Moraine State Park

225 Pleasant Valley Road
Portersville PA 16051

Phone: 724-368-8811
Email: [email protected]

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Description:
The gently rolling hills, lush forests and sparkling waters disguise a land that has endured the effects of continental glaciers and massive mineral extraction. Each year over one million people visit the 16,725-acre park, yet never realize that many people helped restore the park from prior coal mining and oil and gas drilling practices. Today, the park is an outstanding example of environmental engineering achievement.

Pennsylvania's state park system began in 1893 with the establishment of the first state park at Valley Forge. In the early years, the park system concentrated on preserving and protecting rare, scenic, historic and natural areas.

In 1929, legislation established the Bureau of State Parks with a commitment to provide outdoor recreation facilities in a natural setting, to preserve park areas and to provide environmental education opportunities. By 1930, the Bureau managed 13 parks and prepared the first statewide plan for the future growth of the park system.

The establishment of the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) in 1933 brought growth in the size and diversity of the park system. Thanks to the CCC, the park system now included cabins, well-defined trails and other facilities. A 1936 survey that identified a need for parks near 10 major urban areas further influenced the system's development to include parks near cities as well as remote areas. After World War II, the demand for more day use parks near urban centers continued to increase.

The greatest period of state park growth occurred between 1955 and 1970. In 1955, the park system consisted of 45 state parks and five historical parks. Department of Environmental Resources Secretary Maurice K. Goddard set a goal of having a state park within 25 miles of every citizen. Aided by two state funding programs and substantial federal funds, the system grew to 87 state parks by 1970.

Today, Pennsylvania has one of the nation’s largest state park systems with 116 outdoor recreational areas, over 283,000 acres of property, 606 full-time employees, and over 1,600 part-time employees. Yearly, the Pennsylvania state park system serves an estimated 36 million visitors.

In 1993, the Pennsylvania state park system celebrated a †Century of Service† in providing quality outdoor recreational and educational experiences for park visitors. As we begin the journey into the next century, a course has been set by the Bureau of State Parks to meet present and future visitor needs. The document entitled State Parks 2000 is based on a survey distributed to Pennsylvanians. This survey polled park visitors and professional staff on their vision of the future for Pennsylvania State Parks. State Parks 2000 further defines and updates the mission of the Pennsylvania state park system and is the guiding force in shaping and managing it.

This new guiding document is needed because the role of state parks changes and grows with society and public need. Many of the features from times past remain, but there is also an increased awareness that today's visitor has more diverse recreational and educational needs than those visitors who first appeared in our state parks nearly 100 years ago.

Many traditional facilities and resources serve as the backbone of the park system. Pennsylvania state parks offer millions of visitors each year: over 7,000 family campsites, 286 cabins, nearly 30,000 picnic tables, 56 major recreational lakes, 10 marinas, 61 beaches for swimming, 17 swimming pools, over 1,000 miles of trails and much, much more.