Prince Gallitzin State Park
| Prince Gallitzin State Park Demetrius Gallitzin | |
|---|---|
| Governing body | Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources |
| Website | Prince Gallitzin State Park |
Prince Gallitzin State Park is a 6,249-acre (2,529 ha)
The park is home to
History
Namesake
Demetris Gallitzin was born on December 22, 1770, at
At the age of 17, Demetrius was received into the
Gallitzin left Europe for the
With Gallitzin's leadership, Loretto became the first English-speaking Roman Catholic settlement in the United States west of the Allegheny Front. In addition to McGuire's patrimony, Gallitzin is believed to have spent $150,000 (USD) of his own funds later, to purchase some additional 20,000 acres (8,100 ha), which it is said he gave or sold at low prices to newly arriving Catholic settlers. Father Gallitzin worked to build Loretto by establishing a
Gallitzin died at Loretto on May 6, 1840, and was buried near St. Michael's church in Loretto. Father Gallitzin has been honored in the places names of several locations in Pennsylvania, including Gallitzin, Gallitzin Springs and Prince Gallitzin Spring. Locally he is sometimes referred to as "the priest who may have been a tzar". On June 6, 2005, it was announced that Gallitzin had been named a
Establishment of the park
Establishing a park near Patton was first discussed during the Great Depression of the 1930s. The National Park Service discussed plans for opening a Recreation Demonstration Area just to the east of Patton on Beaverdam Run. The project was proposed and approved but was never put into place.[2]
The subject of building a park came up again in 1955. The Patton Chamber of Commerce proposed building a dam in the Killbuck area. They met with Maurice K. Goddard who was at the time the secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Forests and Waters, a forerunner to the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. The idea was approved and on April 4, 1957, Governor George M. Leader announced plans for the construction of the park. The park was funded by monies gained from oil and natural gas leases. Central to the park plans was the building of Glendale Dam and the formation of Glendale Lake. Groundbreaking at the park was held on May 3, 1958, and the lake began to fill on December 2, 1960. The park was finally dedicated on May 29, 1965, by Governor William Scranton.[2]
Climate
| Climate data for Prince Gallitzin State Park, Pennsylvania (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1982–present) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 68 (20) |
78 (26) |
83 (28) |
92 (33) |
92 (33) |
94 (34) |
101 (38) |
97 (36) |
93 (34) |
86 (30) |
79 (26) |
71 (22) |
101 (38) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 34.0 (1.1) |
37.0 (2.8) |
46.1 (7.8) |
60.1 (15.6) |
70.2 (21.2) |
77.9 (25.5) |
82.1 (27.8) |
80.5 (26.9) |
73.5 (23.1) |
61.6 (16.4) |
49.1 (9.5) |
38.4 (3.6) |
59.2 (15.1) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 24.9 (−3.9) |
27.0 (−2.8) |
35.2 (1.8) |
47.1 (8.4) |
57.4 (14.1) |
65.8 (18.8) |
69.8 (21.0) |
68.4 (20.2) |
61.2 (16.2) |
49.7 (9.8) |
39.2 (4.0) |
30.1 (−1.1) |
48.0 (8.9) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 15.9 (−8.9) |
17.1 (−8.3) |
24.3 (−4.3) |
34.0 (1.1) |
44.6 (7.0) |
53.6 (12.0) |
57.5 (14.2) |
56.3 (13.5) |
49.0 (9.4) |
37.7 (3.2) |
29.3 (−1.5) |
21.8 (−5.7) |
36.8 (2.7) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −28 (−33) |
−22 (−30) |
−12 (−24) |
10 (−12) |
23 (−5) |
28 (−2) |
33 (1) |
31 (−1) |
28 (−2) |
9 (−13) |
6 (−14) |
−19 (−28) |
−28 (−33) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 2.82 (72) |
2.46 (62) |
3.27 (83) |
3.66 (93) |
3.73 (95) |
3.86 (98) |
3.91 (99) |
3.92 (100) |
4.05 (103) |
3.15 (80) |
2.90 (74) |
2.93 (74) |
40.66 (1,033) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 15.4 (39) |
14.6 (37) |
7.6 (19) |
1.6 (4.1) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.4 (1.0) |
1.8 (4.6) |
8.5 (22) |
49.9 (127) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) | 15.9 | 12.5 | 12.4 | 13.9 | 15.0 | 13.0 | 12.2 | 11.6 | 11.9 | 12.4 | 11.5 | 14.0 | 156.3 |
| Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) | 8.4 | 7.1 | 4.2 | 1.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.2 | 1.6 | 5.1 | 27.7 |
| Source: | |||||||||||||
Recreation
Prince Gallitzin is the home to several different types of outdoor recreation. Glendale Lake is open to
Glendale Lake
Glendale Lake is a major boating destination along the Allegheny Front. Boats up to 20
Hunting
Hunting is permitted at Prince Gallitzin State Park. Hunters are expected to follow the rules and regulations of the Pennsylvania Game Commission. The common game species are squirrels, turkey, white-tailed deer, ruffed grouse, and rabbits. The hunting of groundhogs is prohibited.[2]
Trails
The trailhead for most of the hiking trails is located near the campground along Crooked Run.[2]
- Crooked Run Trail - is an easy 1.5-mile (2.4 km) hiking trail. It passes along Crooked Run through a hemlock and hardwood forest. The trail is a loop near where Crooked Run enters Glendale Lake. The parts of the trail nearest the lake pass through a marsh. The trail is therefore wet in places and there are some exposed roots.[2]
- Turkey Ridge Trail - is an easy to moderate 1.2-mile (1.9 km) hiking trail. The trail offers the chance to see a variety of habitats.[2]
- Exercise Trail - is an easy 1-mile (1.6 km) hiking trail. The mowed grass trail has 20 exercise stations spread along the course of the path as it passes through an open field.[2]
- Peninsula Area Trail - is an easy to moderate trail that varies in length depending on where one enters the trail. The undergrowth in the forest. This makes Glendale Lake visible from most locations on the peninsula.[2]
- Deer Trail - is an easy 0.7-mile (1.1 km) hiking trail. Deer Trail passes by a food plot kept by the Pennsylvania Game Commission near State Game Land 108. Deer Trail provides access to hunters and hikers to the game land.[2]
- Footprint Trail - is an easy to moderate 0.8-mile (1.3 km) hiking trail. The trail climbs a small hill overlooking Glendale Lake. Several benches are located on the trail for resting and birdwatching.[2]
- Forest Trail - is an easy 0.4-mile (640 m) hiking trail. Visitors will most likely be encountered by chattering
- Lakeshore Trail - is an easy 1.75-mile (2.82 km) hiking trail in a forest along the shores of Glendale Lake.[2]
- Poems Trail - is an easy 0.6-mile (970 m) hiking trail. There are many poems on trailmakers spread along the course of the trail. Each poem is about a different aspect of nature inspired by the natural surroundings of Prince Gallitzin State Park.[2]
- Point Trail - is a moderate 2.3-mile (3.7 km) hiking trail. There are many exposed roots and several windblown trees along the trail. The trail follows the shore of Glendale Lake before climbing a small hill.[2]
Horseback Riding
The park is a popular horseback riding destination with about 22 miles of pleasant and easy trails. Horse trails are in the north, east, and southeast of the park and are most easily accessed from Beaver Valley Marina upper parking lot.[5]
Nearby state parks
The following state parks are within 30 miles (48 km) of Prince Gallitzin State Park:[6][7][8]
- Black Moshannon State Park (Centre County)
- Blue Knob State Park (Bedford County)
- Canoe Creek State Park (Blair County)
- S. B. Elliott State Park (Clearfield County)
- Yellow Creek State Park (Indiana County)
References
- ^ "Prince Gallitzin State Park". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey. August 2, 1979. Retrieved January 5, 2008.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t "Prince Gallitzin State Park". Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. Archived from the original on October 2, 2011. Retrieved January 8, 2007.
- ^ "NowData – NOAA Online Weather Data". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved August 7, 2021.
- ^ "Station: Prince Gallitzin SP, PA". U.S. Climate Normals 2020: U.S. Monthly Climate Normals (1991-2020). National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved August 7, 2021.
- ^ "Horseback Riding at Prince Gallitzin State Park". Pennsylvania Department of Conservation & Natural Resources. Retrieved July 9, 2023.
- ^ 2007 General Highway Map Cambria County Pennsylvania (PDF) (Map). 1:65,000. Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, Bureau of Planning and Research, Geographic Information Division. Retrieved July 27, 2006.[permanent dead link] Note: shows Prince Gallitzin State Park
- ^ "Find a Park by Region (interactive map)". Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. Archived from the original on September 24, 2011. Retrieved November 18, 2011.
- ^ Michels, Chris (1997). "Latitude/Longitude Distance Calculation". Northern Arizona University. Retrieved April 23, 2008.
External links
- "Prince Gallitzin State Park — official map" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on February 22, 2014. (536.0 KB)