Shawnee State Park (Pennsylvania)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Shawnee State Park, Pennsylvania, USA | |
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| IUCN Category III (Natural Monument) | |
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| Location: | Bedford County, Pennsylvania, USA |
| Nearest city: | Bedford, Pennsylvania |
| Coordinates: | |
| Area: | 3,983 acres (16.12 km²) |
| Governing body: | Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources |
Shawnee State Park is a 3,983 acres (16.12 km²) Pennsylvania State Park in western Bedford County, Pennsylvania in the United States. Shawnee Lake, a small reservoir, is at the center of the park as its main attraction. The park's northern boundary is located one mile south of the Pennsylvania Route 31 intersection in Schellsburg, and about 10 miles west of the county seat of Bedford.
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[edit] History
Shawnee State Park is named for the Shawnee a Native American tribe that once lived in many parts of Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Kentucky. They were forced from their lands soon after the establishment of the Thirteen Colonies.
The area surrounding Shawnee State Park was used as a trade route and military road during the French and Indian War. General John Forbes built the Forbes Road along what is modern day U.S. Highway 30 to send supplies from the ports in Philadelphia and Baltimore to General Edward Braddock as he tried to capture Fort Duquesne from the French in 1758.
[edit] Staying overnight
[edit] Camping
Shawnee State Park has a 293 site campground. The sites are modern with some electric hook-ups. There is a centrally located bathhouse with flush toilets, hot showers and a sanitary dump station at the campground. The camp store sells fire wood, charcoal and other camping supplies. Camping season begins with trout season in mid-April and ends at the conclusion of deer season in late December.
[edit] Shawnee Lodge
Shawnee Lodge is the former home of John Bowman. Bowman was president and chancellor of the Univsersity of Pittsburgh and was instrumental in the construction of the Cathedral of Learning on Pitt's Oakland Campus in Pittsburgh. Bowman owned the barn, buildings and houses that are now surrounded by Shawnee Lake. The lodge on the island is open for rent year-round. It has a modern kitchen, a bathroom, living room, sitting room and four bedrooms.
[edit] Recreation
Shawnee State Park is open for year round recreation. There are 15 miles (24 km) of trails open for hiking and some are open to biking. Five pavilions are spread throughout the park along with numerous picnic tables.
[edit] Shawnee Lake
Shawnee Lake is a warm water fishery. It is stocked with game fish by the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission. The common fish are walleye, pickerel, smallmouth and largemouth bass, northern pike, muskellunge, catfish, crappie, yellow perch, bluegill, bullhead, sucker and carp. There are three boat launches at Shawnee Lake for electric and non powered boats only. Gas powered boats are prohibited at Shawnee State Park. All boats must have a current registration with any state or a launch permit from the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission. The beach at Shawnee State Park is open daily from Memorial Day weekend until Labor Day weekend. Lifeguards are on duty from 11:00am until 7:00pm.
[edit] Hunting
Hunting is permitted on over 3,000 acres (12.14km) of Shawnee State Park. The hunting of groundhogs is prohibited. Hunters are expected to follow the rules and regulations of the Pennsylvania State Game Commission. The primary game species are squirrels, white-tailed deer, rabbits, and ruffed grouse.
[edit] Nearby state parks
The following state parks are within 30 miles (48 km) of Shawnee State Park:
- Blue Knob State Park (Bedford County)
- Laurel Mountain State Park (Westmoreland County)
- Warriors Path State Park (Bedford County)
[edit] Local points of interest
Local points of interest include the abandoned Story Land amusement park, Gravity Hill, and the ruins of the Ship Hotel high on Allegheny Ridge.
[edit] References
- Shawnee State Park. Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. Retrieved on November 8, 2005.
- United States Geological Survey. Shawnee State Park, USGS Schellsburg (PA) Topo Map. TopoZone. Retrieved on January 9, 2007.
