Poe Paddy State Park

Poe Paddy State Park
Pennsylvania State Park
Natural Monument (IUCN III)
Poe Paddy State Park
Named for: Poe and Paddy Mountains
Country United States
State Pennsylvania
County Centre
Township Haines
Location [1]
 - coordinates 40°50′01″N 77°25′05″W / 40.83361°N 77.41806°W / 40.83361; -77.41806Coordinates: 40°50′01″N 77°25′05″W / 40.83361°N 77.41806°W / 40.83361; -77.41806
 - elevation 974 ft (296.9 m) [1]
Area 23 acres (9.3 ha)
Founded 1938
Managed by Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources
Location of Poe Paddy State Park in Pennsylvania
Website : Poe Paddy State Park

Poe Paddy State Park is a 23-acre (9.3 ha) Pennsylvania state park in Haines Township, Centre County, Pennsylvania in the United States. The park is surrounded by Bald Eagle State Forest. Poe Valley State Park is 4 miles (6.4 km) to the east. The park is at the confluence of Big Poe Creek and Penns Creek. Poe Paddy State Park is named for the two mountains that surround it. Poe Mountain lies to the east and Paddy Mountain lies to the west, with Penns Creek in the valley between them.

History

Poe Paddy State Park is on the site of the former lumber town of Poe Mills. Poe Mills was part of the lumber boom that swept through the wooded mountains of Pennsylvania from the mid-to-late 19th and early 20th centuries. At its peak, Poe Mills had a population of over 300. Big Poe Creek was dammed to provide power for the mills and a railroad was built into the area to transport lumber. This railway became a scenic route connecting the area with Milroy.[2]

Poe Valley State Park and Poe Paddy State Park were built by the Civilian Conservation Corps during the Great Depression of the 1930s. The young men of the CCC also worked to clear the regrowing forests of brush to prevent forest fires. They constructed roads throughout the forests, built state park facilities, constructed bridges on the state roads, planted trees for reforestation, and cleaned streams.[2]

Recreation

Fly Fishing

Penns Creek flows by the campground and is a trout fishery. Fly fishing is the most popular form of fishing at Poe Paddy State. It is noted for the Green Drake hatch that occurs in late spring. These flies are nearly the size of a small hummingbird and become the primary food source for the trout living in Penns Creek.[2]

Camping, picnicking and trails

The rustic campground opens with trout season on the 2nd Friday in April and closes at the end of doe season in mid December. There are no showers or flush toilets at the campground. A sanitary dump station is provided at Poe Valley State Park. There are six tables and two pavilions available for visitors. The Pennsylvania Mid State Trail, a hiking trail 306 miles (492 km) long, passes through Poe Valley. During the winter the gravel roads are open to cross-country skiing and recreational snowmobile use.[2]

Nearby state parks

The following state parks are within 30 miles (48 km) of Poe Paddy State Park:[3][4][5]

References

  1. 1 2 "Poe Paddy State Park". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey. August 30, 1990. Retrieved 2008-05-26.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Poe Paddy State Park". Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. Retrieved 2006-11-14.
  3. ↑ Michels, Chris (1997). "Latitude/Longitude Distance Calculation". Northern Arizona University. Retrieved 2008-04-23.
  4. ↑ "Find a Park by Region (interactive map)". Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. Retrieved November 18, 2011.
  5. ↑ 2007 General Highway Map Centre County Pennsylvania (PDF) (Map). 1:65,000. Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, Bureau of Planning and Research, Geographic Information Division. Retrieved 2007-07-27. Note: shows Poe Paddy State Park

External links

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