Susquehanna Riverlands State Park

🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆 Pennsylvania — Pennsylvania’s newest state park concept — along the lower Susquehanna River near the Conowingo Dam. The area is internationally renowned for bald eagle watching (100+ eagles winter here!) and hosts the largest concentration of bald eagles in the northeastern U.S.

Visitor Information

About Susquehanna Riverlands

Susquehanna Riverlands State Park in York County provides access to the lower Susquehanna River — the longest river on the American East Coast at 444 miles. The Susquehanna drains 27,500 square miles across three states and provides roughly 50% of the Chesapeake Bay’s fresh water. The lower river gorge cuts through ancient Precambrian rock over 1 billion years old — some of the oldest exposed rock on Earth.

Things to Do

Fishing for smallmouth bass (the lower Susquehanna is legendary bass water), kayaking, birdwatching for bald eagles and ospreys, hiking, and experiencing America’s longest East Coast river.

Getting There

Located along the Susquehanna River near Berwick in Luzerne County. The Susquehanna — at 444 miles, it’s the longest river on the U.S. East Coast — drains an area the size of West Virginia. The river’s wide, shallow profile created critical habitat for migratory shad and herring. The park provides river access, trails, and scenic overlooks of the mile-wide river valley.

History & Ecology

The Susquehanna’s mile-wide channel is extremely shallow — it has been called “a mile wide and a foot deep.” This unique hydrology makes it unsuitable for navigation but creates extensive gravel bar and island habitats for migratory shad, American eels, and smallmouth bass. The Susquehannock people — for whom the river is named — were a powerful Iroquoian nation until devastated by disease and warfare in the 1670s.

Insider Tips

River access: Susquehanna Riverlands provides direct access to the Susquehanna River — one of the oldest rivers in the world (estimated 300+ million years old, predating the Atlantic Ocean). Pro tip: The Susquehanna is unusually shallow and wide — it’s the widest non-navigable river in North America. Bald eagles: The lower Susquehanna supports one of the largest concentrations of bald eagles in the eastern US.

Best Time to Visit

Winter: Bald eagle concentration below dams. Fall: River valley foliage. Summer: Kayaking and fishing. Spring: Shad migration upstream.

Frequently Asked Questions

How old is the Susquehanna River?

The Susquehanna may be 300+ million years old — older than the Atlantic Ocean, which opened only 180 million years ago. The river predates the Appalachian Mountains in their current form — it cut through the rising mountains rather than being diverted. This is why the Susquehanna cuts dramatic water gaps through ridges — the river was there first.