Swatara State Park

The 3,520-acre Swatara State Park consists of rolling fields and woodlands situated along Interstate 81 between Second and Blue mountains. One of the main focal points is the eight miles of Swatara Creek that winds through the park. Swatara State Park was acquired with capital development funds appropriated by the Pennsylvania General Assembly. A recreation area is planned for the future and will offer canoeing, fishing, hiking, picnicking, bicycling, swimming, camping and environmental education.

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Directions - Weather  - Recreation  - Winter Report  - Accessibility  - History  - Wildlife Watching  - Nearby Attractions  - Volunteers  - Rules and Regs  - In an Emergency  - Contact Us  - Downloadables and Maps

Park Advisories

Directions

Swatara State Park is in Lebanon and Schuylkill counties, 14 miles north of Lebanon and three miles west of Pine Grove. The park is easily reached from I-81: at Exit 90, Lickdale, take PA 72 north; at Exit 100, take PA 443 west.

Recreational Opportunities

Although presently undeveloped, Swatara State Park still provides recreational opportunities.

Trails  - Appalachian Trail  - Biking  - Horseback Riding  - Boating  - Fishing  - Hunting  - Cross-country Skiing  - Wildlife Watching 

Fishing: Spring trout season attracts many anglers to Trout Run, the park’s only stocked, cold water trout fishing stream. There are also a few small streams within the park that boast native populations of brook trout. Warm water fish like smallmouth bass and panfish can be caught in the Swatara Creek. Fishing continues to improve because numerous abandoned mine drainage abatement projects, agricultural best management practices and sewage treatment efforts are improving water quality of the Swatara Creek and its tributaries. Irving’s Pond provides opportunities to catch largemouth bass and panfish. For complete information on fishing rules and regulations in Pennsylvania, visit the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission Web site.

Hunting and Firearms: Most of Swatara State Park is open to hunting, trapping and the training of dogs during established seasons. Common game species are deer, turkey, ruffed grouse, pheasant, rabbit, squirrel and waterfowl, with populations of furbearers including muskrat, raccoon, opossum and fox. Be alert for the 150-yard safety zone surrounding each of the occupied buildings in the park.

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 Com-mission 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.

Boating: non-powered boats only
Swatara Creek is a popular area for canoeing in the spring. There are several locations of easy access to the creek for put-in and take-out of boats.

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. Approved U.S. Coast Guard personal flotation devices (PFD) must be in your boat or worn at all times while boating on state park waters.

For complete information on boating rules and regulations in Pennsylvania, visit the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission Web site.

Appalachian National Scenic Trail: Stretching from Georgia to Maine, this backpacking trail traverses two miles of the southern portion of Swatara State Park.

Explore National Scenic Trails for more information on the Appalachian Trail.

Hiking/Biking Trails: The Swatara Multi-use Trail runs about nine miles from the Lickdale Interchange (Exit 90) of I-81 to the Pine Grove Interchange (Exit 100) of I-81. You may make a 10-mile loop by starting at the Waterville Bridge and using the Swatara Multi-use Trail and Old State Road.

Horseback Riding: Horseback riding is permitted on the right side berm of public roads.

Cross-country Skiing: The Swatara Multi-use Trail is good for skiing with adequate snowfall. Explore the Winter Report for current snow depths.

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.

Natural History

Swatara State Park has a combination of woodland and old fields in various stages of forest succession. The blending of these habitats results in a remarkably wide variety of trees, wildflowers and wildlife.

Bird boxes are maintained for game and non-game species like bluebirds, hawks, wrens and ducks.

Fossil Collecting: The geology of Swatara State Park is predominately sedimentary rocks formed in a shallow ocean during the Middle Devonian Period of the Paleozoic Era, about 375 million years ago.

An Upper Mahantango Formation that contains significant marine fossil beds is exposed at a site along Old State Road and provides excellent opportunities for fossil collectors.

History

The area in and around Swatara State Park is rich in American history. American Indians originally used the land along the Swatara Creek as a transportation route.

After settlement by Europeans in the 1750s, anthracite coal was discovered in the Tremont area. In the 1820s, as the demand for coal rose, a need for better transportation led to the construction of the Union Canal that connected the Schuylkill and Susquehanna rivers. From Lebanon, a branch canal was constructed to Pine Grove through what is now the Swatara State Park. A dam and 672-acre reservoir in the park area supported canal traffic to Pine Grove and supplied water for the Union Canal at Lebanon.

The dam was washed away in the Flood of 1862, destroying the canal and reservoir. The dam was never rebuilt because the railroad soon went into operation on the opposite bank of the Swatara Creek.

Remains of the abandoned railroad bed, five canal locks and the old dam on Old State Road can be found within the park.

The Commonwealth began acquisition of the park in 1971 and was completed in 1987 by the Department of General Services.

Waterville Bridge: This cast iron bridge was built in 1890 to cross the Little Pine Creek in Lycoming County. The bridge design is a lenticular truss (parabolic) and is one of three such bridges still in Pennsylvania. In the 1980s, the bridge was determined to be too narrow for modern use. Instead of being torn down, the bridge was dismantled, repaired, moved and rebuilt across the Swatara Creek to allow hikers on the Appalachian Trail to cross the stream.

Nearby Attractions

For information on local attractions, contact the Pennsylvania’s Capital Region Visitors Bureau, 800-995-0969, www.pacapitalregions.com.

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:
Good Samaritan Hospital
Fourth and Walnut Streets
Lebanon, PA 17042
717-270-7500

For More Information Contact

Swatara State Park
c/o Memorial Lake
Grantville, PA 17028-9682
717-865-6470
Manager: Angel Croll

E-mail: memorialsp@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.