Canoe Creek State Park in Pennsylvania, USA - map and visitor information

Research checked: 2026-11-01. Check linked official notices before travel.

Canoe Creek State Park near Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania, combines a lake, wetlands and wooded hills with the remains of a limestone industry. The Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources manages the park. For a first visit, pair a lakeside picnic with a trail chosen for its difficulty, rather than treating every route as an easy walk.

Choose between lakeside paths and industrial history

Beaver Pond Trail follows ponds, fields and gentle slopes east of the lake. The Blair Limestone Company kiln remnants provide a different focus: interpreting the raw materials that supported Pennsylvania’s iron and steel industry. Both fit a visit centered on walking and observation.

Plan daylight walks and seasonal facilities

Fees, hours, and seasonal access

Use the trail difficulty labels

The park has routes ranging from easy to difficult. Deer Trail is a steep connector, rated most difficult. Prepare for changing weather and trail conditions. During hunting seasons, DCNR advises hikers to wear fluorescent orange because this is a park with multiple uses. Download a park map before arrival because cell service can be unreliable.

Observe bats through the park’s programs

The limestone mine used by hibernating bats is gated and monitored. Use the park’s summer bat-viewing programs to watch emergence at the Frank Felbaum Bat Sanctuary. Treat the sanctuary and mine as wildlife habitat, rather than as places to explore inside.

Reserve a pavilion for a group picnic

Three pavilions each accommodate up to 90 people. Reservations open up to 11 months ahead and require a fee. An unreserved pavilion can be used free on a first-come, first-served basis. The official picnic information links to the reservation system.

Find the gate from US 22

From US 22 at the village of Canoe Creek, seven miles east of Hollidaysburg, turn north on Turkey Valley Road. Continue half a mile to the park gate on the right. The mailing and contact address is 205 Canoe Creek Road, Hollidaysburg, PA 16648. The official park page links to downloadable maps.

Nearby stops reached by road

Allegheny Portage Railroad National Historic Site is reached from US 22’s Gallitzin exit, followed by a right turn toward the visitor center. Trough Creek State Park is near Entriken, reached by PA 26 and PA 994. Use its street address at 16362 Little Valley Road, James Creek, rather than its Canoe Creek mailing address.

Pick a short path before a steeper connector

The trail descriptions label Beaver Pond Trail as a 0.9-mile out-and-back route with orange blazes and an easiest rating. Deer Trail is a half-mile white-blazed connector with a steep climb toward Moore’s Hill. Choose the route description that matches your group’s ability.

Watch the lake for migrating waterfowl. Spring and fall migrants include osprey, bald eagles, ducks, swans and warblers. Wetlands and fields along Mary Anns Creek provide another birding setting. Checklists are available at the park office or education center.

Use the picnic areas and education center

Picnic areas occupy both sides of the lake, with tables, charcoal grills and charcoal-disposal units. Beaver Pond Trail lists modern restrooms and benches at its trailhead. The Terry Wentz Education Center offers natural and cultural interpretation. Contact the park directly to arrange an accommodation suited to your visit.

A park with an industrial past

Limestone kilns and a railroad connection

Quarries supplied limestone to two kiln operations in the early 1900s. A Pennsylvania Railroad spur connected the kilns with the main line. The park developed during the Project 70 expansion of Pennsylvania state parks and was dedicated in 1979.

Seasonal birds and protected bat habitat

Old fields, wetlands, woodland and the lake support different wildlife communities. The park provides both summer maternity habitat and winter hibernation habitat for bats, including endangered species. Bird and bat programs offer a way to understand these seasonal uses without expecting the same wildlife on every visit.

Contact Canoe Creek

Call 814-695-6807 or email [email protected]. For a walk, group picnic or education-center visit, ask about current facility access and any conditions affecting the route.