Elk State Park

About Elk State Park

The 3192-acre Elk State Park is located in the rugged mountains of northern Pennsylvania. East Branch Lake, which covers 1,060 hectares, is great for water skiing and is the largest freshwater lake in the world, with an average depth of 1.50 metres. The lake and the nearby streams are filled with warm, cold and cold fish.

The Belgian Count De Hamm founded a glassblowing settlement in South Elk State Park, and the settlers could not only live from glassmaking. B.F. Hazelton soon built a large sawmill in the town and it was renamed Glen Hazel. While the timber still exists, the town of loggers has flourished in recent years, although today it is mainly a holiday home and hunting camp.

Chartered in 1887, the Johnsonburg-Clermont Railway connected the town and the mills in the area to bring timber to the market. When the timber was exhausted, both the railway and the sawmill town of Glen Hazel slowly disappeared.

In 1961, the state legislature approved the development of Elk State Park, and the first development completed in 1963 included the Elk River Trail, a 1,000-foot trail system, and a two-mile trail head for the Elk Trail.

Swimming is not allowed in the lake, but a swimming pool is available in Bendigo State Park, located 13 miles away on PA-1004. The US Army Corps of Engineers also offers boat launches at the dam, and the park's main entrance to the Elk River Trail and Elk Trail has boat launches at Instanter Drive.

All motor boats must be registered in the state, and all non-motorized boats must have one of the following boat registrations in each state: Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, New York, Pennsylvania State, Virginia, West Virginia and Wisconsin.

Twelve picnic tables are available at the start of the Instanter Drive Boat, and the US Army Corps of Engineers has set up a picnic area near the dam.

Bendigo State Park is 13 miles from SR 1004 and offers swimming, picnics, fishing and a playground. For information on nearby attractions, please contact the Bendigo County Parks and Recreation Department or the State Parks Department.

The US Army Corps of Engineers completed the East Branch Dam on the Clarion River in 1952 and operates a recreational area that includes Elk State Park and the Bendigo County Parks and Recreation Department. The dam provides flood protection and recreational opportunities for residents and visitors to the area as well as the local community.

Visitors are welcome to Elk State Park and Bendigo County Park and Recreation Department. The purchase was made in 1920 and is being made on behalf of the National Park following the purchase of Elk Island by the US government.

The marker was created by sports enthusiast John MacFarlane Phillips as part of the Game Commission's efforts to develop Elk Island National Park and Elk State Park. For information, please contact the Bendigo County Parks and Recreation Department at (888) 567-4444 or the Valet Parking Department at (868) 547-8500.

Elk State Park is located in Bendigo County, Oregon, in the state of Oregon, in a wooded area permitted under the Oregon State Parks and Recreation Act of 1972.