3 New State Parks Created In PA By Gov. Wolf

HARRISBURG, PA — Pennsylvania has created three new state parks, protecting some 3,500-acres of crucial ecoystems and cultural capital through a $45 million investment.

The new parks are temporily named Big Elk Creek in Chester County, Susquehanna Riverlands in York County, and Vosburg Neck in Wyoming County. Final names will be decided in coming weeks and months as planning and design is completed. All three will be open and fully operational by the end of 2026.

“Our beautiful state parks are among the finest in the nation,” Gov. Tom Wolf said in a statement “I’m proud to have secured funding in my final budget to make this investment in our park system which will not only preserve invaluable natural resources and habitats for wildlife but provide in-demand access for Pennsylvanians to enjoy the beauty of nature and recreational opportunities."

All three sites are within half an hour of heavily populated areas with limited land designated for recreational use. All are also centered around key waterways crucial to both the environment and local human populations reliant upon them. But they all bring something a little different to the table.

“Each new park site is unique in its value to a great system,” Cindy Adams Dunn. Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Secretary, added.

Here's a glance at the three new parks, bringing Pennsylvania's statewide total up to 121:

Vosburg Neck

This will be Wyoming County's first state park. Covering 669 acres, some of which was protected by the North Branch Land Trust, it sits along the North Branch of the Susquehanna River. It will feature scenic hikes, multi-use trails including renovated railroad beds, and varying elevation with an " impressive westerly oriented vista."

Big Elk Creek

The 1,712 acre parcel in Chester County sits along 3.5 miles of Big Elk Creek, a tributary of the Elk River and the Chesapeake Bay. Once a crucial stoppage point on the Underground Railroad, it served as a natural resource corridor for indigenous peoples for thousands of years prior. Just 10 miles northwest of Newark, Delaware, the park is easily accessible from major urban and suburban centers in the greater Philadelphia area. The state cited "significant" pressure from both residential and commercial interests to develop the area, spurring calls for its conservation.

Susquehanna Riverlands

The largely wooded 1,100-acre park in Hellam Township, York County is located at the junction of Codorus Creek with the Susquehanna River. It lies adjacent to Lancaster County's existing Hellam Hills and Wizard Ranch nature preserves, creating a massive protected wooded area accessible to the cities of Harrisburg, York, and Lancaster.