Gifford Pinchot State Park
A trail in Gifford Pinchot State Park
Map showing the location of Gifford Pinchot State Park
Map showing the location of Gifford Pinchot State Park
Location of Gifford Pinchot State Park in Pennsylvania
Map showing the location of Gifford Pinchot State Park
Map showing the location of Gifford Pinchot State Park
Gifford Pinchot State Park (the United States)
LocationWarrington Township, Pennsylvania, York, Pennsylvania, United States
Coordinates40°04′18″N 76°53′16″W / 40.07167°N 76.88778°W / 40.07167; -76.88778
Area2,338 acres (9.46 km2)
Elevation492 ft (150 m)
Established1961[1]
Named forGifford Pinchot
Governing bodyPennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources
WebsiteGifford Pinchot State Park

Gifford Pinchot State Park is a 2,338-acre (946 ha) Pennsylvania state park in northern York County, Pennsylvania, in the United States.

It was named in honor of noted conservationist and former Pennsylvania Governor Gifford Pinchot.[2] The fourth chief of the United States Division of Forestry, Pinchot was susbsequently appointed as the first head of the United States Forest Service.

Ground was broken for the new park by Pennsylvania Governor George M. Leader in May 1958,[3] and a preliminary dedication ceremony was held on grounds of the new park in October 1958, during which Leader was presented with a commemorative plaque in memory of Pinchot by the Pennsylvania Forestry Association.[4] The park officially opened to the public on Friday, May 26, 1961.[5][6]

History

Planned as a new state facility during the 1950s, ground was broken for the state park in mid-May 1958 by Pennsylvania Governor George M. Leader. At the time, Leader said of Pinchot:[7]

"As a Pennsylvanian, I am proud that we have named this Park the Gifford Pinchot State Park, as a tribute to one of Pennsylvania's greatest governors.

Although Pinchot is frequently remembered in Pennsylvania as the man who promised 'to get the farmer out of the mud' and kept that promise, he is probably most famous for his work in conservation. Theodore Roosevelt once said 'Gifford Pinchot is the man to whom the nation owes most for what had been accomplished regards the preservation of the natural resources of our country.'

As he served his nation, so he served his state."

Additional land for the park was then subsequently acquired during the summer of 1958.[8] Leader then presided over a preliminary dedication of park grounds when he accepted a commemorative plaque, which paid tribute to Pinchot, from the Pennsylvania Forestry Association in mid-October of that same year.[9]

The park officially opened to the public in York County on Friday, May 26, 1961. Visitors were initially able to eat and socialize in the 2,300-acre park's picnic areas, as well as boat and swim in the park's three-mile-long lake, but were not yet able to camp or fish because campground areas were still under construction and the lake had not yet been stocked with fish fry by the Pennsylvania Fish Commission.[10][11]

A new toboggan slide was installed during the winter of 1963.[12]

In 1968, three hundred and fifty new camping sites for tents and trailers were added at a cost of $626,591. An old stone farmhouse was razed, and a new registration structure, seven washhouses and a series of new roads were also built as part of the project, and new water and sewer lines were installed.[13]

A new series of nature education programs for children and adults was launched in the spring of 1969.[14]

In 1980, the National Handicapped Camp-O-Thon was held at Gifford Pinchot State Park from August 13 to 17. Hosted by the Bureau of State Parks and the Pennsylvania Recreation and Park Society, Inc., the event was supported by a grant from the Pennsylvania Developmental Disabilities Planning Council, which funded accessibility modifications to buildings and the provision of medical services and program supplies to enable children and adults with disabilities to participate more fully in using the park.[15]

State park officials also added cross-country skiing as a winter amenity in 1980.[16] Birdwatching had also become a popular pursuit at the park by this time.[17]

Amenities

The park is located on the site of farm fields and wooded hillsides. The central 340-acre (140 ha) Pinchot Lake is an important recreation site featuring a designated swim area on an artificial beach, boat launch with rentals and tours, and prime bass fishing. Surrounding the lake are campsites that accommodate tents and trailers, as well as yurts and cabins. Two 18-hole disc golf courses and volleyball courts are nearby the picnic areas for day use. There are several trails that pass through the park, including the Mason-Dixon Trail. Environmental education programs are provided at the park and a dedicated Environmental Learning Center is open on weekends in the summer for exhibit visitors. Additionally, an electric vehicle charging station has been installed for guests.[18]

References

  1. ↑ "History of Gifford Pinchot State Park". Pennsylvania Department of Conservation & Natural Resources. Retrieved February 8, 2022.
  2. ↑ Whipkey, Brian. "Camping, hiking and fishing await at Gifford Pinchot State Park." York, Pennsylvania: York Daily Record, May 18, 2022.
  3. ↑ "Weekly Report from Governor Leader." York, Pennsylvania: York Daily Record, May 20, 1958, p. 7 (subscription required).
  4. ↑ "Leader Dedicates Pinchot Plaque." Lancaster, Pennsylvania: Sunday News, October 12, 1958, front page (subscription required).
  5. ↑ "New Gifford Pinchot State Park in York County Opens Friday." Lancaster, Pennsylvania: Intelligencer Journal, May 25, 1961, p. 32 (subscription required).
  6. ↑ "Gifford Pinchot State Park Is Opened." Milford, Pennsylvania: Pike County Dispatch, June 15, 1961, p. 7 (subscription required).
  7. ↑ "Weekly Report from Governor Leader," York Daily Record, May 20, 1958, p. 7.
  8. ↑ "Acquire More Tracts for New State Park." York, Pennsylvania: The York Dispatch, August 28, 1858, p. 40 (subscription required).
  9. ↑ "Leader Dedicates Pinchot Plaque," Sunday News, October 12, 1958.
  10. ↑ "New Gifford Pinchot State Park in York County Opens Friday," Intelligencer Journal, May 25, 1961.
  11. ↑ "Gifford Pinchot State Park Is Opened, Pike County Dispatch, June 15, 1961.
  12. ↑ "New Toboggan Slide in Use At Gifford Pinchot State Park." Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania: Elizabethtown Chronicle, December 26, 1963, p. 2 (subscription required).
  13. ↑ "Family Camping Area Being Built At Pinchot State Park." Lancaster, Pennsylvania: Sunday News, April 21, 1968, p. 58 (subscription required).
  14. ↑ "Nature Program at Pinchot Park Begins Saturday." Hanover, Pennsylvania: The Evening Sun, April 3, 1969, p. 6 (subscription required).
  15. ↑ "Bureau of State Parks lists event for handicapped." Hazleton, Pennsylvania: Standard-Speaker, July 8, 1980, p. 32 (subscription required).
  16. ↑ Lenton, Garry. "State Parks Gearing Up for X-Country Skiers." Lebanon, Pennsylvania: The Daily News, December 7, 1980, p. 34 (subscription required).
  17. ↑ "3 state parks that are easily reached." Chambersburg, Pennsylvania: Public Opinion, August 1, 1980, p. 140 (subscription required).
  18. ↑ "Gifford Pinchot State Park". Pennsylvania Department of Conservation & Natural Resources. Retrieved May 7, 2021.
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