Chapman State Park

Don't forget to check the Winter Report before heading out to cross-country ski or sled ride. Our sledding hill is lighted nightly until 8 PM. Click here: http://bit.ly/PAWinterReport and select Chapman from the dropdown menu. (You can even see when we last updated our conditions)

Where in the Park is Bigfoot? This popular program has now become a self-guided activity. A GPS unit is not required but may be used as coordinates are listed at each location. Follow the clues around the park to find Bigfoot. Don't forget to search for the cache at the end. Copy down a letter, from each clue, to spell the secret word and then write that word in the logbook. Start here where outdoor church services are held from Memorial Day to Labor Day.... Please park in designated parking areas. This activity can be completed from 8AM to Sunset through summer 2021.

Wilderness Wednesday I am a frequent visitor of Chapman State Park. I am often seen hanging out in the trees along the shoreline. Those trees provide an excellent vantage point as I can see the fish from way up there. Don’t let that fool you. I don’t always eat fish. It takes a lot of energy to catch a fish. You see, only 1 in 19 attempts is successful. I will also feed on dead animals especially in the winter when fish aren’t easily accessible. It’s like fast food for me ... it doesn’t take much time or energy to grab a meal. There is just one problem with these fast meals I tend to ingest lead fragments. I don’t mean to, but the fragments are so small. I can’t detect the fragments while I’m eating. It isn’t until much later that I feel the effects. I may become weak, emaciated, and uncoordinated. Please help me out by covering up your kill this hunting season. The recovery of bald eagles has come a long way from the 1970’s. From three nests to more than 300 nests in Pennsylvania. The bald eagle is currently facing another challenge lead poisoning. Lead that causes toxicity is acquired through ingestion. Research shows that most lead acquisition comes from un-retrieved carcasses gut piles, varmint carcasses left in the field, and carcasses of game that couldn’t be located. They ingest lead ammunition fragments distributed in the tissues of these carcasses. The lead is broken down in the stomach and then absorbed in the bloodstream. Negative impacts include damage to the nervous, digestive, and muscular-skeletal systems as well as the function of the brain, liver, and kidneys. Lead toxicity is most often fatal. Not all is lost you can help. One option is by choosing to use non-lead ammunition and fishing tackle. The second option is burying the carcass or gut pile if it is too large to be removed from the environment. This will prevent eagles and other scavengers from accessing the carcass and lead fragments.

Wilderness Wednesday As you drive through the park, you will notice me. I stand out, amongst the crowd, with my brilliant scarlet colored leaves. I am one of the first species to change color in the fall. Enjoy my leaves while they last as I am preparing for leaf fall. You see I need to protect myself from freezing temperatures during the winter. My tender leaf tissues would freeze and burst, so the best way to ensure my survival is to shed my leaves. Please only collect my l...eaves after falling to the ground as pulling them, while still attached, disrupts my winterization process. Red Maples are one of the earliest trees to turn. This usually occurs in September with peak viewing occurring October 1-10 in northern counties. Leaf fall is triggered by days becoming shorter and sunlight weakening. Leaves begin processes leading up to their fall. Veins that carry fluids into and out of the leaf gradually close off. A layer of cells form at the base of each leaf. Once this separation layer is complete and the connecting tissues are sealed off, the leaf is ready to drop. Maple trees are deciduous and their leaves are typically broad and thin and not protected by any coating. The fluid in their cells is usually a thin, watery sap that freezes readily. This means that the cells would not survive where temperatures fall below freezing. If you’re planning a trip to see the fall foliage, check the Bureau of Forestry’s Fall Foliage report to time your visit perfectly: https://www.dcnr.pa.gov//FallFoliageRep/Pages/default.aspx