Prince Gallitzin State Park

An amazing group of insects, the bees and wasps are at a population high at this time of the year.  If you spend time recreating outside, you most likely will…

Soak up some fresh air and sunshine while learning about the many types of Goldenrod that provide food and shelter to migrating Monarch Butterflies.  See which Asters are blooming and…

Help the park naturalist with a citizen science project to monitor the migrating population of Monarch butterflies. Learn how this project helps biologists understand their seasonal movements as we go…

Enjoy a fun day outdoors learning skills in friendly, non-competitive activities. Engaging, hands on choice of sessions include: learning to shoot a bow and cross bow; fly fishing pole casting and fly fishing along the shoreline; wild herb ID and how to prepare; learn basic kayaking skills; orienteering with a compass; canning; and snorkeling. Campfire…

Enjoy an evening kayaking Mudlick Cove before the start of another work week with school approaching. We will circle the shoreline watching for birds and dragonflies. Bring your observations of animals that filled your summer days. We will launch from Range Road boat launch. A limited number of kayaks will be available for use. Registration…

Help the park naturalist with a citizen science project to monitor the migrating population of Monarch butterflies. Learn how this project helps biologists understand their seasonal movements as we go out into the field to catch and tag these long-distance flyers!

Many Monarch Butterflies are caterpillars right now and they are busy chewing milkweed. If you know a field or roadside will soon be mowed, you can set up your own monarch habitat and watch them hatch into the adults who will be flying to Mexico! Learn what you need to do to keep them safe…

Join us as we bike along Rhody Trail to discuss the history of the lake and the park and look for any wildlife that calls Prince Gallitzin home. Participants need to provide their own bike and wear a helmet. We will meet at the parking lot near the entrance to Glendale Yearround.

Come out and hear the story of Perseus and learn about the upcoming meteor shower. We will learn what causes those amazing streaks across the night sky!

Come to Headache Hill to watch for "shooting stars" as we discover the constellations hosting the meteor shower. Bring a blanket or chair, and a flash light (red light preferred).

Come out and enjoy a program about the different types of fish and aquatic animals found throughout the lake. We will discuss how to identify them and explain what kinds of relationships are formed.

Given their closeness to the ground, they surprise us in the grass and the woods. Snakes go mostly unnoticed but when we encounter them, we often want to know "what kind is it?". Learn some ways to help identify and appreciate our PA Snakes.

Walk to the Point Trail Parking area as we discuss the July 4th wind event and how to know what to do when the weather turns bad. We will loop from Poems Trail to Point Trail from the second car parking. Enjoy some America 250 Trivia along the way.

Join us for an evening walk to discuss some of the animals that are getting ready to wake up. This hike will go around the apple orchard near Headache Hill to see if the moon shines in the night sky. Wear proper footwear and bring a light source with you.

Or in this case a dusty 2nd car parking lot! Grasshoppers have their wings and the Road Dusters are crepitating on dirt and gravel roads. Borrow a net or bring your own as we learn together about these wonderful hoppers.

Join a naturalist for a guided paddle onto the lake. A variety of areas and topics will be explored. All participants need to supply their own equipment and have basic flat-water paddling experience. Participants must wear a lifejacket.

All insects, including bug, are part of the food chain, some at the bottom, some in the middle, a few lurking at the top! Discover how some manage to survive, and how other animals, including humans, can still catch a few.

No we aren't talking about punch buggies or famous bands. We will be exploring several groups of insects to see their similarities and differences and how some of both groups affect our camping experiences. Short film included.

Discover more about the wonderful Fireflies that twinkle in the air in the summer months. We will watch and follow these beetle lights as they begin to appear at the beach.

Discover the Pennsylvania frontier through games about the history of the fur trade and other nature resources.

Stop by our table at the beach during the Friends of Prince Gallitzin's Hawaiian Day to discover how plants and animals adapt to heat. Which animals do you associate with summer?

Bats are filling the nighttime skies and we are inviting you to find out how vital bats are for the environment. Come to the campground amphitheater to learn things you never knew about the only mammal capable of true flight.

Join us as we bike along Old Glendale Road Trail to discuss the history of the lake and the park and look for any wildlife that calls Prince Gallitzin home. Participants need to provide their own bike and helmet.

Start the weekend with some time in the water. We will paddle through the lily pads from slatelick out to the lake to see what wildlife is enjoying the water's edge. Participants must wear a PDF and provide their own kayak.

Did the park bat colonies increase in population? Come help us know more by being part of an evening exit count at the barn boxes. Discover facts about these marvelous mammals and how biologists are helping bats battle White Nose Syndrome and which bats enjoy these wooden structures.

Start the weekend with some time in the water. We will paddle the shoreline from Muskrat area #2, down lake to see what wildlife is enjoying the water's edge. Some kayaks are available to use. Please register to use a park kayak.

From warblers to orioles, come and enjoy the sights and sounds of our summer nesting birds and maybe a few travelers. Limited number of binoculars will be available and spotting scopes will be set up for a view over the lake.

Join park staff to look for the location of the old amphitheater near Headache Hill. We will look at historic photos and walk the edge of the fields below the water tower.

Enjoy an afternoon looking at the packages that hold this year's flowers and trees!  From fluffy "wings" to hard-to-crack shells, discover the food chain that surrounds the different ones.  Dress for the weather to be outside.

View the moon from the Mudlick Gazebo while we learn some fun facts about worms and sap while listening to the sounds of a March eve.

Join us to kick off the Cambria County 250 Hike Challenge and record your first 2.5 miles as we hike Shomo Trail.  We will be looking at stream level and watching for signs of wildlife.  Even if you are not participating in the challenge, come and enjoy the afternoon on the trail.  Please meet at…

If you are a beginning or intermediate angler interested in knowing more about fly fishing for trout, have questions, or have some gear you are unsure about how to use, “Get Started in Fly Fishing” is for you.  Come out to learn about the gear, rods, leader/line setup, knots, fly selection, and some fishing methods…

With Spring a month away, deciduous trees will soon leave their dormant stage.  Enjoy a walk around the Muskrat Beach areas to discover common tree species and of course, see if the Maples are sweetening up!

Join Park staff at Muskrat Beach Area #1 to try XC skiing!  We will have loaner skis and poles and provide beginner instruction on kick and glide, turning, and finding the best fit.

Enjoy the brightness of the almost full moon as we look for our shadows along Bollinger Trail.  Meet at the soccer field parking lot as we hike to meet the rising of the Snow Moon.  If the snow depth is right, you can choose to use snow shoes!

This program is intended for participants who attended the Beginner Fly Tying Part 1 program at the park in the past or have had had basic experience with the basics of fly tying.  The program will include some new steps for tying patterns not covered in the first course when tying other patterns such as…

Step into the new year with this more difficult hike covering 250 ft. elevation change starting from Beaver Valley Marina and circling on Gates Trail.  Trail is forested winding beneath evergreen and deciduous trees creating habitat for woodland wildlife.  Find out the history behind the trail name.  *Trail is in the DMAP hunting area for…

Are you interested in fly fishing for trout?  Have you ever wondered how to tie trout flies but do not know where to start?  Consider coming to the Main Park Office Conference Room to learn the basics of fly tying.  Learn about the tools and techniques used to tie your own trout flies.  All tools and material will…

Bring a lawn chair and relax around the fire ring at Beaver Valley Marina.  As the cold moon rises, learn which woods burn hot, fast, or sizzle.

Join us for a look at the fading understory and deepening soil layer along Forest Trail.

While owls are not yet thinking about nesting for next year, they are maintaining association with each other.  We will see if any are out on a mid November evening.  Please meet at the Slate Lick Run parking area as we walk out Shomo Trail.  Bring a flashlight covered in a red plastic bag or…

What happens when you leave a field go fallow?  When is a plant a weed or an essential part of a habitat?  Take a look at one year's growth and learn what species call it home.

Walk from the Beaver Valley Road parking to the Mudlick Cove shoreline and back as we look for winter birds and signs of the pre-park era.

Enjoy a fun day outdoors learning skills in friendly, non-competitive activities.  Engaging, hands on choice of sessions. *Preregistration is required and open to women ages 14 and older.

Join a naturalist for a guided paddle onto the lake. A variety of areas and topics will be explored. All participants need to supply their own equipment and have basic flat-water…

Join a park naturalist out on the lake to enjoy watching the Perseid Meteor Shower. During the peak nights this meteor shower can produce over 50 meteors an hour. We…

Stop by the amphitheater to discuss information on Cervidae (deer and similar animals) throughout North America, as well as look at some archery equipment that hunters are getting ready for…

Join us for an evening float leaving from Beaver Dam boat launch.  We will paddle out across the dam to the pennisula and make our way back to observe the…