Milton State Park

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Milton State Park
Pennsylvania State Park
Natural Monument (IUCN III)
Soccer fields, picnic tables, and the Pennsylvania Route 642 Bridge on Milton State Park
Named for: Milton, Pennsylvania
Country	United States
State	Pennsylvania
County	Northumberland
Borough	Milton
Location	^[1]
- coordinates	41°01′15″N 76°51′41″W / 41.02083°N 76.86139°W / 41.02083; -76.86139Coordinates: 41°01′15″N 76°51′41″W / 41.02083°N 76.86139°W / 41.02083; -76.86139
- elevation	453 ft (138 m) ^[1]
Area	82 acres (33 ha)
Founded	1966
Managed by	Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources
Location of Milton State Park in Pennsylvania
Website : Milton State Park

Milton State Park is an 82 acres (33 ha) Pennsylvania state park in Milton in Northumberland County, Pennsylvania in the United States. The park is on Montgomery Island in the West Branch Susquehanna River, just east of the village of West Milton in Union County. Milton State Park is on Pennsylvania Route 642.

History

The recorded history of Milton State Park begins in 1762 when Marcus Huling Jr. made a claim on the island in the West Branch Susquehanna River. Huling planted an apple orchard on what was to become known as Montgomery Island.^[2]

Ownership of the island eventually transferred to the Straub Family. The Straubs built a dam across part of the river in 1824. The Straubs ran a sawmill and gristmill on the island and built a bridge between the island to the banks of the West Branch Susquehanna River.^[2] In time, the mills closed and the land was used for farming. The island was no longer used for farming by the early 1900s.^[2]

Over the next 60 years the island was divided among several owners and used as a picnic ground with several athletic fields. The Milton Rotary Club and the Borough of Milton worked together to consolidate the deeds and transferred ownership of Montgomery Island to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in 1966.^[2]

Hurricane Agnes wiped out the newly created Milton State Park in 1972. The island and much of Pennsylvania in the Susquehanna River watershed was flooded extensively by the hurricane. The park was eventually rebuilt with federal disaster relief funds.^[2]

Nature

A late summer afternoon at the park

Milton State Park is within sight of downtown Milton, Pennsylvania. This does not mean that it lacks for natural beauty. The island is surrounded by the waters of the West Branch Susquehanna River and the southern part of the island is not developed. It is covered in a forest of river birch, silver maple and sycamore trees. Milton State Park is a haven for migrating birds and waterfowl.^[2]

Recreation

There are several soccer and softball fields that are used by the residents of West Milton and Milton for recreational and church league events. Montgomery Island is stopping point for those exploring the river in canoes and kayaks. Milton State Park is handy to the fisherman interested in taking a short trip from Milton or West Milton for a day of fishing for catfish, panfish, bass, northern pike and muskellunge. There is 1 mile (1.6 km) of hiking trail on the northern side of the park.^[2]

The northern side of the park has ample picnic facilities. Families will find many picnic tables and charcoal grills for their use. There also is access to fresh drinking water and restroom facilities.^[2]

Nearby state parks

Much of Milton State Park is not developed.

The following state parks are within 30 miles (48 km) of Milton State Park:^[3]^[4]^[5]

McCalls Dam State Park (Centre County)
Ravensburg State Park (Clinton County)
R. B. Winter State Park (Union County))
Sand Bridge State Park (Union County)
Shikellamy State Park (Union and Northumberland Counties)
Susquehanna State Park (Lycoming County)

References

↑ 1.0 1.1 "Milton State Park". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey. August 30, 1990. Retrieved 2008-06-15.
↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 "Milton State Park". Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. Retrieved 2006-10-18.
↑ "Find a Park by Region (interactive map)". Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. Retrieved November 18, 2011.
↑ Michels, Chris (1997). "Latitude/Longitude Distance Calculation". Northern Arizona University. Retrieved 2008-04-23.
↑ Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, Bureau of Planning and Research, Geographic Information Division (PDF). "2007 General Highway Map Montour County and Northumberland County Pennsylvania" (Map). 1:65,000. ftp://ftp.dot.state.pa.us/public/pdf/BPR_pdf_files/Maps/GHS/Roadnames/northumberland_montour_GHSN.PDF. Retrieved 2007-07-28.Note: shows Milton State Park

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Milton State Park.

Milton State Park official map PDF (114.5 KB)

Protected areas of Pennsylvania

Federal

NPS National Historical Parks & Sites:	Allegheny Portage Railroad NHS Edgar Allan Poe NHS Eisenhower NHS Friendship Hill NHS Gloria Dei (Old Swedes') Church NHS Hopewell Furnace NHS Independence NHP Steamtown NHS Valley Forge NHP

National Memorials:	Benjamin Franklin Flight 93 Johnstown Flood Thaddeus Kosciuszko

National Battlefields and National Military Parks:	Fort Necessity NB Gettysburg NMP

National Trails:	Appalachian Trail

Other Protected Areas:	Allegheny National Recreation Area Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area Middle Delaware National Scenic River Upper Delaware Scenic and Recreational River

National Forests	Allegheny

USFS National Historic Sites	Grey Towers

National Wildlife Refuges:	Cherry Valley Erie John Heinz Ohio River Islands

State

State Parks	Allegheny Islands Archbald Pothole Bald Eagle Beltzville Bendigo Benjamin Rush Big Pocono Big Spring Black Moshannon Blue Knob Boyd Big Tree Buchanan's Birthplace Bucktail Caledonia Canoe Creek Chapman Cherry Springs Clear Creek Codorus Colonel Denning Colton Point Cook Forest Cowans Gap Delaware Canal Denton Hill Elk Erie Bluffs Evansburg Fort Washington Fowlers Hollow Frances Slocum French Creek Gifford Pinchot Gouldsboro Greenwood Furnace Hickory Run Hillman Hills Creek Hyner Run Hyner View Jacobsburg Jennings Joseph E. Ibberson Kettle Creek Keystone Kings Gap Kinzua Bridge Kooser Lackawanna Laurel Hill Laurel Mountain Laurel Ridge Laurel Summit Lehigh Gorge Leonard Harrison Linn Run Little Buffalo Little Pine Locust Lake Lyman Run Marsh Creek Maurice K. Goddard McCalls Dam McConnells Mill Memorial Lake Milton Mont Alto Moraine Mt. Pisgah Nescopeck Neshaminy Nockamixon Nolde Forest Norristown Farm Ohiopyle Oil Creek Ole Bull Parker Dam Patterson Penn-Roosevelt Pine Grove Furnace Poe Paddy Poe Valley Point Presque Isle Prince Gallitzin Promised Land Prompton Prouty Place Pymatuning R. B. Winter Raccoon Creek Ralph Stover Ravensburg Reeds Gap Ricketts Glen Ridley Creek Ryerson Station S. B. Elliott Salt Springs Samuel S. Lewis Sand Bridge Shawnee Shikellamy Sinnemahoning Sizerville Susquehanna Susquehannock Swatara Tobyhanna Trough Creek Tuscarora Tyler Upper Pine Bottom Varden Warriors Path Whipple Dam White Clay Creek Worlds End Yellow Creek

State Forests	Bald Eagle Buchanan Clear Creek Cornplanter Delaware Elk Forbes Gallitzin Lackawanna Loyalsock Michaux Moshannon Rothrock Sproul Susquehannock Tiadaghton Tioga Tuscarora Weiser William Penn (Wild areas)

Scenic Rivers	Bear Run French Creek Lehigh River LeTort Spring Run Lick Run Lower Brandywine Octoraro Creek Pine Creek Schuylkill River Stony Creek Tucquan Creek Tulpehocken Creek Yellow Breeches Creek

Other

Other	Anders Run Natural Area Forrest H. Duttlinger Natural Area Hawk Mountain Sanctuary Hoverter and Sholl Box Huckleberry Natural Area Johnson Run Natural Area Stone Valley Recreation Area Wykoff Run Natural Area

Hiking Trails	Appalachian Baker Black Forest Central Mountains Shared Use Trails System Darlington Eastern Continental Five Star Glacier Ridge Great Eastern Greene River Horse Shoe Indian Creek Valley Loyalsock Mid State Standing Stone Mason-Dixon North Country Ohio River Old Loggers Path Pinchot Trail System Potomac Heritage Quehanna Trail System Rachel Carson Sheepskin Susquehannock Trail System Thunder Swamp Trail System Tuscarora Valley Forge Historical West Rim Wissahickon Youghiogheny River

Rail Trails	Abandoned Pennsylvania Turnpike Beaver River East Coast Greenway Five Star Ghost Town Great Allegheny Passage Great Shamokin Path Greene River Indian Creek Valley Lehigh Gorge Liberty Bell Lower Montour Ohio River Palmer Bikeway Panhandle Perkiomen Pine Creek Plainfield Township Schuylkill River Sheepskin Struble Switchback Three Rivers Heritage York Country Heritage Youghiogheny River

Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources

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