Kettle Creek State Park
Kettle Creek State Park consists of 1,793 acres along Kettle Creek in western Clinton County. The park is in a valley surrounded by mountainous terrain and wilderness.
Many of the existing recreational facilities arose from a joint flood control project developed by the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers and the former Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Resources.
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Hiking - Mountain Biking - Horseback Riding - Picnicking - Boating - Fishing - Hunting - Education - Cross-country Skiing - Sledding - Snowmobiling - Ice Fishing - Camping Picnicking: The picnic area is below the park office along Bearfield Run and Kettle Creek Reservoir. Many picnic tables with charcoal grills, hot coal disposal and water hydrants are scattered throughout this area. Sunny and shaded picnic sites are available. Restrooms are near the parking area and at the park office. Softball and volleyball areas are provided along with playground sets at several locations. Several large open fields provide excellent play areas for groups of all sizes. The Pine Grove Picnic Area is available for reservations. A large memorial picnic pavilion with electric hook-up, overlooking the lake, is available on a first-come, first-served basis.
Make a reservation. Boating: electric motors only 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. Fishing: The 167-acre Kettle Creek Reservoir is noted for its trout and bass fishing. Also found in the lake are brown bullhead, sucker and panfish. The Lower Campground is beside the seven-acre Kettle Creek Lake, a very popular fishing area. Kettle Creek is noted for its excellent water quality that supports a healthy aquatic population. Mine drainage limits the fishing quality below the Lower Campground. Many excellent native trout streams surround the park. Additional information on fishing is available at the park office. Complete information on fishing rules and regulations in Pennsylvania is available from the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission Web site.
The adjacent Sproul State Forest also permits hunting and trapping. The U. S. Army Corps of Engineers lands are managed in cooperation with the Pennsylvania Game Commission and the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources’ Bureau of State Parks and Bureau of Forestry. 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. Hiking: 2 miles of trails Horseback Riding: 22 miles of trails Stay the NightCamping: flush toilets, warm showers, some electric hook-ups The Lower Campground is along Kettle Creek and has 41 sites with electricity and also modern restrooms with showers. The Lower Campground is open from early April to the end of antered deer season mid-December. The Upper Campground overlooks the Alvin R. Bush Dam and Kettle Creek Reservoir and has 27 sites, 12 with electric hook-ups and vault toilets. Pets are permitted on all sites. The Upper Campground is open from early April to the end of deer season in mid-October. Explore the campground map. Explore camping for more information.
Make a reservation. Free Camping for Campground Hosts: 2 host positions Winter ActivitiesThe park is open throughout the winter. The day use area provides access to all trails and activities. Explore the Winter Report for the current snow and ice depths. Cross-country Skiing: Cross-country skiing is permitted throughout the park. Sledding: The gentle slopes below the park office make for excellent tobogganing/sledding. Snowmobiling: Snowmobiles must stay on designated trails and have a current registration. Park trails connect to many miles of trails in the surrounding Sproul State Forest. Ice Fishing: The 167-acre Kettle Creek Reservoir is stocked with trout for the winter season. Environmental Education and InterpretationDuring the summer months, Kettle Creek State Park shares an environmental interpretor with Ole Bull State Park. The history and environment of the area are topics for educational programs for park visitors of all ages. Children’s programs, guided walks and campfire programs are scheduled throughout the week. Program schedules are available at the park office. Special requests are welcome and may be directed to the park office. Explore the Calendar of Events for a listing of events from today forward. Explore environmental education and interpretation for more information. Access for People with Disabilities
In an EmergencyContact a park employee or dial 911. Nearest Hospital Bucktail Medical Center The remote nature of Kettle Creek State Park makes it a wonderful place to see wildlife. Black bear, white-tailed deer and wild turkey are common residents. Elk, river otter and fisher are elusive animals that can be found in the park. Kettle Creek Reservoir is a beacon for waterfowl, especially in the spring and fall migrations. Loons, grebes, ducks and gulls use the lake and wetlands as a rest stop. Bald eagle, kingfisher, great blue heron, wood duck and merganser can be seen year-round. Osprey are common summer visitors. The field and edge habitats of the park are nesting spots for bluebird, indigo bunting, goldfinch, cardinal and common yellowthroat. The forests of the park are composed of deciduous hardwoods and a few stands of hemlock and pine. Warblers, vireos, thrushes and other songbirds nest in the park and can be seen migrating through. Woodpeckers, nuthatches, sparrows, finches, jays and ravens can be found in the forests, even in winter. Golden eagles have been spotted cruising the valley in winter. Kettle Creek State Park is named after the popular trout stream that flows through the area. In the 1930s, the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) developed the original park in what is now the Lower Campground. For more information on the CCC, explore the Civilian Conservation Corps Online Archive. In 1962, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers opened the Alvin R. Bush Dam for flood protection for the lower Susquehanna watershed. The area above the dam was developed for recreation and administered by the Pennsylvania Bureau of State Parks. Keep in TouchAdd yourself to the DCNR's online community to receive info on this park, or parks in general. Volunteering
Becoming a Conservation Volunteer is easy.
Scouts and organized groups can earn free camping by completing service projects. Pennsylvania Parks and Forests Foundation
Make a DonationTo 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 ProgramsWe love when young people ask us how to get involved!
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
Come Work with UsPennsylvania 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 ThinkContact this park with compliments, concerns and issues about the park. Kettle Creek State Park Nearby AttractionsInformation on nearby attractions is available from the Clinton County Economic Partnership Tourist Agency. www.clintoncountyinfo.com/vb/ Sproul State Forest: The 278,000-acre Sproul State Forest surrounds the park. The forest is in western Clinton and northern Centre counties. The multiple-use management system provides forest-based recreational opportunities such as hiking, backpack camping, snowmobiling pleasure driving, and horseback, ATV, and mountain bike riding. All areas of Sproul State Forest are open to hunting and fishing. Camping permits are required before setting up camp on state forest lands. 570-923-6011 Alvin R. Bush Dam: This flood control dam is operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and creates 4.5 miles of natural, scenic shoreline. This is one of four dams in the flood control plan for the West Branch Basin of the Susquehanna River watershed. Kettle Creek Vista: Three miles west of the park, this vantage point provides a breathtaking view of the Kettle Creek Valley. Pennsylvania Flaming Foliage Festival: In Renovo, Pa., the second full weekend in October. Nearby ServicesServices, including medical, are available at Renovo, 16 miles southeast along PA 120. Explore Pennsylvania WildsPennsylvania Wilds is two million acres of public lands for hiking, biking, fishing, boating, hunting and exploration in northcentral Pennsylvania. Within the twelve-county region are: 29 state parks, eight state forest districts (1.3 million acres); 50 state game lands and Allegheny National Forest (500,000 acres). www.pawilds.com Maps and Downloadables
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: Recreational GuideKettle Creek State Park Map (.pdf) (533 kb, 9/11) Interactive GIS MapThe interactive 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. Campground MapKettle Creek State Park Campground Map (.pdf) (1,210 kb, 2/13)  The park is along SR 4001, seven miles north of PA 120 at Westport and three miles west of PA 144. Driving Directions: The Interactive GIS Map has turn-by-turn driving directions to the park office from the Park information Window. Kettle Creek State Park
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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. 
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. 
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.