Friends of Colonel Denning State Park

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Only one week to go until this year's Welcome Summer Beach Party at Colonel Denning State Park.  We hope to see you ther...
06/14/2026

Only one week to go until this year's Welcome Summer Beach Party at Colonel Denning State Park. We hope to see you there this year.

Be advised: PennDOT is closing State Route 233 for maintenance work on weekends north of the Park in Perry County. Route 233 will be open to the Park from the Cumberland County/Newville side. If you are coming from the north be sure to allow some extra travel time to get to the Park via the detour route.

05/31/2026

We have some new programs coming up at the park to start off June! Hope to see you there!

05/21/2026
05/16/2026

Happy Kids to Parks Day!!

Join the Park Naturalist for our 'StoryWalk' Guided Hike this afternoon at 1PM. We will be walking the Lake Loop Trail and reading our StoryWalk book, "The Salamander Room" and talking about amphibians! We will meet at the Doubling Gap Lake Dam.

'The Salamander Room' StoryWalk will remain up on the Lake Loop Trail until the end of June. Bring the kiddos out and read it on your own, too!

The Friends of Col. Denning State Park were honored to be awarded the 2026 Education Award by the Pennsylvania Parks and...
05/13/2026

The Friends of Col. Denning State Park were honored to be awarded the 2026 Education Award by the Pennsylvania Parks and Forests Foundation. The award reflected the Friends commitment to community engagement at the Park through unique public events and their commitment to enhancing educational opportunities at the Park in partnership with Park staff

Save the Date!This year's Welcome Summer Beach Party is happening on Saturday June 20, 2026, 5 to 8 PM.  Come out and en...
05/09/2026

Save the Date!

This year's Welcome Summer Beach Party is happening on Saturday June 20, 2026, 5 to 8 PM. Come out and enjoy an evening of relaxed family fun, music, games and $1 hot dogs and hamburgers.

We will be celebrating the 250th birthday of the United States of America AND the 90th Birthday of Col Denning State Park.

Follow us on Facebook to see updates. If you have any questions, drop us an email at [email protected].

We hope to see you there.

05/08/2026

💐Happy (early) Mother's Day to all those incredible moms out there! We have some more fun public program offerings coming up this month at Colonel Denning State Park.

🐸We will be offering another Homeschool Learning Day at FOWLERS HOLLOW State Park on May 14th. These events are open to all families with children. Recommended for children ages 5-10, though kids of all ages are encouraged to come and participate!

📖We are continuing our partnership with the Community Library of Western Perry County hosting a Ranger Storytime Series through May. Storytimes will be held at the library in Blain in the upstairs classroom area.

Can't make one of our programs but still want to come out and enjoy the park? Try one of our self-guided activities!

🗺️Junior Ranger Program - Grab a booklet from the Office and explore the park and our map to find the answers. Bring your completed booklet back to the office to be sworn in as a Junior Ranger and get your badge!

🧭Orienteering - Start at our Orienteering Info Board just off the parking lot at Flat Rock Trailhead. Read the board to learn how to get started. Choose which course you want to do, beginner, intermediate, or advanced. Bring your own compass or visit the office to sign one out for the day! Must be returned by 4pm.

🎒Nature Exploration Backpacks - Stop by the office and sign out one of our Nature Exploration Backpacks to encourage the kiddos to explore! These backpacks include activities and educational tools for making observations around the park. Topics to pick from include Insects, Plants/Trees, Birds, or Rocks & Minerals. Must be returned to Park Office by 4pm. More info to come, stay tuned!

See you at the park!💐

We have restocked our supply of Col. Denning State Park T shirts.  In addition to our traditional green Park T-shirt, we...
05/07/2026

We have restocked our supply of Col. Denning State Park T shirts.

In addition to our traditional green Park T-shirt, we have a special edition shirt that will only be available in 2026.

In celebration of the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States AND the 90th anniversary of the establishment of Col. Denning State Park we are offering a limited supply of T-shirts commemorating these significant historical events. See the photos below for details.

Both shirts are $25 each and are available for sale at the Park Office or at the Campground Host site.

In addition to T shirts the Friends also sell Park stickers and Purple Lizard maps of the Tuscarora State Forest region. These are also available at the Park Office and at the Campground Host.

Cash sales only.

All funds raised through the sale of merchandise by the Friends Group remain at Col. Denning State Park

Since last fall, Friends Group volunteers and Park staff have been working to revitalize the amphitheater area of the Pa...
04/24/2026

Since last fall, Friends Group volunteers and Park staff have been working to revitalize the amphitheater area of the Park. Projects have included construction of a stone pad for the amphitheater and construction and installation of all new bench seating. We also built and installed a large fire ring and rustic bench seating that will be used for campfire programs.

Materials for these projects were largely purchased using funds raised within the Park through sales of Firewood, ice, and Park themed merchandise, as well as a generous $1500 donation.

Of course, none of this would have happened without the many, many hours of volunteer labor. We thank each and every volunteer that helped us with these projects. Without our volunteers we would never accomplish the work we are able to do in the Park.

Please check out the photos below. There will be many more volunteer opportunities in the future. If you are interested in volunteering, follow us here on Facebook, drop us an email at [email protected], or stop by the Park office and they will put you in touch with us

04/07/2026

Address

1599 Doubling Gap Road
Newville, PA
17241

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