Milton State Park
Encyclopedia
Milton State Park is an 82 acres (33.2 ha) Pennsylvania state park in Milton
in Northumberland County, Pennsylvania
in the United States
. The park is on Montgomery Island in the West Branch Susquehanna River
, just east of the village of West Milton in Union County
. Milton State Park is on Pennsylvania Route 642
.
orchard
on what was to become known as Montgomery Island.
Ownership of the island eventually transferred to the Straub Family. The Straubs built a dam
across part of the river in 1824. The Straubs ran a sawmill
and gristmill
on the island and built a bridge between the island to the banks of the West Branch Susquehanna River. In time, the mills closed and the land was used for farming
. The island was no longer used for farming by the early 1900s.
Over the next 60 years the island was divided among several owners and used as a picnic ground with several athletic fields. The Milton Rotary Club and the Borough of Milton worked together to consolidate the deeds and transferred ownership of Montgomery Island to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in 1966.
Hurricane Agnes
wiped out the newly created Milton State Park in 1972. The island and much of Pennsylvania
in the Susquehanna River
watershed was flooded extensively by the hurricane. The park was eventually rebuilt with federal disaster relief funds.
Milton, Pennsylvania. This does not mean that it lacks for natural beauty. The island is surrounded by the waters of the West Branch Susquehanna River and the southern part of the island is not developed. It is covered in a forest of river birch
, silver maple
and sycamore
trees. Milton State Park is a haven for migrating bird
s and waterfowl
.
fields that are used by the residents of West Milton and Milton for recreational and church league events. Montgomery Island is stopping point for those exploring the river in canoes and kayaks. Milton State Park is handy to the fisherman interested in taking a short trip from Milton or West Milton for a day of fishing for catfish
, panfish
, bass
, northern pike
and muskellunge
. There is 1 miles (1.6 km) of hiking trail on the northern side of the park.
The northern side of the park has ample picnic facilities. Families will find many picnic tables and charcoal grills for their use. There also is access to fresh drinking water and restroom facilities.
The following state parks are within 30 miles (48.3 km) of Milton State Park:
Milton, Pennsylvania
Milton is a borough in Northumberland County, Pennsylvania, on the Susquehanna River, north of Harrisburg. Settled in 1770, it was incorporated in 1817, and is governed by a charter that was revised in 1890...
in Northumberland County, Pennsylvania
Northumberland County, Pennsylvania
There were 38,835 households out of which 27.30% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.40% were married couples living together, 9.60% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.10% were non-families. 30.20% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.50% had...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The park is on Montgomery Island in the West Branch Susquehanna River
West Branch Susquehanna River
The West Branch Susquehanna River is one of the two principal branches, along with the North Branch, of the Susquehanna River in the northeastern United States. The North Branch, which rises in upstate New York, is generally regarded as the extension of the main branch, with the shorter West Branch...
, just east of the village of West Milton in Union County
Union County, Pennsylvania
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 41,624 people, 13,178 households, and 9,211 families residing in the county. The population density was 131 people per square mile . There were 14,684 housing units at an average density of 46 per square mile...
. Milton State Park is on Pennsylvania Route 642
Pennsylvania Route 642
Pennsylvania Route 642 is an long state highway located in Union, Northumberland, Montour, and Columbia counties in Pennsylvania. The western terminus is at US 15 in Kelly Township. The eastern terminus is at PA 254 in Madison Township....
.
History
The recorded history of Milton State Park begins in 1762 when Marcus Huling Jr. made a claim on the island in the West Branch Susquehanna River. Huling planted an appleApple
The apple is the pomaceous fruit of the apple tree, species Malus domestica in the rose family . It is one of the most widely cultivated tree fruits, and the most widely known of the many members of genus Malus that are used by humans. Apple grow on small, deciduous trees that blossom in the spring...
orchard
Orchard
An orchard is an intentional planting of trees or shrubs that is maintained for food production. Orchards comprise fruit or nut-producing trees which are grown for commercial production. Orchards are also sometimes a feature of large gardens, where they serve an aesthetic as well as a productive...
on what was to become known as Montgomery Island.
Ownership of the island eventually transferred to the Straub Family. The Straubs built a dam
Dam
A dam is a barrier that impounds water or underground streams. Dams generally serve the primary purpose of retaining water, while other structures such as floodgates or levees are used to manage or prevent water flow into specific land regions. Hydropower and pumped-storage hydroelectricity are...
across part of the river in 1824. The Straubs ran a sawmill
Sawmill
A sawmill is a facility where logs are cut into boards.-Sawmill process:A sawmill's basic operation is much like those of hundreds of years ago; a log enters on one end and dimensional lumber exits on the other end....
and gristmill
Gristmill
The terms gristmill or grist mill can refer either to a building in which grain is ground into flour, or to the grinding mechanism itself.- Early history :...
on the island and built a bridge between the island to the banks of the West Branch Susquehanna River. In time, the mills closed and the land was used for farming
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
. The island was no longer used for farming by the early 1900s.
Over the next 60 years the island was divided among several owners and used as a picnic ground with several athletic fields. The Milton Rotary Club and the Borough of Milton worked together to consolidate the deeds and transferred ownership of Montgomery Island to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in 1966.
Hurricane Agnes
Hurricane Agnes
Hurricane Agnes was the first tropical storm and first hurricane of the 1972 Atlantic hurricane season. A rare June hurricane, it made landfall on the Florida Panhandle before moving northeastward and ravaging the Mid-Atlantic region as a tropical storm...
wiped out the newly created Milton State Park in 1972. The island and much of Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
in the Susquehanna River
Susquehanna River
The Susquehanna River is a river located in the northeastern United States. At long, it is the longest river on the American east coast that drains into the Atlantic Ocean, and with its watershed it is the 16th largest river in the United States, and the longest river in the continental United...
watershed was flooded extensively by the hurricane. The park was eventually rebuilt with federal disaster relief funds.
Nature
Milton State Park is within sight of downtownDowntown
Downtown is a term primarily used in North America by English speakers to refer to a city's core or central business district ....
Milton, Pennsylvania. This does not mean that it lacks for natural beauty. The island is surrounded by the waters of the West Branch Susquehanna River and the southern part of the island is not developed. It is covered in a forest of river birch
River Birch
Betula nigra is a species of birch native to the eastern United States from New Hampshire west to southern Minnesota, and south to northern Florida and east Texas...
, silver maple
Silver Maple
The silver maple —also called creek maple, river maple, silverleaf maple, soft maple, water maple, or white maple—is a species of maple native to eastern North America in the eastern United States and Canada...
and sycamore
American sycamore
Platanus occidentalis, also known as American Sycamore, American plane, Occidental plane, and Buttonwood, is one of the species of Platanus native to North America...
trees. Milton State Park is a haven for migrating bird
Bird
Birds are feathered, winged, bipedal, endothermic , egg-laying, vertebrate animals. Around 10,000 living species and 188 families makes them the most speciose class of tetrapod vertebrates. They inhabit ecosystems across the globe, from the Arctic to the Antarctic. Extant birds range in size from...
s and waterfowl
Waterfowl
Waterfowl are certain wildfowl of the order Anseriformes, especially members of the family Anatidae, which includes ducks, geese, and swans....
.
Recreation
There are several soccer and softballSoftball
Softball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of 10 to 14 players. It is a direct descendant of baseball although there are some key differences: softballs are larger than baseballs, and the pitches are thrown underhand rather than overhand...
fields that are used by the residents of West Milton and Milton for recreational and church league events. Montgomery Island is stopping point for those exploring the river in canoes and kayaks. Milton State Park is handy to the fisherman interested in taking a short trip from Milton or West Milton for a day of fishing for catfish
Catfish
Catfishes are a diverse group of ray-finned fish. Named for their prominent barbels, which resemble a cat's whiskers, catfish range in size and behavior from the heaviest and longest, the Mekong giant catfish from Southeast Asia and the second longest, the wels catfish of Eurasia, to detritivores...
, panfish
Panfish
A panfish, also spelled pan-fish or pan fish, is an edible game fish that usually doesn't outgrow the size of a frying pan. The term is also commonly used by anglers to refer to any small catch that will fit in a pan, but is large enough to be legal. However its definition and usage varies with...
, bass
Bass (fish)
Bass is a name shared by many different species of popular gamefish. The term encompasses both freshwater and marine species. All belong to the large order Perciformes, or perch-like fishes, and in fact the word bass comes from Middle English bars, meaning "perch."-Types of basses:*The temperate...
, northern pike
Northern Pike
The northern pike , is a species of carnivorous fish of the genus Esox...
and muskellunge
Muskellunge
A muskellunge , also known as a muskelunge, muscallonge, milliganong, or maskinonge , is a large, relatively uncommon freshwater fish of North America. Muskellunge are the largest member of the pike family, Esocidae...
. There is 1 miles (1.6 km) of hiking trail on the northern side of the park.
The northern side of the park has ample picnic facilities. Families will find many picnic tables and charcoal grills for their use. There also is access to fresh drinking water and restroom facilities.
Nearby state parks
- McCalls Dam State ParkMcCalls Dam State ParkMcCalls Dam State Park is a Pennsylvania state park on in Miles Township, Centre County, Pennsylvania in the United States. The park is in the eastern most tip of Centre County, south of Clinton County and north of Union County. McCalls Dam State Park is in a remote location on a dirt road between...
(Centre CountyCentre County, PennsylvaniaCentre County is a county located in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. It is part of the State College, Pennsylvania Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of 2010, the population was 153,990....
) - Ravensburg State ParkRavensburg State ParkRavensburg State Park is a Pennsylvania state park in Crawford Township in Clinton County, Pennsylvania in the United States. It is in a gorge carved by Rauchtown Run through the side of Nippenose Mountain. Ravensburg State Park is of wooded land that is almost entirely surrounded by Tiadaghton...
(Clinton CountyClinton County, PennsylvaniaAs of the census of 2000, there were 37,914 people, 14,773 households, and 9,927 families residing in the county. The population density was 43 people per square mile . There were 18,166 housing units at an average density of 20 per square mile...
) - R. B. Winter State ParkR. B. Winter State ParkR. B. Winter State Park is a Pennsylvania state park on in Hartley Township, Union County, Pennsylvania in the United States. It is in the ridge and valley region of Pennsylvania and is surrounded by Bald Eagle State Forest. R. B. Winter State Park is in a shallow basin that is surrounded by ridges...
(Union CountyUnion County, Pennsylvania-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 41,624 people, 13,178 households, and 9,211 families residing in the county. The population density was 131 people per square mile . There were 14,684 housing units at an average density of 46 per square mile...
)) - Sand Bridge State ParkSand Bridge State ParkSand Bridge State Park is a Pennsylvania state park on in Lewis Township, Union County, Pennsylvania in the United States. The park is the smallest state park in Pennsylvania and consists of a picnic area just off Pennsylvania Route 192. It has three picnic pavilions that were built by the...
(Union County) - Shikellamy State ParkShikellamy State ParkShikellamy State Park is a Pennsylvania state park located at the confluence of the West Branch Susquehanna River and Susquehanna River in Pennsylvania in the United States. The park is divided into two sections. The older part, on a bluff on the western bank of the river, is the Shikellamy...
(Union and Northumberland Counties) - Susquehanna State ParkSusquehanna State Park (Pennsylvania)Susquehanna State Park is a Pennsylvania state park on in Williamsport in Lycoming County, Pennsylvania in the United States. The park is on the West Branch Susquehanna River in the western part of Williamsport, and is operated by the Williamsport / Lycoming Chamber of Commerce in cooperation with...
(Lycoming CountyLycoming County, Pennsylvania-Appalachian Mountains and Allegheny Plateau:Lycoming County is divided between the Appalachian Mountains in the south, the dissected Allegheny Plateau in the north and east, and the valley of the West Branch Susquehanna River between these.-West Branch Susquehanna River:The West Branch of the...
)