Promised Land State Park

Geobox Protected Area
name = Promised Land State Park
native_name =
other_name =
other_name1 =
category_local = Pennsylvania State Park
category_iucn = III


image_caption = The spillway of a dam at Promised Land State Park.
etymology_type = Named for
etymology = A so called Promised Land that the earliest settlers were told they would find.
country = United States
state = Pennsylvania
region_type = County
region = Pike
district_type = Townships
district = Blooming Grove
district1 = Greene
district2 = Palmyra
city =
city1 =
location =
lat_d = 41
lat_m = 18
lat_s = 55
lat_NS = N
long_d = 75
long_m = 11
long_s = 57
long_EW = W
location_note = cite web | url=Gnis3|1184437 | title=Promised Land State Park | date = August 2 1979 | work=Geographic Names Information System | publisher=United States Geological Survey | accessdate=2007-12-24]
elevation_imperial = 1745
elevation_round = 1
elevation_note =
area_unit = acre
area_imperial = 3000
area_round = 1
area_note =
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biome =
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geology =
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plant =
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established_type =
established = 1905
established_note =
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management_body = Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources
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free_type = Nearest city
free = Milford, Pennsylvania
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map_caption = Location of Promised Land State Park in Pennsylvania
map_locator = Pennsylvania
website = [http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/stateparks/parks/promisedland.aspx Promised Land State Park]

Promised Land State Park is a Pennsylvania state park in Blooming Grove, Greene and Palmyra Townships, Pike County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. The approximately 3000 acre (12.1 km²) park is completely surrounded by Delaware State Forest. It is in the Poconos and sits at 1,800 feet (549 m) and is mostly surrounded by Delaware State Forest. The second growth forests in Promised Land State Park are made up of beech, maple, oak and hemlock trees. There are two lakes within the boundaries of the park. Promised Land State Park is 10 miles (16.09 km) north of Canadensis on Pennsylvania Route 390.

Recreation

Promised Land State Park is open year round for recreational opportunities that include fishing, swimming, boating, horseback riding, trail biking, camping, and ice skating. cite web
url = http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/stateParks/parks/promisedland.aspx
title = Promised Land State Park
accessdate = 2007-01-24
publisher = Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources]

Fishing

Promised Lake and Lower Lake are both popular fishing and ice fishing destinations. The common game fish are smallmouth and largemouth bass, catfish, crappie, pickerel, muskellunge, and yellow perch. Lower Lake is stocked by the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission with brook, rainbow and brown trout. All anglers are expected to follow the rules and regulations of the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission.

Hunting

Hunting is permitted at Promised Land State Park. Hunters are expected to follow the rules and regulations of the Pennsylvania Game Commission. The common game species are turkey, white-tailed deer, and black bear. The hunting of groundhogs is prohibited.

Trails

There are convert|50|mi|km of trails at Promised Land State Park and the nearby state forests that are open to hiking and in some locations, horseback riding, cross-country skiing, snowmobiling, and mountain biking. The trails pass through a variety of habitats and give visitors an opportunity to observe a diverse wildlife population.

Boating

Gas powered boats are prohibited on the lakes of Promised Land State Park. Electric powered and non powered boats must have a current registration with any state or a launch permit from the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission. A concession is open on the shores of the lakes for renting canoes, kayaks and paddle boats.

Picnic and swimming areas

Promised Land State Park has a centrally located picnic area that is near Promised Land Lake in a woodland setting. The facilities include parking area, fresh water, garbage disposal containers, a sand volleyball court, and restrooms with pay showers. The picnic area is within walking distance of the lakes swimming area, boat rental, and a refreshment stand. Beginning in 2008 lifeguards will not be posted at the beach. [cite web | url = http://www.timesleader.com/news/ap?articleID=384046 | title = Pa. state parks going without life guards at beaches in 2008 | accessdate = 2008-02-19 | publisher = The Times Leader]

taying overnight

Visitors to Promised Land State Park who wish to stay overnight have a choice of staying in one of four campgrounds or in rustic cabins that were built during the Great Depression by the Civilian Conservation Corps.

*Lower Lake Campground is on Lower Lake. It opens for the season on Memorial Day weekend and closes Columbus Day weekend. The campground has flush toilets and showers with hot water.

*Deerfield Campground is set back in a rocky forest. It is open Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend. It does have flush toilets, but the nearest pay showers are in the picnic area. The camping area will be closed for the 2008 season while it is being renovated. Deerfield campground is over 95 years old. Each campsite will receive a new table, fire ring and lantern holder. Also, some of the ground will be leveled for easier access.cite web | url = http://www.wnep.com/global/story.asp?s=8355100 | accessdate = 2008-05-22 | title = State park in Pike County closes 2 campgrounds | publisher = WNEP TV]

*Pickerel Point Campground is on a peninsula on the southern end of Promised Land Lake. There are walk in campsite situated at various points along the shore. It is a rustic camping area with limited facilities. This campground is open year round. It will also be closed for renovations during the 2008 season.

*The Pines Campground is open Memorial Day through Labor Day. It is on the northwestern shore of Promised Land Lake. The campground does have pay toilets, but the nearest pay showers are in the picnic area.

*Bear Wallow Cabins Colony is a group of 12 rustic cabins that were built and used by the CCC during the 1930s. Each cabin has a fireplace and electricity.

History

The name is an ironic commentary of the immigrant residents in the Eighteenth and Nineteenth Centuries who had been dazzled by promotional promises of the supposed wonders of the land they were buying, reflecting their later relative disappointment.

Promised Land State Park was once the hunting grounds of the Lenape Indian tribe. Their land was part of the Province of Pennsylvania, established by King Charles II of England and under the leadership of William Penn. William Penn founded Pennsylvania as a colony where religious freedom was foundation of its establishment. The Shakers, a religious sect, from England migrated to the Thirteen Colonies and purchased some of the land in the Promised Land State Park area. It appears that they chose not to settle and instead sold off the land to lumbering operations that clear cut the land and sent the timber to the ship building docks in Philadelphia. The process of clear cutting the forests repeated itself several times until the land was acquired by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in 1902. The forestry department worked to re-establish the forests of the area. Promised Land State Park was opened to the public in 1905, becoming just the fourth state park in all of Pennsylvania.

Many of the park facilities in use today were constructed during the Great Depression of the 1930s by the young men of the Civilian Conservation Corps. The CCC was established by President Franklin D. Roosevelt to relieve the widespread unemployment what was brought about by the Depression. In exchange for a paycheck, food, and shelter, the men of the CCC worked to reclaim the forests. They built the roads and trails that cross the state forests. They also fought wild fires, planted trees, and built bridges on state roads.

Natural history

Geology

Since the forests have been allowed to regrow at Promised Land State Park it has become a center of diverse wildlife and ecosystems. The land on which it sits has largely very rocky and shallow soil with nutrient-poor bogs and dark evergreen forests. The poor quality of the soil and the bogs are a remnant of the vast glaciers that covered Pennsylvania during the last ice age. As the glaciers receded they scraped the earth and left a glacial till at the surface above the bedrock. This rocky soil drains poorly thereby creating the bogs that are spread throughout the park. cite web
url = http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/stateParks/parks/promisedland_wildlife.aspx
title = Promised Land State Park - Wildlife
accessdate = 2007-01-24
publisher = Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources]

Coniferous forests

The evergreen trees attract a variety of birds including, the red breasted nuthatch, blackburnian warbler and northern waterthrush. Salamanders and wood frogs are drawn to the bogs to breed during the springtime.

Deciduous forests

Not all of the trees are evergreen, although they were before the lumber era. Some deciduous trees have grown at Promised Land State Park. These trees attract a different set of birds including the American redstart, Louisiana waterthrush and red-eyed vireo.

Black bears

American black bears are a common sight at Promised Land State Park. They are attracted to the wide variety of plants, grasses and berries that are common in the park. Visitors to the park are cautioned to be extremely careful when encountering a black bear. Bears are generally shy and will avoid human contact, but bears that have been fed by and have been accustomed to human contact can become dangerous. They are very fast, as fast as a thoroughbred, strong and nimble. Bears also have a strong sense of smell. For this reason all visitors are asked to firmly secure all food products brought into the park and never to leave them out in the open overnight.

Wildlife observation

In addition to the bears, Promised Land State Park is also home to variety of other large woodland creatures. White tailed deer are a common sight in the park. Early morning visitors may come across groups of feeding wild turkeys. A wildlife observation deck is located on Lower Lake, from here visitors may see a variety of waterfowl species and even some bald eagles that have nested in the area within the last few years. Visitors are asked to not feed the wildlife. Feeding raccoons, squirrels and chipmunks may expose visitors to rabies. The feeding of Canada geese in the swimming area is discouraged due to the increased quantities of odorus fecal matter.

Nearby state parks

The following state parks are within convert|30|mi|km|0 of Promised Land State Park: [cite web
url = http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/stateparks/parks/region_northeast.aspx
title = Map reference for Promised Land State Park
accessdate = 2006-01-24
publisher = Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources] cite web
last = Michels
first = Chris
year = 1997
url = http://www2.nau.edu/~cvm/latlongdist.html
title = Latitude/Longitude Distance Calculation
publisher = Northern Arizona University
accessdate = 2008-04-23] [cite map |scale = 1:65,000| publisher= Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, Bureau of Planning and Research, Geographic Information Division
url= ftp://ftp.dot.state.pa.us/public/pdf/BPR_pdf_files/Maps/GHS/Roadnames/pike_GHSN.PDF
title= 2007 General Highway Map Pike County Pennsylvania
accessdate= 2007-07-28 "Note: shows Promised Land State Park"]
*Archbald Pothole State Park (Lackawanna County)
*Big Pocono State Park (Monroe County)
*Gouldsboro State Park (Monroe and Wayne Counties)
*High Point State Park (New Jersey)
*Prompton State Park (Wayne County)
*Swartswood State Park (New Jersey)
*Tobyhanna State Park (Monroe and Wayne Counties)
*Varden Conservation Area (Wayne County)

References

External links

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