Whirl’s End State Park
🏆🏆🏆🏆 Creek’s End — Small park at the end of a whirling creek — quiet fishing and forest hiking in central Pennsylvania
Whirl’s End State Park is a small forested park named for the “whirling” nature of the creek at its terminus — where the flowing water creates spiraling pools before joining a larger stream. Pennsylvania has over 86,000 miles of streams and rivers — more stream miles than any other state except Alaska! This extraordinary water wealth made Pennsylvania the powerhouse of early American industry — waterpower drove mills, forges, and factories throughout the colonial and industrial eras. The park offers quiet fishing, hiking, and bird watching in mature second-growth forest.
Visitor Information
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Location | Central PA |
| Entry Fee | Free |
| PA Streams | 86,000 miles — 2nd most in US! |
| Name | Whirling pools at creek’s end! |
About Whirl’s End
Whirl’s End State Park in Sullivan County — one of Pennsylvania’s least-populated counties — provides access to the Loyalsock Creek, one of the finest wild trout streams in the state. The name refers to a dramatic whirlpool formation in the creek. Sullivan County, deep in the Endless Mountains, has fewer than 6,000 residents across 450 square miles — genuine Appalachian wilderness within 200 miles of New York City.
Things to Do
Fishing for wild trout in Loyalsock Creek, swimming in the creek pools, hiking, hunting (seasonal), and experiencing the remote Endless Mountains — Pennsylvania’s emptiest and most wild landscape.
Insider Tips
Susquehanna whirlpool: Whirl’s End marks a point on the Susquehanna where the river narrows and creates dangerous whirlpools — hence the name. Pro tip: The Susquehanna is deceptively dangerous — its broad, shallow appearance hides strong currents and rocky bottoms. Shad migration: American shad once migrated up the Susquehanna by the millions — dams blocked the run, but fish passages are slowly restoring it.
Best Time to Visit
Spring: Shad run observation. Fall: River foliage. Summer: River access (exercise caution). Winter: Eagle watching.
Frequently Asked Questions
What happened to the shad?
American shad were once so abundant in the Susquehanna that colonists used them to fertilize fields. Dams built in the 1900s blocked their migration — shad populations crashed. A massive restoration effort (fish ladders, trap-and-transport) is slowly rebuilding the run. The goal is to restore 2 million shad to the Susquehanna — connecting the Chesapeake Bay to upstream spawning grounds.
