Cuts are impacting national parks. But state parks around Centre County remain open, busy
With federal layoffs forcing national parks to cut services, Pennsylvania’s own state parks experienced a significant surge in March campsite reservations — and the state’s Department of Conservation and Natural Resources is now “preparing for a record-breaking summer.”
And that goes for all of the state parks in and around Centre County, too, such as Bald Eagle State Park, Black Moshannon and Poe Valley.
“Pennsylvanians and visitors alike are embracing the outdoors like never before,” DCNR Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn said in a news release. “With increased demand for camping, we encourage everyone to plan ahead and take advantage of the many beautiful sites still available.”
Based on data provided by DCNR, state parks in the Keystone State saw a nearly 30% increase in March campsite reservations compared to the same time last year. In Centre County, that amounted to a 16% increase at Poe Paddy, a 38% increase at Poe Valley, a 42% increase at Black Moshannon and a 51% increase at Bald Eagle.
Data at every park wasn’t immediately available, and not all parks provide camping, such as Whipple Dam State Park in Huntingdon County. Other variables could’ve also artificially inflated some of those numbers, as March was unseasonably warm and Bald Eagle added more camping sites since last spring.
Still, those increases are significant — and the DCNR is still expecting a big summer. So are the park managers on the ground.
“We’re at full staff, and we’re mainly just getting our ducks in a row and getting everything put back after the winter,” said Black Moshannon park manager Mathias Weinzen, who added visitation has “definitely increased” this spring. “We are fully prepared to welcome everyone in with open arms. Just like the slogan that DCNR put out, we’re still open.”
The slogan Weinzen referred to — “Still Open. Still Awesome.” — plays off the fact that state parks are thriving while national parks around the country have been forced to cut back on essential services, shortening hours at some parks and closing campsites at others.
The impact to national parks has been far-reaching. According to Frommers, the renowned travel guide, the iconic Devils Tower National Monument in Wyoming went from being open 24/7 to closing at 5 p.m. California’s Yosemite National Park had just one EMT in March, meaning hikers were “reportedly taking their own lives in their hands.” And various parks — from Arkansas’ Hot Springs National Park to Nevada’s Great Basin National Park — closed their visitor centers and museums.
The situation remains fluid. A federal judge has ordered the Trump administration to rehire about 1,000 fired park employees. And a Trump official earlier this month ordered national parks to be “properly staffed.” It’s unclear how quickly that all might occur.
In the meantime, national parks are suffering while Pennsylvania’s state parks continue with business as usual. Raystown Lake, the largest lake that is entirely within Pennsylvania, is part of a national park — about an hour’s drive from State College — that has been forced to close many of its campsites.
It’s unknown how those campsite closures influenced the increases in Centre County, which amounted to several hundred more reservations in March. But it’s clear the closures are not having a positive impact on Huntingdon County. According to the visitors bureau, Raystown campground users alone contribute more than $7.4 million annually in visitor spending there.
For park managers around Centre County, uncertainty elsewhere means they’ll have to be prepared here. Weinzen recalled the crush in 2020 and 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic and, if state parks can handle that, he’s confident this summer will be no different.
“It’s nice when we get people out here to see Black Moshannon,” Weinzen added. “The hiking is pristine here. We have 22 miles of trails, with our featured trail being our fully-accessible Bog Trail. So I think that brings a lot of people, but that’ll transition to competing with kayaking and paddleboarding as we go on.”
For more information on state parks’ offerings, or to book a campsite, go to pennsylvaniastateparks.reserveamerica.com.
