S.B. Elliott State Park
The 318-acre S.B. Elliott State Park is in the heart of Moshannon State Forest. This entirely wooded park offers picturesque areas of swamp meadows and forest of typical second growth mixed hardwood and oak timber. |
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Directions - Weather - Recreation - Winter Report - Accessibility - History - Calendar of Events - Nearby Attractions - Volunteers - Rules and Regs - In an Emergency - Contact Us - Downloadables and Maps
Park Advisories
| 12/22/2009 2:26:00 PM | The following roads around S.B. Elliott State Park have been closed to snowmobile traffic due to high truck traffic from nearby gas well sites:
Four Mile Road
McGeorge Road from the intersection with Four Mile Road to the intersection with Tyler Road. |
| 1/14/2009 9:45:00 AM | Starting January 19th, 2009, a Timber Harvest Operation will be occurring on Hobo Hill near S.B. Elliott State Park. Logging Trucks will be using the main park road (Old Kennedy Road a.k.a. Old Route 153 road) to exit the timber site. For patron safety please watch out for these vehicles. The sale will continue through 2011. |
| 8/5/2008 9:16:00 AM | Firewood Advisory: Invasive Beetles found in Firewood Threaten Forests! Before bringing firewood to a Pennsylvania State Park, please read the information in the linked page about a very real threat to forests in Pennsylvania and all of North America. Firewood Advisory |
Directions
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S.B. Elliott State Park is in Clearfield County off PA 153 just north of Exit 111 of I-80, nine miles north of the community of Clearfield. |
Recreational Opportunities
Hiking - Picnicking - Fishing - Hunting - Cross-country Skiing - Snowmobiling - Cabins - Camping
Fishing: Fishing in small mountain streams surrounding the park offers sport for those who like to walk and fish in uncrowded streams for native and stocked trout.
For complete information on fishing rules and regulations in Pennsylvania, visit the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission Web site.
Hiking: 3 miles of trails
Hiking trails take visitors to various places on the mountaintop while backpack hikers can get on the Quehanna Trail by way of the Central Pennsylvania Lumber Company Trail. The Quehanna Trail System offers over 75 miles of hiking and backpacking. Hikers can go for up to seven overnights without retracing steps by using the northern and southern loops and connecting trails. This trail also connects on to the Susquehannock Trail System above the community of Sinnemahoning.
Picnicking: Picnicking amidst towering pine and oak trees is a treat for the whole family. The park offers ample parking, tables, three reservable picnic pavilions, drinking water and non-flush restrooms. 
Make a reservation |
Camping: rustic sites
A 25-site camping area, across from the log cabin park office, offers modern restrooms but no showers and a sanitary dump station. The maximum stay in this area is 14 days during the summer season and 21 days in spring and fall. The restroom and site seven are ADA accessible. The campground is open from the second Friday in April to early October. All sites are first-come, first-served.
Explore the campground map.
Explore camping for more information.
Free Camping for Campground Hosts: one host position in the campgroundThe campground host site has amenities including electric service. The host is required to assist park personnel for 40 hours per week with a two-week minimum stay. The host’s responsibilities will be as follows:
- Provide on site contact with campers during the time the park office is closed.
- Litter pick up around restrooms, play areas and throughout the campground.
- Check all restrooms prior to retiring for the night, stock toilet paper, report any problems.
- Maintain campsite markers so they are straight and have a place to display permit.
- Collect fees for pets, extra car parking, showers, and camping as required.
- Notify Park Ranger/Manager/911 in case of emergency at the park by phone or radio.
Contact the park office for additional information and availability.
Cabins: Six rustic cabins, of CCC origin, are available for rent. Minimal furnishings include: single bunk beds, chairs, table, a gas stove, refrigerator, gas heaters, electric lights and fireplace. The cabins are open from the second Friday in April to late December.
Explore the cabin map.
Explore cabins for more information.
Make a reservation
Hunting and Firearms: About 234 acres are open to hunting, trapping and the training of dogs during established seasons. Common game species are deer, turkey, rabbit, pheasant and squirrel. Thousands of acres of surrounding Moshannon State Forest are open for hunting.
Hunting woodchucks, also known as groundhogs, is prohibited. Dog training is only permitted from the day following Labor Day to 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.
For complete information on hunting rules and regulations in Pennsylvania, visit the Pennsylvania Game Commission Web site.
Winter Activities
Explore the Winter Report for current snow and ice depths.
Cross-country Skiing: Ski on more than four miles of easy to moderate roads and trails.
Snowmobiling: During the winter months, the main parking lot is plowed to allow registered snowmobiles to unload and operate on the roads and trails in the Moshannon State Forest. A map of the roads and trails open to snowmobiling is available at the Parker Damn park office. Snowmobiles may be operated on designated trails and roads from the day following the last deer season in December until April 1, weather permitting.
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.
History
This mountaintop was once covered in giant white pine and hemlock trees. At the turn of the century, the Central Pennsylvania Lumber Company and the Goodyear Lumber Company built railroads and roads to harvest the timber.
This logging devastated the area, entirely wiping out the magnificent stands of pine and hemlock. The logging companies swiftly departed, allowing the forests to regrow. The devastated land was eventually sold to the Commonwealth, usually at tax sales. This accumulation of land eventually became Moshannon State Forest.
Now about a century later, many of the logging roads and railroad grades can be seen in the maturing stands of oak and maple.
The Honorable Simon B. Elliott was a member of the Pennsylvania Legislature and a member of the old State Forestry Reservation Commission, a precursor to the Department of Forestry. This early conservationist promoted the idea of creating a nursery to raise trees for planting in the surrounding area.
In 1911, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania established the Clearfield Forest Tree Nursery in a mountain pasture atop Penfield Mountain. This nursery was later renamed for District Forester William F. Dague who was in charge of its operation from its start in 1911 until 1947. The Dague Nursery closed in 1978, but its buildings and facilities are still in use as the Moshannon State Forest maintenance headquarters and the seed orchards still supply seeds for the other state nurseries.
In 1933, the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) established Camp S-116 on land along the edge of the nursery and built the cabins, pavilions, roads, trails and many of the other buildings that exist today in the park.
In that same year, 1933, the former Department of Forests and Waters erected a plaque dedicating Simon B. Elliott State Park. The plaque is on a stone in the pines along the northern edge of the park.
For more information on the CCC, explore the Civilian Conservation Corps Online Archive.
Nearby Services and Attractions
Services available in towns surrounding the park include grocery stores, restaurants, mechanics, gasoline stations, post office and car wash in Penfield, nine miles north; Clearfield offers these services in addition to shopping centers and a hospital nine miles south. For additional information, please contact the Northwest Pennsylvania’s Great Outdoors Visitors Bureau, www.pagreatoutdoors.com.
Parker Dam State Park: A leisurely 15-minute drive will take visitors to nearby Parker Dam State Park. The park offers beach swimming, camping, year-round cabins, nature programs, boating and many other activities.
Moshannon State Forest: For detailed information contact the Moshannon State Forest, 814-765-0821.
In an Emergency
Contact a park employee or dial 911.
For directions to the nearest hospital, look on bulletin boards or at the park office.
Nearest Hospital:
Clearfield Hospital
809 Turnpike Avenue
Clearfield PA, 16830
814-765-5341
For More Information Contact
S. B. Elliott State Park
c/o Parker Dam
Penfield, PA, PA 15849-9799
814-765-0630
Manager: Beth Grove
E-mail: parkerdamsp@state.pa.us
An equal opportunity employer
Make online reservations or call toll-free 888-PA-PARKS, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday to Saturday, for state park information and reservations.
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