Laurel Summit State Park facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Laurel Summit State Park |
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Wolf Rock Loop
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 Laurel Summit State Park
Location in Pennsylvania
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| Location | Cook, Westmoreland, Pennsylvania, United States |
| Area | 6 acres (2.4 ha) |
| Elevation | 2,674 ft (815 m) |
| Established | 1964 |
| Governing body | Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources |
| Website | Laurel Summit State Park |
Laurel Summit State Park is a small but beautiful Pennsylvania state park. It is located in Cook Township, Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania. The park is about 6 acres (2.4 hectares) in size. It is a popular spot for picnics and offers a lovely view of Linn Run.
The park sits high up on the summit of Laurel Mountain. Because of its high elevation, about 2,739 feet (835 meters) above sea level, the temperatures here are usually cooler. This makes it a great place to visit, especially on hot days.
A Forest Reborn: From Logging to Green Space
A long time ago, the area around Laurel Summit State Park was covered with huge, very old trees. These were called "old-growth forests." But in the late 1800s and early 1900s, many lumberjacks came to cut down these trees. They cleared almost all the forests to get wood.
The wood was used for many things. Large logs became lumber for building. Smaller logs were used to support the tunnels in coal mines. The bark from hemlock trees was used to make tannin, which helped turn animal hides into leather.
After the lumberjacks left, they often left behind tree tops and branches. These dried out and could easily catch fire. Steam locomotives passing by sometimes caused huge wildfires that swept through the mountains. In 1909, a forester named John R. Williams reported that most of the land had burned. These fires damaged the young trees trying to grow back. You can still see signs of these old fires in the area today.
The good news is that the land was bought by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Since then, the area has slowly grown back into a healthy "second growth forest." This means new trees have grown where the old ones were cut down.
Wildlife Returns
The destruction of the forests and too much hunting caused many animals to disappear from the area. Their habitats were destroyed. To help bring back the animals, White-tailed deer were brought from Michigan and New York. These deer were released all over Pennsylvania starting around 1910. The deer you see in Pennsylvania today are descendants of those original deer.
Nearby State Parks
If you enjoy Laurel Summit State Park, there are many other state parks nearby to explore. The following state parks are within 30 miles (48 km) of Laurel Summit State Park:
- Keystone State Park (Westmoreland County)
- Kooser State Park (Somerset County)
- Laurel Mountain State Park (Westmoreland County)
- Laurel Hill State Park (Somerset County)
- Laurel Ridge State Park (Cambria, Fayette, Somerset, and Westmoreland counties)
- Linn Run State Park (Westmoreland County)
- Ohiopyle State Park (Fayette County)
- Shawnee State Park (Bedford County)
- Yellow Creek State Park (Indiana County)
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See also
In Spanish: Parque estatal Laurel Summit para niños
