Locust Lake State Park is a Pennsylvania state park on in Ryan Township, Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania in the United States. Locust Lake State Park is located approximately north of Pottsville, south of Mahanoy City, west of Tamaqua and west of Tuscarora State Park. The lake is . The park offers hiking, camping, boating, fishing, swimming, biking, and a wide array of other seasonal activities.

History

The Locust Valley area was originally claimed by the Lenape. Their land was conquered by the Susquehannocks, then later controlled by the Iroquois League of Five Nations. In the mid-19th century, settlers discovered anthracite coal in the area which led to thousands of immigrants swiftly arriving to the area to mine coal. Although the area was not suitable for coal mining, it did not escape the

Industrial Revolution The Industrial Revolution was the transition to new manufacturing processes in Great Britain, continental Europe, and the United States, that occurred during the period from around 1760 to about 1820–1840. This transition included going f ...

. The forest was quickly turned into a shrubbery area prone to flooding and fires after loggers turned the trees into lumber, shingles, tool handles, and other wood products. Tanneries used the white pine and hemlock bark for tanning leather. The forests were gone by the early 20th century, with some farmers clearing and tilling the land. After its purchase by the Marchalonis Brothers, Locust Lake became a fishing spot and picnicking area. While they were digging a lake, they found a dam with a water wheel under seven feet of debris and leaves. The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania purchased the land from the Marchalonis Brothers in 1966. Locust Lake officially opened on June 10, 1972. Oldest brother, Bill, went on to create "Blue Mt. Lakes", in Schyukill Haven, Pa.

Recreation

Locust Lake

Motor boats are allowed as long as you have a boat registration from any state. Non-powered boats may either have a boat registration from any state, or a launching or mooring permit from Pennsylvania State Parks. Boat rentals are available at a nominal fee. Locust Lake has 282 campsites divided into tent or trailer sites. The campsites encircle the lake.

Fishing Fishing is the activity of trying to catch fish. Fish are often caught as wildlife from the natural environment, but may also be caught from stocked bodies of water such as ponds, canals, park wetlands and reservoirs. Fishing techniques inclu ...

is permitted year round. The lake is stocked several times a year with

brown Brown is a color. It can be considered a composite color, but it is mainly a darker shade of orange. In the CMYK color model used in printing or painting, brown is usually made by combining the colors orange and black. In the RGB color model us ...

and brook trout. Pickerel, bass ( smallmouth and largemouth), and

panfish The word panfish, also spelled pan-fish or pan fish, is an American English term describing any edible freshwater fish that usually do not outgrow the size of an average frying pan. It is also commonly used by recreational anglers to refer to a ...

are also caught year round.

Ice fishing Ice fishing is the practice of catching fish with lines and fish hooks or spears through an opening in the ice on a frozen body of water. Ice fishers may fish in the open or in heated enclosures, some with bunks and amenities. Shelters Longe ...

is permitted, but the ice is not monitored for safety. Swimming is permitted from Memorial Day to Labor Day. Since 2008, lifeguards are not posted at the beach. Swimming areas are marked with buoys, and the deepest area is .

Hunting

Approximately are available for hunting.

Ruffed Grouse The ruffed grouse (''Bonasa umbellus'') is a medium-sized grouse occurring in forests from the Appalachian Mountains across Canada to Alaska. It is the most widely distributed game bird in North America. It is non-migratory. It is the only specie ...

woodcock The woodcocks are a group of seven or eight very similar living species of wading birds in the genus ''Scolopax''. The genus name is Latin for a snipe or woodcock, and until around 1800 was used to refer to a variety of waders. The English name ...

dove Columbidae () is a bird family consisting of doves and pigeons. It is the only family in the order Columbiformes. These are stout-bodied birds with short necks and short slender bills that in some species feature fleshy ceres. They primarily ...

s, Common pheasants,

Eastern gray squirrel The eastern gray squirrel (''Sciurus carolinensis''), also known, particularly outside of North America, as simply the grey squirrel, is a tree squirrel in the genus ''Sciurus''. It is native to eastern North America, where it is the most prodi ...

wild turkey The wild turkey (''Meleagris gallopavo'') is an upland ground bird native to North America, one of two extant species of turkey and the heaviest member of the order Galliformes. It is the ancestor to the domestic turkey, which was originally d ...

eastern cottontail The eastern cottontail (''Sylvilagus floridanus'') is a New World cottontail rabbit, a member of the family Leporidae. It is the most common rabbit species in North America. Distribution The eastern cottontail can be found in meadows and shrubb ...

rabbit, and

white-tailed deer The white-tailed deer (''Odocoileus virginianus''), also known as the whitetail or Virginia deer, is a medium-sized deer native to North America, Central America, and South America as far south as Peru and Bolivia. It has also been introduced t ...

are common species and frequently spotted. Although there is ample room for hunting, it is restricted to designated areas of the park and surrounding state forest. A bow and arrow and flintlock muzzle loader only hunting area is located in the park. Hunting

groundhog The groundhog (''Marmota monax''), also known as a woodchuck, is a rodent of the family Sciuridae, belonging to the group of large ground squirrels known as marmots. The groundhog is a lowland creature of North America; it is found through mu ...

s is prohibited. Dog training is permitted from the day after Labor day until March 31 in designated hunting areas.

Nearby state parks

The following state parks are within of Locust Lake State Park: ''(Note: shows Locust Lake State Park)'' *

Beltzville State Park Beltzville State Park is a List of Pennsylvania state parks, Pennsylvania state park in Franklin Township, Carbon County, Pennsylvania, Franklin and Towamensing Township, Carbon County, Pennsylvania, Towamensing townships, Carbon County, Pennsyl ...

( Carbon County) *

Hickory Run State Park Hickory Run State Park is a Pennsylvania state park in Kidder and Penn Forest Townships in Carbon County, Pennsylvania in the United States. The park is spread across the Pocono Mountains. The park is easily accessible from Interstate 476 and ...

(Carbon County) *

Lehigh Gorge State Park Lehigh Gorge State Park is a Pennsylvania state park in Luzerne and Carbon Counties, Pennsylvania. The park encompasses a gorge, which stretches along the Lehigh River from a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers flood control dam in Luzerne County to J ...

(Carbon and Luzerne Counties) * Nescopeck State Park (Luzerne County) * Swatara State Park (

Lebanon Lebanon ( , ar, لُبْنَان, translit=lubnān, ), officially the Republic of Lebanon () or the Lebanese Republic, is a country in Western Asia. It is located between Syria to Lebanon–Syria border, the north and east and Israel to Blue ...

and Schuylkill Counties) * Tuscarora State Park (Schuylkill County)

References

External links

* {{authority control State parks of Pennsylvania Protected areas established in 1972 Parks in Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania Campgrounds in Pennsylvania Protected areas of Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania