Raccoon Creek State Park facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Raccoon Creek State Park |
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IUCN Category III (Natural Monument)
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A waterfall at Raccoon Creek State Park
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| Location | Beaver, Pennsylvania, United States |
| Area | 7,572 acres (30.64 km2) |
| Elevation | 932 ft (284 m) |
| Established | 1945 |
| Named for | Raccoon Creek |
| Visitors | 530,000 |
| Governing body | Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources |
| Website | Raccoon Creek State Park |
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Raccoon Creek RDA
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One of the cabins in the RDA
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 Location in Pennsylvania
Location in the United States
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| Location | Route 18 in Hanover Township |
| Area | 812 acres (329 ha) |
| Built | 1935 |
| Architect | CCC Camps SP-6 and SP-16 |
| Architectural style | National Park Service Rustic |
| MPS | Emergency Conservation Work (ECW) Architecture in Pennsylvania State Parks: 1933-1942, TR |
| NRHP reference No. | 87000745 |
| Added to NRHP | May 18, 1987 |
Raccoon Creek State Park is a huge park in Pennsylvania, covering about 7,572 acres. It's located in Beaver County, near the city of Pittsburgh. The park is named after Raccoon Creek, which flows through it. You can easily get to the park from major roads like Pennsylvania Route 18 and U.S. Routes 30 and 22.
This park is a fantastic place for outdoor fun! You can go hiking, biking, or even cross-country skiing in winter. There's also a 101-acre lake called Raccoon Lake where you can swim, fish, and go boating. The Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) even named Raccoon Creek State Park one of the "25 Must-See Pennsylvania State Parks."
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Park History: From Resort to Recreation
A Healing Spring Resort
Long ago, Raccoon Creek State Park was home to a special place called Frankfort Mineral Springs. This was a health resort from the Victorian era, built around a natural mineral spring. In the mid-1800s, a man named Edward McGinnis believed the spring water could help people feel better.
He built a resort on a hill, and visitors would walk down steps to reach the springs. It was a very popular spot! The resort had a hotel, a dance hall, a place to keep horses (a livery stable), and many small guest cottages. However, Frankfort Mineral Springs closed down in the early 1900s.
Building the Park During the Great Depression
Raccoon Creek State Park was created during a tough time in history called the Great Depression. It was part of a program called the Recreational Demonstration Area. Many of the park's first buildings were built in 1935 by a group called the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC).
These buildings were designed in a special style called National Park Service Rustic, which uses natural materials to blend with the environment. There are 114 of these historic buildings and structures in the park. They were added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1987. These buildings show how the government tried to help people find work and create public spaces during the Depression.
Growing into a Modern Park
Since its beginnings in the 1930s, Raccoon Creek State Park has grown into one of Pennsylvania's largest state parks. It has a mix of old buildings from the early camp days and newer, modern facilities. Besides places for fun activities, there are also huge areas of untouched nature. You might even recognize some parts of the park, as scenes for the movie The Road were filmed here in 2008!
Discover the Wildflower Reserve
In the eastern part of Raccoon Creek State Park, you'll find the amazing 314-acre Wildflower Reserve. This area has one of the largest varieties of wildflowers in all of western Pennsylvania! More than 700 different kinds of plants have been found here.
Trails wind through different types of natural areas, like forests with oak and hickory trees, pine tree farms, open meadows, and areas along Raccoon Creek that sometimes flood. You can see wildflowers blooming throughout the spring and summer, with the most flowers appearing in late April and August. Because this area is so special and to protect the many wildflower species, you can only hike on the marked trails here.
Park Environment
Raccoon Creek State Park is located in a natural area known as the Appalachian mixed mesophytic forests. This means it has a mix of different types of trees and plants that thrive in this kind of climate.
Fun Activities at the Park
Picnic Areas
The park has about 500 picnic tables spread across five different picnic areas. There are also five covered picnic shelters, called pavilions, that you can rent. If they aren't rented, you can use them on a first-come, first-served basis.
Fishing in Raccoon Lake
Raccoon Lake is open for fishing all year round! You can catch many different kinds of fish here, including bullhead catfish, bluegill, yellow perch, crappie, walleye, muskellunge, and both large and smallmouth bass. The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission also adds brook and rainbow trout to the streams that feed the lake, so you might find them in the lake too.
Hunting Opportunities
If you enjoy hunting, over 5,000 acres of Raccoon Creek State Park are open for it. Hunters must follow the rules set by the Pennsylvania Game Commission. Common animals to hunt include ruffed grouse, squirrels, turkey, pheasants, white-tailed deer, and rabbits. However, hunting groundhogs is not allowed.
Nearby Parks to Explore
There are several other great state parks within 30 miles of Raccoon Creek State Park:
- Beaver Creek State Park (Ohio)
- Guilford Lake State Park (Ohio)
- Hillman State Park (Washington County)
- Point State Park (Allegheny County)
- Tomlinson Run State Park (West Virginia)
