Susquehannock State Park - Pennsylvania - State/Provincial Parks on Waymarking.com

This listing is for Susquehannock State park in Drumore township, PA. The 224-acre Susquehannock State Park is on a wooded plateau overlooking the Susquehanna River in southern Lancaster County. Besides the awesome view, the park offers a variety of recreational opportunities for year-round fun. Among the park's primary attractions are the river overlooks, which afford panoramic views of the lower reaches of the Susquehanna River. Hawk Point, the park’s main overlook, provides a spectacular view of the upper reaches of the Conowingo Reservoir, the first and largest of several hydroelectric impoundments on the lower Susquehanna. The actual dam is in northern Maryland but the reservoir straddles both Pennsylvania and Maryland providing hydroelectric power generation and cooling water for the Peach Bottom nuclear reactors, as well as, countless hours of recreational boating and fishing for area visitors. The many trails throughout the park offer a beautiful setting for horseback riding in the river hills. Horseback riding is prohibited at the overlooks and on Rhododendron Trail. To accommodate riding clubs and horse-drawn wagons, a shaded hitching rail for horses is in the lower parking lot. Qualified adult and youth groups may reserve space in the organized group tenting area for overnight use. The organized group campsites can accommodate any size group up to a maximum of 300 people. Call toll-free, 888-PA-PARKS for reservations. Shaded picnic spots are available throughout much of this aesthetically pleasing park. There are more than 100 tables including some with paved paths and pads. A number of picnic sites have grills and all have parking, water and restrooms nearby. For groups or special occasions there are two large picnic pavilions with large cooking grills, water, electric outlets and lighting. The accessible picnic pavilions may be reserved up to 11 months in advance for a fee. Unreserved picnic pavilions are free on a first-come, first-served basis. Call toll-free, 888-PA-PARKS for reservations. There are also two softball fields with backstops and benches as well as play areas and trailheads nearby. The scenic hiking trails offer a wide variety of interesting habitats and evidence of people’s past use of the area. A Field Guide to the Natural History of Susquehannock State Park is available at the park office to assist you in discovering the natural resources of the park.

Native holly, rhododendron, spring and summer wildflowers and a variety of other plant life await your discovery. Walk or sit quietly along a trail to observe deer, songbirds, lizards or many other forms of wildlife. From the overlooks, watch for vultures, hawks, osprey and, if you are lucky, you may spot a bald eagle. Old homestead sites are also evident along a number of the trails. Picnic Pavilion 10 and an adjacent portable toilet, Picnic Pavilion 11, Hawk Point Overlook, and the park office are all fully accessible.

History of the park - While exploring the Chesapeake Bay in 1608, Captain John Smith first encountered the Susquehannocks. In his journal, Captain Smith described them as "seemed like Giants to the English" but archeological research shows the Susquehannocks to have been of average size.

It is unknown what the Iroquoian-speaking Susquehannocks called themselves, but the name that graces the river, the people and the state park is derived from the name, Sasquesahanough, given to Captain Smith by his Algonquian-speaking American Indian interpreter. The word has been translated "people at the falls" or "roily water people" referring to the Susquehannock's home by the river. This small tribe had only one village by present-day Conestoga, but controlled the important trade routes along the Susquehanna River and the Chesapeake Bay.

During the Beaver Wars, 1649 to 1656, the Susquehannocks formed an alliance with Maryland to acquire rifles and successfully fought the much larger Iroquois Confederacy. A brief peace followed then the Susquehannocks again waged war with the Iroquois until suffering a major defeat in 1675.

The Susquehannocks moved to old Fort Piscataway, below present-day Washington DC. Problems on the frontiers led to the mobilization of the militias of Maryland and Virginia and in confusion, they surrounded the peaceful Susquehannock village. Five Susquehannock chiefs went to negotiate and were murdered. The Susquehannocks slipped out of the fort at night and harassed settlers in Virginia and Maryland, then eventually moved back to along the Susquehanna River. Around 1677, the Susquehannocks moved to New York and intermingled with their Iroquois relatives. In 1697, some Susquehannocks returned to the Conestoga area and built a new village. In the early 1700s, the Susquehannocks migrated to Ohio where they intermingled with other tribes and lost their identity as a distinct nation.

The remaining Susquehannocks, often called Conestogas, stayed and their village remained an important Indian village for many years where many treaties were negotiated and signed, but the population declined. In 1763, the remaining Susquehannocks at Conestoga lived under the protection of the Commonwealth. In response to Pontiacs War, begun in the western part of the state, the Paxton Boys, a group of anti-Indian vigilantes, slaughtered six Indians at Conestoga. The rest of the Indians, who had been out peddling small goods like baskets and brooms, were taken to a workhouse in Lancaster for their own protection. The governor condemned the killings and forbid further violence. Less than two weeks later, the Paxton Boys slaughtered the 14 Indians in the workhouse.

The governor gave special papers of protection to the remaining two Susquehannocks, who worked as servants on a local farm. When they died and were buried on the farm, it was the end of the once powerful Susquehannocks.

The old stone house near the park office is known as the Landis House, named for the last owner before it was acquired by the Commonwealth as part of Susquehannock State Park. James Buchannon Long built the house in 1850 for a sum of $200. The house is an example of the stone architecture and craftsmanship of the time. Besides the laid native stone and cement coving construction of the exterior, the house has a slate roof, horsehair and sand plaster ceilings and walls, wood plank floors and a cold cellar with a spring and fireplace for both storage and preparation of food. Jacob Schoff, the sixth owner, participated in the Underground Railroad helping runaway slaves making their way north to freedom along the Susquehanna River. While the exterior of the structure has been stabilized the interior is not safe for public use.

*information from DCNR PA state parks website

Park Type: Day use, group overnight camping Activities: picnic, 5 miles of trails, horseback riding, bird watching, scenic overlooks, playground Link to Park: [Web Link] Park Fees: Not listed Background: Not listed Date Established?: Not listed Additional Entrance Points: Not Listed

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