Nockamixon State Park

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Nockamixon State Park
Pennsylvania State Park
Natural Monument (IUCN III)
A scene from Nockamixon State Park
Country	United States
State	Pennsylvania
County	Bucks
Townships	Bedminster, Haycock
Location	^[1]
- coordinates	40°25′15″N 75°15′42″W / 40.42083°N 75.26167°W / 40.42083; -75.26167Coordinates: 40°25′15″N 75°15′42″W / 40.42083°N 75.26167°W / 40.42083; -75.26167
- elevation	440 ft (134 m) ^[1]
Area	5,283 acres (2,138 ha)
Founded	1973
Managed by	Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources
Location of Nockamixon State Park in Pennsylvania
Website : Nockamixon State Park

A view of the lake near the boat rentals

Nockamixon State Park is a Pennsylvania state park on 5,283 acres (2,138 ha) in Bedminster and Haycock Townships in northern Bucks County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. The park is one of the most popular in southeastern Pennsylvania, with most tourists visiting in the summer months.

Lake Nockamixon

Lake Nockamixon is an artificial reservoir formed by a dam on Tohickon Creek and serves as the centerpiece of Nockamixon State Park. Swimming is not allowed in the lake, but boating is popular, and the park maintains several marinas and boat rentals. Fishing is also popular, and common species include walleye, pickerel, carp, and various kinds of bass and catfish. The water is clean and blue and has a very faint current, since the lake is part of the course of Tohickon Creek, which feeds in midway along the northwestern edge of the lake and discharges at the dam at the southeast corner. Lake Nockamixon is also fed by two other creeks known as Haycock Run, which feeds in at the northernmost point, and Three Mile Run, which feeds in at the southernmost point.

In the winter, the water generally freezes over, allowing for ice skating and ice fishing.^[2]

Visitors to the lake can stay in one of several cabins or at a nearby youth hostel.^[2]

Another recreational activity at the park is whitewater kayaking. Every June and November, if high water conditions exist, there are timed water releases from the dam for one day. This turns all of Tohickon Creek south of the lake into a whitewater course, and kayakers can go all the way from the lake to where the creek meets the Delaware River.^[2]

Hunting

Hunting is permitted at Nockamixon State Park on about 3,000 acres (1,200 ha). Hunters are expected to follow the rules and regulations of the Pennsylvania Game Commission. The common game species are squirrels, turkey, pheasant, and white-tailed deer. The hunting of groundhogs is prohibited. Hunters are limited to using shotguns at the park as per the regulations established by the Game Commission for southeastern Pennsylvania.^[2]

Tohickon Creek flowing out the dam forming Lake Nockamixon

Swimming

The swimming pool is open daily from 11:00 am until 7:00 pm beginning Memorial Day weekend and ending Labor Day weekend. The pool is operated by a private company and there is an admission fee. The pool is 0.5 acres (0.20 ha) in size and features slides, fountains, and a children's area.^[2]

History

Creation of the lake was first proposed by the Secretary of the Department of Forests and Water, Dr. Maurice K. Goddard, for recreational uses. It was originally to be called Tohickon Lake, after the creek, but its name was later changed to Nockamixon, meaning "place of soft soil" in the Lenape language. The park today contains several historic Native American sites.^[2]

Following its proposal in 1958, the dam was built by the Pennsylvania Department of Forests and Waters. The state park was opened to the public in December 1973.^[2]

Hostel

The Weisel Hostel, a 100 year old country estate in the park, is maintained by Hostelling International USA as a 18 bed youth hostel.^[3]

Nearby state parks

The following state parks are within 30 miles (48 km) of Nockamixon State Park:^[4]^[5]^[6]

Benjamin Rush State Park (Philadelphia County)
Bull's Island Recreation Area (New Jersey)
Delaware and Raritan Canal State Park (New Jersey)
Delaware Canal State Park (Bucks and Northampton Counties)
Evansburg State Park (Montgomery County)
Fort Washington State Park (Montgomery County)
Jacobsburg Environmental Education Center (Northampton County)
Neshaminy State Park (Bucks County)
Norristown Farm Park (Montgomery County)
Spruce Run State Park (New Jersey)
Ralph Stover State Park (Bucks County)
Round Valley State Park (New Jersey)
Tyler State Park (Bucks County)
Voorhees State Park (New Jersey)
Washington Crossing State Park (New Jersey)

References

↑ 1.0 1.1 "Nockamixon State Park". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey. August 30, 1990. Retrieved 2008-06-17.
↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 "Nockamixon State Park". Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. Retrieved 2006-11-16.
↑ http://www.hiusa.org/hostels/usa_hostels/pennsylvania/quakertown/60113
↑ "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. "2007 General Highway Map Bucks County Pennsylvania" (Map). 1:65,000. ftp://ftp.dot.state.pa.us/public/pdf/BPR_pdf_files/Maps/GHS/Roadnames/bucks_GHSN.PDF. Retrieved 2006-07-27. Note: shows Nockamixon State Park

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Nockamixon State Park.

Nockamixon State Park official map PDF (497.7 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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