Pennsylvania's state park system began in 1893 with the establishment of the first state park at Valley Forge. In the early years, the park system concentrated on preserving and protecting rare, scenic, historic and natural areas. Today, Pennsylvania has one of the nation's largest state park systems, with 116 outdoor recreational areas, more than 277,000 acres of property, 660 full-time employees and more than 1,600 part-time employees. Yearly, the Pennsylvania state park system serves an estimated 27 million visitors.
Many traditional facilities and resources serve as the backbone of the park system. Pennsylvania state parks offer more than 7,000 family campsites in 50 parks, 286 cabins, nearly 30,000 picnic tables, 56 major recreational lakes, 10 marinas, 61 beaches for swimming, 17 swimming pools, more than 1,000 miles of trails and much more.
Information on each of Pennsylvania's State Parks is available at the Department of Natural Resources web site at www.dcnr.state.pa.us/stateparks/spintro.htm. This excellent site provides park descriptions, reservation information, activities and facilities, history, current weather conditions, nearby attractions and more.
Here's a list of state parks in the (570) Area Code. For a full state listing, pick up the FYI Edition from the Press Enterprise.