Gifford Pinchot State Park
Gifford Pinchot State Park is a 2338 acre park in York County along PA177. The park features Pinchot Lake, a 340 acre warmwater lake. The park is an area of forest surrounded by farm fields. The park is often used as a rest stop for migrating birds and is home to much wildlife. The park contains several large outcroppings of diabase rock. The park was named after Gifford Pinchot a Chief Forester of the US Division of Forestry and governor of Pennsylvania.
Feature Summary
- Official website: https://www.dcnr.pa.gov/StateParks/FindAPark/GiffordPinchotStatePark/Pages/default.aspx
- Campsites: 289 campsites, non-electric, electric, full hookup; 10 modern cabins, 2 yurts, 3 camping cottages, organized group tent sites
- Firewood availability: at entry to campground
- Bath Facilities: Modern bath house, Wash sinks
- Hiking: 18 miles
- Other Activities: Swimming, canoeing/kayaking, fishing, bicycling, disc golf
- Cellphone reception: spotty at best
- Dates We Visited: 5/2019, 7/2020
Camping
Gifford Pinchot has one of the largest campgrounds in the state. The campground consists of a mixture of non-electric, electric, and full hookup sites. The campground is situated on the western end of the lake. Pads are paved and are relatively level. The campground is open from mid-April until late October. The campground has play areas, boat launch and mooring, a sanitary dump station, and swimming beach. At the time of our visit, we found the bathroom near our campsite to be a bit dated but fully functional. Be sure to check out the programming put on by the park educator.
Hiking
We have not hiked much a Gifford Pinchot due to our limited time in the park
Oak Trail (0.4 mi, easiest hiking, connector): The Oak Trail connects the campground to the Environmental learning center. The trail is easy and wide. It passes through a mature oak and hickory forest. A large outcropping of diabase rock can be seen near the the Environmental Learning Center.
