Mount Pisgah State Park

Hiking   -  Picnicking   -  Swimming   -  Boating   -  Fishing   -  Hunting   -  Education  -  Cross-country Skiing   -  Snowmobiling   -  Ice Fishing   -  Ice Skating  

Picnicking: The main picnic area is adjacent to the pool complex and overlooks the lake. The pleasant, wooded area gives a choice of sunny or shaded tables. Visitors of all ages can enjoy the sand volleyball court, horseshoe pits, playground, swings and sandbox.

The main picnic area is adjacent to the pool complex and overlooks the lake. The pleasant, wooded area gives a choice of sunny or shaded tables. Visitors of all ages can enjoy the sand volleyball court, horseshoe pits, playground, swings and sandbox.

Three 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.

---

Swimming: The swimming pool is open:
11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on weekends only from Memorial Day to mid-June
11 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily from mid-June to mid-August
The pool season ends mid-August<.p>

Swimming is not permitted in the lake. The pool depth ranges from eight inches to five feet and includes a ramp for people with disabilities. The pool complex contains dressing rooms, showers, restrooms and a lifeguard and first aid station. A snack bar offers food and beverages.

PARENTS-You are responsible for the safety of your children. Please supervise their activities while enjoying the swimming pool, playground, hiking trails and other facilities. Please observe posted pool rules to ensure a safe and enjoyable visit.

Open in the summer season in the pool complex, the snackbar offers hamburgers, hotdogs, pizza, French fries, soda, slushies, ice cream, candy and other summer fare. It is open noon to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.

---

Boating: electric motors only
The 75-acre Stephen Foster Lake has a boat launch, courtesy dock, restroom and parking on the northern shore. Mooring spaces can be rented on a seasonal basis. Adjacent to the causeway, boat rentals are available during the summer season from a concessionaire.

Please wear your personal flotation devices while boating.

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 75-acre Stephen Foster Lake provides habitat for perch, bass, bluegill and crappie. On the west shore of the lake is an angler's area that features a parking lot and easy access to the lake for shore fishing. Ice fishing is permitted. For your safety, be sure the ice is at least four inches thick and carry safety equipment. All Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission seasons, rules and regulations apply.

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

---

Hunting and Firearms: About 1,100 acres are open to hunting, trapping and the training of dogs during established seasons. Common game species are deer, turkey, rabbit, grouse, pheasant and squirrel. Hunting is permitted on adjacent State Game Land 289.

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: 11 miles of trails
A series of hiking trails are suitable for everyone from the casual walker to the experienced hiker. The trails travel around the lake, through wooded areas, old fields, open farmland or rugged terrain. Certain trails are open in winter for cross-country skiing or snowshoeing.

---

Winter Activities

---

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

---

Cross-country Skiing: Some of the park's 11 miles of trails are good for cross-country skiing and snowshoeing.

---

Snowmobiling: Registered snowmobiles may use the nine miles of designated trails. Snowmobiles may be operated on designated trails and roads from the day following the last deer season in December until April 1, weather permitting.

---

Ice Fishing: The 75-acre Stephen Foster Lake provides habitat for perch, bass, bluegill and crappie. On the west shore of the lake is an angler's area that features a parking lot and easy access to the lake for shore fishing. Ice fishing is permitted. For your safety, be sure the ice is at least four inches thick and carry safety equipment. All Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission seasons, rules and regulations apply.

---

Ice Skating: Ice skating is permitted on the natural ice of the lake dependent upon ice conditions. Ice thickness is monitored at the fishing area and at the boat launch.

---

Environmental Education and Interpretation

---

The park environmental interpretive center houses artifacts and displays linking us with our past. You can learn about early farm life and the wildlife around us. A walk through the butterfly garden enables the visitor to catch a close glimpse of our area’s “flying flowers.”

The park offers a variety of interpretive programs for the general public. Visitors can enjoy guided nature walks, night hikes and programs on various environmental topics, including bears, snakes and owls. During the summer months, youth ages 4 to 13 are invited to participate in DiscoverE day camps, including Hide ‘n Seekers, Outdoor Explorers and Penn’s Adventurers.

In the spring and fall, programming shifts from interpretation for the general public to environmental education for school groups. The park serves as an outdoor classroom for area schools. Students participate in hands-on environmental education activities to further their awareness and understanding of the natural world. Reservations must be made in advance.

For additional information on any programs provided by Mt. Pisgah State Park, contact 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

---

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

 

The land that became Mt. Pisgah State Park was first cleared for farmland in the early 1800s. Many of the early settlers came from New England and their descendants still reside in the area. These hearty pioneers cleared the old growth pine and hardwood trees and stacked the stumps in fence rows, which still border the old fields. The environmental interpretive center is dedicated to those early settlers who helped form our country.

The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania obtained the land in 1969 with funds from Project 70, a state bond issue. Facilities were developed through Project 500, another state bond issue, and a grant from the Federal Land and Water Conservation Fund. Stephen Foster Dam was completed in 1977. Mt Pisgah State Park 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.
   

Volunteers Needed

Volunteering your time and skills to enhance the park can be a rewarding experience. Past volunteers have built, erected and monitored bluebird boxes. Thanks to their efforts hundreds of bluebirds have been fledged. Volunteers can present environmental interpretive programs, plant or trim park flowers and shrubs, help with park maintenance or assist in a variety of other areas. If you have skills and talents you would like to offer, please contact the park office.

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.

Mount Pisgah State Park

Nearby Attractions

Information on nearby attractions is available from the Endless Mountains Visitors Bureau. www.endlessmountains.org

Mt. Pisgah County Park features picnicking, hiking, hunting and scenic vistas.

The Old Methodist Church and cemetery is along Steam Hollow Road two miles from the park. The church was built in the early 1800s and is one of the oldest churches in this area.

This area is rich in American Indian history, and excellent American Indian lore and exhibits can be found at the Bradford County Museum in Towanda, and the Tioga Point Museum in Athens. Both museums feature a wealth of local history.

The Bradford County Farm Museum is in Troy, on PA 14 north. The museum’s numerous and varied exhibits capture and keep alive the traditions of country life in grandfather’s day. Over a thousand artifacts will educate younger visitors and spark recollections for the older guests.

State Game Land 289, 1,126 acres, is open for public hunting, hiking, birding and nature study. Please respect posted rules and regulations.

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

Mount Pisgah State Park Map (.pdf) (2,181 kb, 6/13) 
Mount Pisgah State Park Recreational Guide (.pdf) (364 kb, 4/13)
    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.