Hemlock State Forest Park is a former Pennsylvania state forest park. Today the site is the Hemlocks Natural Area in Tuscarora State Forest, Perry County, managed by DCNR’s Bureau of Forestry, and it is not part of Pennsylvania’s state park system.
DCNR describes the Hemlocks Natural Area as 120 acres of virgin hemlock in a narrow ravine about one and a half miles long, along Hemlock Road near Big Spring State Park. Three miles of trails run along both sides of Patterson Run. A picnic table stands at the trailhead, pamphlets are available from the Tuscarora State Forest district office, and camping is not permitted.
From state forest park to natural area
In 1933 Frederic A. Godcharles listed Hemlock State Forest Park among the nine state forest parks of Pennsylvania, describing it as one of the finest remaining stands of original hemlock, in the Tuscarora State Forest in Perry County. In 1937 the Pennsylvania Senate passed Senate Bill 873, a $5,000 appropriation to the Department of Forests and Waters “for the purpose of improving and developing the Hemlock State Forest Park” in Perry County. By 1955 a national inventory of state park areas carried the tract as the Hemlocks State Forest Monument (80 acres, Perry County) and no longer as a forest park.
The park’s coordinates are 40.2353, -77.6415.
🐾 Dogs & Pets at Hemlock State Forest Park
Park policy: Hemlock State Forest Park is today the Hemlocks Natural Area of Tuscarora State Forest, so Pennsylvania's state forest rules apply here, not the state park pet rules. Under 17 Pa. Code § 21.121, a pet in a state forest must be attended and under someone's control and must not disturb or intimidate other people or damage property or resources.
- Pets allowed?
- Dogs are allowed if attended and under control; 6-foot leash in picnic areas
- Park-specific rules
- In state forest picnic areas, pets must be on a leash no longer than 6 feet and under physical control (17 Pa. Code § 21.106).
Are dogs allowed at Hemlock State Forest Park?
Dogs are allowed if attended and under control; 6-foot leash in picnic areas.
More: Pennsylvania state parks guide · Dog rules in all 50 states compared
Park Map
Plan your gear for Hemlock State Forest Park
From our editorial guides, matched to this park’s activities:
