Friends of Pine Grove Furnace State Park

Friends of Pine Grove Furnace State Park A nonprofit group supporting Pine Grove Furnace State Park. And in the winter... cross country skiing, hunting, ice sports.

We have it all here... swimming, hiking, picnicking, biking, boating, camping, organized group tenting, history. Facebook Comment Policy:

We encourage the public to comment on this page and welcome all viewpoints. Comments should remain relevant to the topic at hand and participants must treat each other with respect. We review the comments posted to our page on a regular basis and reserve the ri

ght to delete comments that contain the following:
• Profane and/or vulgar content;
• Sexually suggestive or harassing content;
• Obscene content;
• Nudity in a participant’s profile picture;
• Threats of physical or bodily harm;
• Defamatory statements;
• Disparaging language or hate speech targeting an individual’s race, color, religious creed, ancestry, age, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, AIDS or HIV status, or disability;
• Commercial content promoting or soliciting service or products;
• Content promoting political organizations;
• Name-calling and/or personal attacks;
• Spam, such as the same comment posted repeatedly;
• Personally identifying, sensitive and/or private information;
• Language or content suggesting or encouraging illegal activity;
• Information that could reasonably compromise public safety; and
• Other content that DCNR deems inappropriate. We monitor this page but are not responsible for content generated by users. Comments and content posted on this page may be subject to public disclosure. Communications posted on this page will not be construed as satisfying requirements for legal notice or service, shall not be considered official public comment, and shall not be construed as an official request for records pursuant to the Right-to-Know Law. We reserve the right to modify this policy at any time. Continued use of this page following the posting of any modification signifies acceptance of such modification.

03/15/2026

Alright folks, we've got a new fun challenge for our 250 Celebrations!

Join us in celebrating 250 years of Pennsylvania outdoor heritage with our 250 Celebrations Bingo game!

How It Works
🌲 Download your 250 Celebrations Bingo card
✔️ Complete activities throughout the year—big or small, you choose your own adventure!
🎉 Submit your progress anytime using our online form

Optional: share photos or stories to inspire others

Rolling participation is open all year. Submissions received by October 31, 2026 will be included in our year-end celebration and prize drawings.

Click the Celebrate 250 link in the comments to download your Bingo card and for the full breakdown of submission guidelines and rules.

Are these egg masses from Wood Frogs (Rana sylvatica)? Or salamanders? Seen in a vernal pool near Mountain Creek Trail, ...
03/15/2026

Are these egg masses from Wood Frogs (Rana sylvatica)? Or salamanders? Seen in a vernal pool near Mountain Creek Trail, 3/11/2026.

03/14/2026

Emma Gatewood was a 67-year-old Ohio grandmother when she became the first woman to hike the entire AT alone, inspiring generations of

03/14/2026

Drum roll please🥁🥁🥁…..we are officially revealing our exclusive South Mountain Partnership sticker featuring original artwork by acclaimed local artist Holmes Watercolors! This limited edition sticker is FREE while supplies last.

We teamed up with Holmes to create a one-of-a-kind design celebrating the natural, historic, and cultural treasures of South Central PA.

Sign up to get your free sticker by March 31: https://secure.lglforms.com/form_engine/s/69qQO3JTWzL7hwuestqXRQ

The turtles are back! Here are a couple of Eastern Painted Turtles (Chrysemys picta) across from the old furnace stack o...
03/13/2026

The turtles are back!

Here are a couple of Eastern Painted Turtles (Chrysemys picta) across from the old furnace stack on 3/9/2026. The waterway is affectionately called “Turtle Town” by park staff. It’s a great place to see turtles, frogs, and occasionally water snakes and ducks.

The skinny “pond” is along the edge of Quarry Road at the Furnace Stack Day Use Area. Many visitors enjoying the turtles don’t realize that this water feature comes directly from the industrial history of our State Park: it’s actually the remnant of a “tail race” built to carry water away from waterwheels at the furnace, a sawmill next to the furnace, and inside the grist mill (today, the A.T. Museum). A different kind of tail than you can see today!

03/12/2026

Yesterday we posted about Wood Frogs. Compare their duck-like quacking to the much higher-pitched Spring Peepers (Pseudacris crucifer) in this short video. Turn up your computer audio to experience the full effect of male peepers looking for love on 3/10/2026, in a swampy area north of the Group Campground.

Spring peepers are tiny, and we couldn’t quite get a photo of an individual frog. See DCNR’s recent Facebook post https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=1243288571308895&id=100068832906169&mibextid=wwXIfr to see one. Cute!

03/11/2026

Thank you to Wandering Out Yonder for this great summary of Pine Grove Furnace!

03/11/2026

Chorus of Wood Frogs

Turn up your volume to hear male Wood Frogs (Rana sylvatica) calling in the “manufactured wetlands” at the Family Campground, 3/8/2026. More videos of frogs along the Hiker-Biker-A.T., and still photos, are in the comments.

Wikipedia says “Adult wood frogs emerge from hibernation in early spring and migrate to nearby pools. There, males chorus, emitting duck-like quacking sounds.” https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wood_frog

03/10/2026

Calling all scouts: did you know that DCNR offers the Scout Forest Conservation Award? 🌳

The Forest Conservation Award program helps Pennsylvania scouts learn about forests and how to protect them. 🌲

Complete a series of tasks, fill out (and submit) the award application, and celebrate with a certificate and colorful patch! 🥳

Learn more or apply now: https://bit.ly/DCNRScoutAward

Tick alert! The recent burst of warm weather really woke up the ticks. This is a public service reminder: as you enjoy t...
03/10/2026

Tick alert!

The recent burst of warm weather really woke up the ticks. This is a public service reminder: as you enjoy the outdoors, don’t forget to take precautions against tick bites!

The first photo shows an adult male Deer Tick or Black-Legged Tick (Ixodes scapularis) crawling on a volunteer at Pine Grove Furnace State Park on Sunday 3/8/2026. The second photo shows an adult female Ixodes acquired in a different park location the next day.

https://www.cdc.gov/ticks/prevention/index.html

Volunteers are needed on Mountain Creek Trail next Sunday 3/22/2026, starting at 1:30 PM. The Friends of Pine Grove Furn...
03/09/2026

Volunteers are needed on Mountain Creek Trail next Sunday 3/22/2026, starting at 1:30 PM.

The Friends of Pine Grove Furnace seek a half dozen to a dozen people who can shovel woodchips and push wheelbarrows. We’ll also install rock waterbars to divert rain, and carry lumber & install a walkway.

RSVP here on Facebook, or by emailing [email protected]. Please let us know you’re coming so we can plan ahead with adequate tools & materials.

Meet in the main Laurel Lake parking lot (near the bathhouse building) at 1:30 PM on Sunday March 22. Then we will drive down Ice House Road to the Mountain Creek Trail trailhead. Tasks will take two to three hours depending on how many people show up. “Many hands make light work.”

All tools will be provided: please just bring your favorite work gloves, appropriate footwear and water.

It would be ideal, but optional, for volunteers to create an account on DCNR’s new website, https://dcnrvolunteers.pa.gov. (Even if you were registered in the past, a brand new account is needed starting in 2026. The new system completely replaces the old one — it’s a fresh start with a *much* easier-to-use interface.)

Volunteers are critical to making Pine Grove Furnace State Park such a wonderful place. Thank you!

Address

1100 Pine Grove Rd
Gardners, PA
17324

Opening Hours

Monday 8am - 4pm
Tuesday 8am - 4pm
Wednesday 8am - 4pm
Thursday 8am - 4pm
Friday 8am - 4pm
Saturday 8am - 4pm
Sunday 8am - 4pm

Telephone

(717) 486-7174

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Volunteerism, Education & Recreation at Pine Grove Furnace State Park.

We have it all here... swimming, hiking, picnicking, biking, boating, camping, organized group tenting. And in the winter... snowmobiling, cross country skiing, hunting, ice sports. Facebook Comment Policy: We encourage the public to comment on this page and welcome all viewpoints. Comments should remain relevant to the topic at hand and participants must treat each other with respect. We review the comments posted to our page on a regular basis and reserve the right to delete comments that contain the following: • Profane and/or vulgar content; • Sexually suggestive or harassing content; • Obscene content; • Nudity in a participant’s profile picture; • Threats of physical or bodily harm; • Defamatory statements; • Disparaging language or hate speech targeting an individual’s race, color, religious creed, ancestry, age, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, AIDS or HIV status, or disability; • Commercial content promoting or soliciting service or products; • Content promoting political organizations; • Name-calling and/or personal attacks; • Spam, such as the same comment posted repeatedly; • Personally identifying, sensitive and/or private information; • Language or content suggesting or encouraging illegal activity; • Information that could reasonably compromise public safety; and • Other content that DCNR deems inappropriate. We monitor this page but are not responsible for content generated by users. Comments and content posted on this page may be subject to public disclosure. Communications posted on this page will not be construed as satisfying requirements for legal notice or service, shall not be considered official public comment, and shall not be construed as an official request for records pursuant to the Right-to-Know Law. We reserve the right to modify this policy at any time. Continued use of this page following the posting of any modification signifies acceptance of such modification.