. The camp was locally called Camp Fox for an enrollee killed in an accident while stationed at the camp.

The first enrollees to the camp lived in tents while they built a camp for themselves. From 1933 to 1941, the CCC built 30 miles of road, four bridges, 32 miles of fire trails and 11 miles of telephone lines. In Cowans Gap State Park, the CCC built the cabins, picnic shelters and spent three years building the dam. The Cowans Gap Rustic Cabins are on the National Register of Historic Places.

For more information on the CCC, explore the Civilian Conservation Corps Online Archive.

Improvements have continued at Cowans Gap, with additions like the campground and modern restrooms. In 2002, Cowans Gap State Park closed to visitors for a yearlong renovation to upgrade many facilities.

 

Keep in Touch

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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.
   

Scouts and organized groups can earn free camping by completing service projects.

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

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Cowans Gap State Park

Nearby Attractions

Information on nearby attractions is available from:

Fulton County Tourist Promotion Agency  www.fultoncountypa.com

The Alleghenies www.thealleghenies.com

Buchanan’s Birthplace State Park is the birthplace of James Buchanan, 15th President of the United States and the only Pennsylvanian to ever occupy the office of president. The park is in the foothills of the Tuscarora Mountains on the western side of the Cumberland Valley, seven miles north of US 30.

The 75,000-acre Buchanan State Forest is adjacent to Cowans Gap and has hiking, fishing, hunting and general recreation. 717-485-3148

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

Cowans Gap State Park Map (.pdf)  (637 kb, 3/11)
Cowans Gap State Park Recreational Guide (.pdf)  (461 kb, 3/11)
    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.

Campground Map

Cowans Gap State Park Campground Map (.pdf)  (1,316 kb, 3/13)
    large print version of the brochure (.rtf)

Cabin Map

Cowans Gap State Park Cabin Map (.pdf) (60 kb, 3/11)