Cowans Gap State Park

About Cowans Gap State Park

Cowans Gap State Park is the largest national park in the United States and the second largest in North America. The state forests surrounding the park offer visitors a wealth of natural beauty throughout the season. This park has two cottages, a three-room cottage that can accommodate up to four people and a two-room cottage with two bedrooms and two bathrooms.

There are no sanitary facilities in the cabins, all taps are outside, but the central comfort station has a shower and flush toilet. The two-room house with two bedrooms and two bathrooms has two showers and a toilet and a bathroom with a sink.

Cowans Gap has 224 campsites in two zones, and each campsite has its own amenities, such as picnic area, picnic tables, showers, toilets and showers.

Each campsite can accommodate campers in small tents or larger campers and is open daily from June to October from 10 am to 4 pm. Boat moorings are available in the park's parking lot and on the beach for registered campers staying in the parks. Seven hikes - pitches are located next to campsites B and C, with a maximum of four per registered motorhome per day for a total of eight per camper.

Each campsite can accommodate an organized group of up to forty people and is open from June to October from July to September, daily from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The 500-metre long sandy beach is open daily from 10 am to 4 pm from July to September, unless otherwise stated. All areas have modern toilets (flush toilets) and are open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. A lifeguard is on duty, but when not in action, the rules of swimming must be followed and read beforehand.

It has two berths and 68 berths, and the boat concessions are open daily in summer and daily in winter. From July to September you can row in the park from 10 am to 4 pm, unless you have a daily licence - use in this area.

All motor boats must be registered in the state and all non-motorized boats must have one of the following boats in their registration state.

Several picnic areas are located along the lake, and there are many picnic tables available. Most of the picnic area is wooded, but three of the four picnic pavilions have fireplaces. There are a limited number of fireplaces in each picnic area, but all three or four have a fireplace.

The picnic pavilions can be reserved for up to 11 months against advance payment, and there is an unreserved picnic pavilion, but it will come first, served first.

The park offers a variety of environmental education and interpreting programs, and participants can purchase guided hikes and other outdoor activities such as kayaking, canoeing, hiking, cycling, fishing and camping, as well as a variety of other activities.

Curricula and environmental education programs are available to schools and youth groups, and programs offer a variety of outdoor activities from April to November. Group programmes must be agreed in advance and can be arranged by phone or at the park office.

The park is located between Chambersburg and McConnellsburg, and for more detailed information, please contact the park office at (717) 888-5555 or the park office on Facebook at Cowans Gap State Park.

To access the park from the west, take I-76 and follow the signs to the park, follow this onto US-30, then onto PA-75 to Richmond Road and then follow this sign to the east. To get there from the east side, just east of the parking lot on the south side of Interstate 76, please follow these directions to the west.