McCormick Island facts for kids
 McCormick Island
Location in Pennsylvania
Location of McCormick Island within Pennsylvania
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| Geography | |
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| Location | Susquehanna River |
| Coordinates | 40°18′27″N 76°54′26″W / 40.30750°N 76.90722°W |
| Highest elevation | 315 ft (96 m) |
| Administration | |
 United States |
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| State |  Pennsylvania |
| County | Dauphin |
| City | Harrisburg |
McCormick Island is a 100-acre island located in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. It is one of the larger islands that make up the Sheets Island group in the Susquehanna River. Other nearby islands include Sheets Island and Governor’s Mansion Island. You can see McCormick Island from many places in Harrisburg, especially from south of the I-81 bridge. It is also close to Wade Island, which is another important spot for migrating birds. Wade Island is protected, so people are not allowed to visit it. McCormick Island is a great place for people who love to watch birds.
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Island History and Ancient Finds
Like most islands in the Susquehanna River, McCormick Island is made of many layers of soil and rock. These layers were built up over thousands of years by floods. About 8,000 years ago, Paleo-Indians used this island as a place to stay during certain seasons. When floods happened, they covered up the old remains left by these early people.
This means McCormick Island has many layers of history. Each layer holds artifacts from different societies that lived there long ago. Scientists have found stone tools, cooking areas, pottery, beads, and metal objects. They have also found signs of old wooden posts or poles. Today, McCormick Island is a large, protected archaeological site for Native American history.
Who Owns McCormick Island?
On August 15, 2007, the Central Pennsylvania Conservancy (CPC) bought McCormick Island. They paid over $125,000 to the City of Harrisburg. The main reason for buying the island was to protect it. They wanted to save important habitats for birds that are almost endangered.
McCormick Island is still open for everyone to visit. It has walking trails, picnic spots, and places for camping. You can also enjoy river activities like fishing, boating, canoeing, and jet skiing. There are strict rules about trash and waste to help keep the island clean and prevent pollution.
Amazing Animals of McCormick Island
McCormick Island is a very important place for birds. Thousands of waterfowl, like the common loon and red-breasted merganser, visit during their migration season. It also has the most wading birds in Pennsylvania during breeding season. These include the great egret and different kinds of night-herons.
The island is a key breeding spot for the black-crowned night-heron. This bird is considered "at-risk" in Pennsylvania. Because of its importance, McCormick Island is called an Important Bird Area (IBA) by The National Audubon Society. It's important not to disturb the island, as it could harm the birds' homes.
McCormick Island is a great home for birds because it has:
- Forests with wetlands
- Shallow areas for finding food
- Open water
Some of the main birds you might see on McCormick Island are:
- Great blue heron
- Green back heron
- Black-crown night heron
- Egrets
- Bald eagle
Besides birds, other animals live on the island too. These include river otters, beavers, muskrats, and snapping turtles. You might also see yellow-bellied slider turtles, map turtles, and water snakes. American toads are also very common on the island.
Plants and Trees on the Island
McCormick Island and the islands around it are mostly covered in deciduous forests. This means the trees lose their leaves in the fall. The main trees you'll find are river birch, sycamore, silver maple, and tulip poplar. You might also see poison ivy, so be careful!
Several special plant species that are important to Pennsylvania also grow on the island. These include aster-like boltonia, flat-leaved pondweed, umbrella magnolia, blue-eyed grass, and umbrella flatsedge.
