Locust Lake State Park

Located in Schuylkill County, Locust Lake is one of the smaller state parks in Eastern Pennsylvania, but it has a lot to offer. The main reason for going is, of course, the lake. It is perfect for fishing, boating (small boats only), swimming in the summertime and just to hike around. This park is great for an afternoon out or if you would like to stay for awhile, there are over 250 campsites to choose from.

This is the first view of the lake that is seen when entering the park. If you boater there are a couple things you need to remember before setting out on the lake. The first is that in any PA State Park you are going to need a launch permit. Both DCNR and Fish and Boat Commission launch permits are acceptable. The closest place from this location to obtain a DCNR launch permit year round is the main office at Tuscarora State Park with is about 5 miles from this location. 1 or 2 year permits are available. The second item specifically for this park is that if you are not camping your vehicle and possibly trailer have to be parked in the guest parking lot just outside of the main entrance after your boat is unloaded.

The trail that surrounds the lake is perfect for just about everyone at every skill level. It is flat and paved all the way around. This is the only public lake in Eastern PA that I know of that has this. Along this there are exercise stations and a playground if you bring your little ones along.

A nice feature the DCNR added to the lake is this fishing pier specifically made for handicap access. The paved trail is connected to this as well and handicap parking is available close by. 

This is the beech area and in the summer can be a nice place to relax and take a dip to cool off.

This park is really close to my house, so I have never camped here myself. All the sites though from what I've seen are maintained very well. There are multiple bathroom facilities throughout the campgrounds and they are maintained nicely as well. 

Some of the campsites are right on the water while others are tucked away on the mountainside. 

A second option for fishermen at this site is this small pond below the lake. Both the lake and this pond have trout, bass and panfish. The pond also flows into Locust Creek which is a trout stream, but is not easily fished. 

One of the many trout I spotted swimming around the lower pond today.

You may have seen something like this in your own travels and wondered what it was. This is an artificial basking platform for turtles. When you find one check it out. They are used often by Eastern Painted Turtles and the non-native Red-Eared Slider. 

There is also a camp store, but it did not seem open this morning. I will try to find out when it opens and it's hours in the next couple day and either make a new post or add it to this on.

This is my first post in years for this blog and I am going to try to put up new posts on a regular basis. If you have any questions or if there is anything you would like me to add to these posts feel free to comment or e-mail me. Thank you for reading and I am leaving you with a caterpillar I found on my walk today around the lake.