Mont Alto State Park is a Pennsylvania state park on in Quincy Township, Franklin County, Pennsylvania in the United States. The park is on Pennsylvania Route 233 one mile from Mont Alto.

History

Mont Alto Iron Company

Mont Alto State Park is the oldest state park in Pennsylvania. Its history began with the former Mont Alto Iron Furnace, a

blast furnace A blast furnace is a type of metallurgical furnace used for smelting to produce industrial metals, generally pig iron, but also others such as lead or copper. ''Blast'' refers to the combustion air being "forced" or supplied above atmospheric ...

built in 1807. It was high and wide at the boshes. The furnace produced between of iron a day. The area was a center of iron production for many years. The

Mont Alto Railroad The Mont Alto Rail Road was a railroad in Franklin County, Pennsylvania, originally built to connect the blast furnaces of the Mont Alto Iron Company to the Cumberland Valley Railroad. It was later extended south to reach Waynesboro, Pennsylvania, ...

was built by the

Mont Alto Iron Company Mont may refer to: Places * Mont., an abbreviation for Montana, a U.S. state * Mont, Belgium (disambiguation), several places in Belgium * Mont, Hautes-Pyrénées, a commune in France * Mont, Pyrénées-Atlantiques, a commune in France * Mont, Sa ...

to connect the furnaces of the area to the Cumberland Valley Railroad near

Chambersburg Chambersburg is a borough in and the county seat of Franklin County, in the South Central region of Pennsylvania, United States. It is in the Cumberland Valley, which is part of the Great Appalachian Valley, and north of Maryland and the Mas ...

. This railroad served a dual purpose, carrying iron shipments from the furnace and bringing visitors to Mont Alto Park. The park was opened by the Mont Alto Iron Company. Ownership of Mont Alto Park was transferred to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania on May 1, 1902.

The First State Park

Mont Alto Park became the first "state forest park" in Pennsylvania. The park had a

swimming pool A swimming pool, swimming bath, wading pool, paddling pool, or simply pool, is a structure designed to hold water to enable Human swimming, swimming or other leisure activities. Pools can be built into the ground (in-ground pools) or built ...

, refreshment stand, hiking trails and a

carousel A carousel or carrousel (mainly North American English), merry-go-round (List of sovereign states, international), roundabout (British English), or hurdy-gurdy (an old term in Australian English, in South Australia, SA) is a type of amusement ...

. It was also the site of South Mountain Camp Sanitorium. This sanitorium was founded by Dr. Joseph Rothrock, a

medical doctor A physician (American English), medical practitioner (Commonwealth English), medical doctor, or simply doctor, is a health professional who practices medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring health through th ...

and forester who opened several sanitoriums in the forests of Pennsylvania and became known as the father of forestry in Pennsylvania. The sanitorium treated those afflicted with tuberculosis and other respiratory illnesses. Over the years the park has gradually become less and less of a destination for visitors. It is now a quiet park with minimal facilities. The building that housed the carousel, which now serves as a picnic pavilion, is a reminder of the past.

Recreation

The West Branch Antietam Creek flows through Mont Alto State Park and provides visitors to the park to fish for trout. Logging and forest management roads provide access to hiking opportunities in the nearby

Michaux State Forest Michaux State Forest is a Pennsylvania State Forest in Pennsylvania Bureau of Forestry District #1. The main offices are located in Fayetteville in Franklin County, Pennsylvania, USA. The Michaux State Forest is in several tracts covering mo ...

. There are two picnic areas with approximately 50 tables and two pavilions, one being the former carousel house. The park also provides parking and restroom facilities for hunters and other outdoorsman that venture into Michaux State Forest.

Nearby state parks

The following state parks are within of Mont Alto State Park: ''Note: shows Mont Alto State Park'' * Big Spring State Forest Picnic Area (

Perry County Perry County may refer to: United States *Perry County, Alabama *Perry County, Arkansas *Perry County, Illinois *Perry County, Indiana *Perry County, Kentucky *Perry County, Mississippi *Perry County, Missouri *Perry County, Ohio *Perry Coun ...

) *

Buchanan's Birthplace State Park Buchanan's Birthplace State Park is an Pennsylvania state park near Cove Gap in Peters Township, Franklin County, Pennsylvania. The park is on Pennsylvania Route 16 along Tuscarora Mountain. Buchanan's Birthplace State Park was created from la ...

(Franklin County) * Caledonia State Park ( Adams and Franklin Counties) * Colonel Denning State Park ( Cumberland County) * Cowans Gap State Park ( Fulton County) *

Cunningham Falls State Park Cunningham Falls State Park is a public recreation area located west of Thurmont, Maryland, in the United States. The state park is the home of Cunningham Falls, the largest cascading waterfall in Maryland, a man-made lake, and the remains of a ...

( Maryland) * Fowlers Hollow State Park (Perry County) * Gambrill State Park (Maryland) * Gathland State Park (Maryland) *

Greenbrier State Park Greenbrier State Park is a public recreation area located on South Mountain, northeast of Boonsboro in Washington County, Maryland, USA. The state park has camping, hiking trails, and a man-made lake. It is managed by the Maryland Department o ...

(Maryland) * Kings Gap Environmental Education and Training Center (Cumberland County) * Pine Grove Furnace State Park (Cumberland County) *

South Mountain State Park South Mountain State Park is a public recreation area that runs for nearly the entire length of South Mountain through Washington and Frederick counties in Maryland. The state park is contiguous with several other national, state and local park ...

(Maryland) *

Washington Monument State Park Washington Monument State Park is a public recreation area located approximately southeast of Boonsboro, Maryland. The park preserves the Washington Monument, a tower honoring George Washington, the first President of the United States. The mo ...

(Maryland)

References

External links

* {{authority control State parks of Pennsylvania Parks in Franklin County, Pennsylvania Protected areas established in 1902 1902 establishments in Pennsylvania Protected areas of Franklin County, Pennsylvania