Tuscarora State Park facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Tuscarora State Park |
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IUCN Category III (Natural Monument)
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Tuscarora State Park
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 Tuscarora State Park
Location in Pennsylvania
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| Location | Schuylkill, Pennsylvania, United States |
| Area | 1,618 acres (6.55 km2) |
| Elevation | 1,079 ft (329 m) |
| Established | June 26, 1971 |
| Named for | the Tuscarora |
| Governing body | Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources |
| Website | Tuscarora State Park |
Tuscarora State Park is a fun place to visit in Pennsylvania. It covers 1,618 acres in Schuylkill County. The park is famous for Locust Mountain and Tuscarora Lake. It's named after the Tuscarora Native American tribe. They lived here after a war in North Carolina. Later, they had to move because of new settlers. You can find Tuscarora State Park about 2 miles (3.2 km) west of Tamaqua. It is just off Pennsylvania Route 309.
Contents
Park History
The land where Tuscarora State Park now sits was once called Locust Valley. Long ago, it was covered by huge, ancient forests. These forests had giant trees like eastern white pine, American chestnut, and eastern hemlock. Native American tribes, including the Susquehannock, Lenape, and Iroquois, lived here over time.
Later, people discovered a type of coal called anthracite coal in Schuylkill County. The forests of Locust Valley were cut down to get wood. This wood was used to support the coal mines. It also built homes and other buildings for the mining companies. Hemlock trees were used to make leather goods in factories called tanneries.
Cutting down so many trees changed the Locust Valley. It became an area with only small shrubs. This made the land more likely to flood, erode, and catch fire. Some parts of the land were also cleared for farming.
The Marchalonis family bought the land in and around Tuscarora and Locust Lake State Parks. They built Locust Lake and let the forests grow back. In 1966, they sold their land to the state of Pennsylvania. Tuscarora State Park opened soon after that.
Things to Do at the Park
Hiking Trails
Tuscarora State Park has seven hiking trails. They go through forests, meadows, and open fields. These trails used to be roads for logging trucks, so they are quite wide. They are not marked with special trail blazes.
- Log Trail is an "easy" 0.3 mile (0.48 km) long trail. This old logging road connects Laurel and Edge trails. It goes through a forest that has grown back.
- Locust Mountain Trail is a "moderate" 0.4 mile (0.64 km) hiking trail. This trail goes up Locust Mountain from Crow Trail. It also passes through a regrown forest.
- Laurel Trail is an "easy" 0.4 mile (0.64 km) grassy road. It was built to reach trees that died from gypsy moth damage in the 1980s.
- Lake View Trail is an "easy" 1 mile (1.6 km) trail. It runs next to Tuscarora Lake. Park staff sometimes use this trail as a service road.
- Hill Trail is a "moderate" 0.3 mile (0.48 km) trail. It is short but steep. It runs next to a power line. This trail gives easy access to the picnic area and beach from the park office.
- Edge Trail is an "easy" 0.3 mile (0.48 km) grassy trail. It marks the edge between the forest and nearby farms.
- Crow Trail is an "easy" 1.4 mile (2.25 km) old dirt road. It goes through regrown forests, pine and larch tree farms, and grassy fields.
Tuscarora Lake Activities
Tuscarora Lake is a great place for fishing. You can find fish like bass, muskellunge, walleye, pickerel, catfish, yellow perch, trout, and sunfish. You can fish at night and even try ice fishing in winter. Make sure to follow the rules from the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission.
Only rowboats or boats with electric motors are allowed on the lake. Boats need a special permit from the fish commission or valid registration. You can rent rowboats, canoes, and pedal boats at the park.
The lake is open for swimming from Memorial Day weekend until Labor Day weekend. Since 2008, there are no lifeguards at the beach. The swimming area is about 5.5 feet (1.67 meters) deep.
Hunting Opportunities
Hunting is allowed on about 1,100 acres (4.5 km²) of Tuscarora State Park. However, you cannot hunt groundhogs. Hunters must follow the rules from the Pennsylvania Game Commission. Some common animals hunted here include squirrels, white-tailed deer, rabbits, pheasant, woodcocks, doves, turkey, and ruffed grouse.
Overnight Stays
Tuscarora State Park has places where you can stay overnight. They offer camping cottages and yurts.
Nearby State Parks
Here are some other state parks within 30 miles (48 km) of Tuscarora State Park:
- Beltzville State Park (Carbon County)
- Hickory Run State Park (Carbon County)
- Lehigh Gorge State Park (Carbon and Luzerne Counties)
- Locust Lake State Park (Schuylkill County)
- Nescopeck State Park (Luzerne County)
- Swatara State Park (Lebanon and Schuylkill Counties)
