Gouldsboro State Park

Gouldsboro State Park
Pennsylvania State Park
Natural Monument (IUCN III)

Named for: Jay Gould and nearby Gouldsboro
Country	United States
State	Pennsylvania
Counties	Monroe, Wayne
Townships	Coolbaugh, Lehigh
Location	^[1]
- coordinates	41°12′38″N 75°27′21″W / 41.21056°N 75.45583°W / 41.21056; -75.45583Coordinates: 41°12′38″N 75°27′21″W / 41.21056°N 75.45583°W / 41.21056; -75.45583
- elevation	1,909 ft (582 m) ^[1]
Area	2,880 acres (1,165 ha)
Founded	1958
Managed by	Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources
Visitation	100,000 (in 2008) ^[2]
Location of Gouldsboro State Park in Pennsylvania
Website : Gouldsboro State Park

Gouldsboro State Park is a 2,880-acre (1,165 ha) Pennsylvania state park in Coolbaugh Township, Monroe County and Lehigh Township, Wayne County, Pennsylvania in the United States. The park includes the 250-acre (100 ha) Gouldsboro Lake. Gouldsboro State Park is located very close to Tobyhanna State Park and Pennsylvania State Game Lands 127 and 312. It is on Pennsylvania Route 507 near the small village of Gouldsboro.

History

Gouldsboro State Park is named for Gouldsboro, which was in turn named for Jay Gould (1836 - 1892). Gould, a native of New York, acquired an immense fortune during the Industrial Revolution, part of which included ownership of ten percent of all the rail tracks in the United States at the time of his death. One of his railroads passed by what is now the eastern boundary of the park. Gould was also the co-owner of a tannery in nearby Thornhurst. Raw hides were shipped from the western United States and Australia on the railroads owned by Gould to Gouldsboro. The hides were then sent to Thornhurst by way of wagons traversing a plank road.^[3]

As of 2006, this rail line forms the dividing line between Gouldsboro State Park and Tobyhanna State Park in Monroe County, and is owned by the Lackawanna County Railroad Authority and operated by the Delaware-Lackawanna Railroad Co. Inc. Tourist excursions on this line are operated by Steamtown National Historic Site, and run from Steamtown's yard in Scranton to Tobyhanna.^[4]^[5]

A dam and spillway were built on an existing lake in 1895 by the North Jersey & Pocono Mountain Ice Company. The new dam allowed more ice to be harvested from the lake in winter. In 1956 the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission took over ownership of the dam. The park opened in 1958 and the dam was transferred to the DCNR in 2003.^[2]

Inspections on the dam in 1979 revealed "the dam’s drain gate was inoperable and its spillway was deteriorating".^[2] The lake was partially drained in 1985 and 1995 for repairs to the dam and spillway, and completely drained in January 2005. Repairs included removing debris, installing a culvert, fence and erosion control measures, and replacing the spillway. Repairs were completed and the lake was refilled in January 2008.^[2]

Recreation

Gouldsboro Lake

Gouldsboro Lake

Gouldsboro Lake is a 250-acre (100 ha) man made lake. It is open to boating, swimming, fishing and ice fishing. Gas powered boats are prohibited on Gouldsboro Lake. Electric powered and non powered boats must have current registration from any state, or a launch permit from the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission. A beach at the lake is open from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend. The beach does not have lifeguards. Gouldsboro Lake is a warm water fishery. The common game fish are pickerel, yellow perch, bass, walleye, sunfish, muskellunge, and catfish. Gouldsboro Lake is also a popular ice fishing destination, however the thickness of the ice is not monitored by the park staff so visitors are asked to use caution when venturing out onto the ice.^[6]

Hunting and trapping

Hunting is permitted at Gouldsboro State Park. Hunters are expected to follow the rules and regulations of the Pennsylvania Game Commission. The common game species are squirrels, wild turkey, white-tailed deer, black bear, and snowshoe hare. The hunting of groundhogs is prohibited. The trapping of muskrats, raccoons, beaver, mink, fox, and coyote is permitted with the proper license.^[6]

Picnics

Gouldsboro State Park has five picnic areas with about 300 picnic tables. All five picnic areas are shaded and open year-round. There is one pavilion with an electric hook-up.^[6]

Trails

Old Route 611 is a 1.25-mile (2 km) "easy" trail that is flat and wide and runs parallel to Interstate 380 on the western edge of the park. The trail is open to hiking, bicycling and cross-country skiing.^[6]
Prospect Rock Trail is a 5.8-mile (9.3 km) "difficult" trail that is a loop that begins and ends in the day use area, passing over some very rugged terrain.^[6]
Frank Gantz Trail is a 3.2-mile (5.1 km) "difficult" trail that connects Gouldsboro State Park with Tobyhanna State Park. The trail is very rocky and therefore very demanding, with an estimated round trip completion time of three hours.^[6]

Nearby state parks

The following state parks are within 30 miles (48 km) of Gouldsboro State Park:^[7]^[8]^[9]^[10]

Archbald Pothole State Park (Lackawanna County)
Beltzville State Park (Carbon County)
Big Pocono State Park (Monroe County)
Frances Slocum State Park (Luzerne County)
Jacobsburg Environmental Education Center (Northampton County)
Hickory Run State Park (Carbon County)
Lackawanna State Park (Lackawanna County)
Lehigh Gorge State Park (Carbon and Luzerne Counties)
Nescopeck State Park (Luzerne County)
Promised Land State Park (Pike County)
Prompton State Park (Wayne County)
Tobyhanna State Park (Monroe and Wayne Counties)
Varden Conservation Area (Wayne County)

References

1 2 "Gouldsboro State Park". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey. August 2, 1979. Retrieved 2008-03-07.
1 2 3 4 "Governor Rendell says Gouldsboro State Park dam repair is example of statewide potential of 'rebuilding PA': Lake Filling After Repairs Makes 113-year-old Dam Safe". Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. Retrieved 2008-07-11.
↑ "Tobyhanna and Gouldsboro". Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. Retrieved 2007-02-13. Note: Histories of both state parks
↑ "Steamtown: Tobyhanna, PA Excursion". National Park Service, US Department of the Interior. Retrieved 2006-12-30.
↑ "2006 Railroad Map of Pennsylvania" (PDF). Pennsylvania Department of Transportation. Retrieved 2006-12-30. (shows owners and operators)
1 2 3 4 5 6 "Gouldsboro State Park". Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. Retrieved 2006-12-30.
↑ 2007 General Highway Map Monroe County Pennsylvania (PDF) (Map). 1:65,000. Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, Bureau of Planning and Research, Geographic Information Division. Retrieved 2007-07-27. Note: shows Gouldsboro State Park
↑ 2007 General Highway Map Wayne County Pennsylvania (PDF) (Map). 1:65,000. Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, Bureau of Planning and Research, Geographic Information Division. Retrieved 2007-07-27. Note: shows Gouldsboro State Park
↑ Michels, Chris (1997). "Latitude/Longitude Distance Calculation". Northern Arizona University. Retrieved 2008-04-20.
↑ "Find a Park by Region (interactive map)". Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. Retrieved November 18, 2011.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Gouldsboro State Park.

"Gouldsboro State Park official map" (PDF). (908.2 KB)

Protected areas of Pennsylvania

Federal

NPS National Historical Parks & National Historic Sites	Allegheny Portage Railroad NHS Edgar Allan Poe NHS Eisenhower NHS Friendship Hill NHS Gloria Dei (Old Swedes') Church NHS Hopewell Furnace NHS Independence NHP Steamtown NHS Valley Forge NHP

National Memorials	Benjamin Franklin Flight 93 Johnstown Flood Thaddeus Kosciuszko

National Battlefields and National Military Parks	Fort Necessity NB Gettysburg NMP

National Trails	Appalachian Trail

Other protected areas	Allegheny National Recreation Area Blue Marsh National Recreation Area Delaware and Lehigh National Heritage Corridor Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area Lackawanna Heritage Valley National and State Heritage Area Middle Delaware National Scenic River Upper Delaware Scenic and Recreational River

National Forests	Allegheny

USFS National Historic Sites	Grey Towers

National Wildlife Refuges	Cherry Valley Erie John Heinz Ohio River Islands

State

State Parks	Allegheny Islands Archbald Pothole Bald Eagle Beltzville Bendigo Benjamin Rush Big Pocono Big Spring Black Moshannon Blue Knob Boyd Big Tree Buchanan's Birthplace Bucktail Caledonia Canoe Creek Chapman Cherry Springs Clear Creek Codorus Colonel Denning Colton Point Cook Forest Cowans Gap Delaware Canal Denton Hill Elk Erie Bluffs Evansburg Fort Washington Fowlers Hollow Frances Slocum French Creek Gifford Pinchot Gouldsboro Greenwood Furnace Hickory Run Hillman Hills Creek Hyner Run Hyner View Jacobsburg Jennings Joseph E. Ibberson Kettle Creek Keystone Kings Gap Kinzua Bridge Kooser Lackawanna Laurel Hill Laurel Mountain Laurel Ridge Laurel Summit Lehigh Gorge Leonard Harrison Linn Run Little Buffalo Little Pine Locust Lake Lyman Run Marsh Creek Maurice K. Goddard McCalls Dam McConnells Mill Memorial Lake Milton Mont Alto Moraine Mt. Pisgah Nescopeck Neshaminy Nockamixon Nolde Forest Norristown Farm Ohiopyle Oil Creek Ole Bull Parker Dam Patterson Penn-Roosevelt Pine Grove Furnace Poe Paddy Poe Valley Point Presque Isle Prince Gallitzin Promised Land Prompton Prouty Place Pymatuning R. B. Winter Raccoon Creek Ralph Stover Ravensburg Reeds Gap Ricketts Glen Ridley Creek Ryerson Station S. B. Elliott Salt Springs Samuel S. Lewis Sand Bridge Shawnee Shikellamy Sinnemahoning Sizerville Susquehanna Susquehannock Swatara Tobyhanna Trough Creek Tuscarora Tyler Upper Pine Bottom Varden Warriors Path Washington Crossing Whipple Dam White Clay Creek Worlds End Yellow Creek

State Forests	Bald Eagle Buchanan Clear Creek Cornplanter Delaware Elk Forbes Gallitzin Loyalsock Michaux Moshannon Pinchot Rothrock Sproul Susquehannock Tiadaghton Tioga Tuscarora Weiser William Penn (Wild areas)

Scenic Rivers	Bear Run French Creek Lehigh River LeTort Spring Run Lick Run Lower Brandywine Octoraro Creek Pine Creek Schuylkill River Stony Creek Tucquan Creek Tulpehocken Creek Yellow Breeches Creek

Other

Other	Anders Run Natural Area Forrest H. Duttlinger Natural Area Hawk Mountain Sanctuary Hoverter and Sholl Box Huckleberry Natural Area Johnson Run Natural Area Stone Valley Recreation Area Trexler Nature Preserve Wykoff Run Natural Area

Hiking trails	Appalachian Baker Black Forest Central Mountains Shared Use Darlington Eastern Continental Five Star Glacier Ridge Great Eastern Greene River Horse-Shoe Indian Creek Valley Loyalsock Mid State Standing Stone Mason-Dixon North Country Ohio River Old Loggers Path Pinchot Potomac Heritage Quehanna Rachel Carson Sheepskin Susquehannock Thunder Swamp Tuscarora Valley Forge Historical West Rim Wissahickon Youghiogheny River

Rail trails	Abandoned Pennsylvania Turnpike Beaver River East Coast Greenway Five Star Ghost Town Great Allegheny Passage Great Shamokin Path Greene River Indian Creek Valley Lebanon Valley Lehigh Gorge Liberty Bell Lower Montour Ohio River Palmer Bikeway Panhandle Perkiomen Pine Creek Plainfield Township Schuylkill River Sheepskin Struble Susquehanna Warrior Switchback Three Rivers Heritage York Country Heritage Youghiogheny River

Nature centers	List of nature centers in Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources

Poconos

Camps	Camp Canadensis Camp Lohikan Camp Minsi Resica Falls Scout Reservation

Lakes	Lake Ariel Lake Como Pocono Peak Lake Stillwater Lake Lake Wallenpaupack Lake Harmony Lake Scranton

Parks	Big Pocono State Park Gouldsboro State Park Hickory Run State Park Tobyhanna State Park

Ski Resorts	Blue Mountain Ski Area Camelback Mountain Resort Elk Mountain Ski Area Jack Frost Ski Resort Shawnee Mountain Ski Area

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 11/17/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.