Laurel Hill State Park Complex

Snow & Sunshine!! Looking like a great weekend for sledding. The sledding area at Laurel Hill State Park is located within the campground. You can follow the signs from the main park road. A restroom, fire ring and firewood are provided. Bring your sleds and snacks to enjoy some winter fun!

Wishing you all the very best in 2022!

Don’t forget to check yourself and pets for ticks after spending time outdoors, especially during the spring when they are in their active nymph stage and are about the size of a poppy seed making them difficult to find.

Calling all interns! We currently have three State Park internship positions available at the Laurel Hill State Park Complex. If you are interested in gaining invaluable experience and knowledge in the field of conservation, park operations, and your major course of study, this could be a great opportunity for you! To apply, please visit: https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/pabureau/transferjobs and look for our job posting State Park Intern Laurel Hill State Park Complex 3 Positions. Pay begins at $14.25 per hour. The job posting will close April 20 at 11:59 p.m., so be sure to apply soon if you are interested!!

If you were at the Laurel Hill beach yesterday, you may have noticed our staff setting up the bird houses pictured below. These houses are designed specifically for Purple Martins, a migratory native songbird and the largest of all swallow species in North America. Purple Martins overwinter in South America, and migrate north during breeding season. That's approximately 5,000 miles for those journeying to Pennsylvania! Purple Martins rely almost exclusively on humans for hab...itat, making them dependent upon us for their survival. They prefer housing to be constructed in an open area near water. At Laurel Hill, multi-compartment housing is set up at the beach area, and man-made gourds are hanging at the Scenic View overlook. We are hopeful that through these efforts, we may attract some Purple Martins scouting out a new place to call home for the season! See more

Tomorrow, March 27th, is Statewide Mentored Youth Trout Day. Please remember to respect your resources and strive to leave the area in better shape than you found it!

Welcome this beautiful first day of Spring by heading outside & enjoying the sunshine! Keep an eye and an ear out for natures early indicators of the changing seasons, like frogs & toads calling from vernal pools & Eastern Phoebes singing their soft fee-bee songs.

Laurel Highlands Hiking Trail Courtesy of Gabriel Faria

Do you know which animal carved these oval and rectangular holes into the tree pictured below? If you guessed the Pileated Woodpecker, you would be correct! One of the Pileated Woodpeckers' favorite foods to munch on is carpenter ants. They often forage low on dead trees and fallen logs looking for a snack. Pileated Woodpeckers also excavate their own nests, although nests are located much higher in the tree. They are the largest woodpecker species in North America, and are easily identified by their unmistakable red crest and white wing-patch.

Today is the National Day of Unplugging. Disconnect from the digital static that is oftentimes all-consuming, and find activities that help you to reconnect with people, nature, and self. Recharge your mind, body, and soul by challenging yourself to unplug, unwind, and relax for the day.

A little behind the scenes action of park staff hard at work yesterday tapping trees! This week's weather conditions have been optimal for tapping. The sap in maple trees typically begins to flow between mid-February and mid-March when daytime temperatures rise above freezing, and nighttime temperature fall below freezing. This causes a pressure change within the tree that allows the sap to flow. When done properly, tree tapping does not affect the health of a tree. In fact, many maple sugar farms have tapped the same tree every year for more than 100 years!

Check out this incredibly rare and unique find!

This year's First Day Hikes will be on your own. The start of a new year gets us thinking about firsts. We encourage you to make a first trek on a new trail this year! Our parks have a diverse trail system that welcomes hikers of all abilities. Stop by the park office and grab a map before you head out. You might just find your new favorite hike! Wishing you all a wonderful New Year!

In addition to evergreen trees, Pennsylvania also has evergreen perennials. Mountain Laurel and Rhododendron both keep their leaves in the winter. They are often difficult to tell apart, can you distinguish between the two?

It is with a heavy heart that we share the passing of Jerry Eicher. Jerry served as both Vice President and President of the Friends of Laurel Hill. He never missed a volunteer work day and continually worked to provide access for folks to get out and experience our parks. He enjoyed hiking, biking, kayaking and cross-country skiing. He guided the Friends of Laurel Hill to tackle new and innovative projects throughout our park complex. He had a passion for being active and encouraged folks to never stop moving. His contributions to our parks will be enjoyed by many generations of park visitors. Jerry will be missed and we are honored to have worked alongside him.

Did you know bears are not true hibernators? The body temperature of a bear does not drop as drastically as true hibernators. In many cases, it can be dangerous for hibernators to awaken too often during hibernation, but this is not the case for a bear. Bears will hibernate to conserve energy, but it is not a consistent, uninterrupted sleep. For bears, hibernation consists of periods of sleep and arousal. As spring grows near, the period of arousal grows longer than the period of sleep. On warm days, towards the end of winter, bears will even emerge from their den and wander close by.