Road to State Parks
A Butler woman wasn't going to let the COVID-19 pandemic stop her from getting her passport stamped.
But Polly Goettler's document is Pa. State Park and State Forest Passport, and she's intent on filling it while minimizing her risk of exposure to the virus.
The spiral-bound booklet includes maps, a history of the state's park and forest system, a brief description and most memorable feature of each state park and forest plus additional online resources.
Goettler said passport holders can track their park visits by having their booklet stamped or initialed by park officials.
Goettler and three of her friends added another 11 park stamps to her passport Aug. 17 through 21.
“On that particular trip, it was 11 state parks in five days,” she said, adding that she and her friends stayed at an Airbnb in Mountain Top in Luzerne County and made day trips to the nearby state parks.
Some visits lasted longer than others based on the size of the park.
“Sand Bridge (State Park) is only a couple of acres big. It's two picnic tables, a pavilion and a bathroom,” she said. A quick visit would be enough to take in the whole park.
“Some of the bigger parks, we would give them a whole day or the better part of a day,” said Goettler.
Goettler traveled with her friends Rita Young of Brentwood, Dina Fricke of Valencia and Christina Smochek of Portersville.
“Dina works at Butler County Community College with me. Rita and Christina I met through hiking. We became friends through hiking,” she said.
The quartet tried to do some activity at each park they visited, usually hiking, she said.One of the main goals during their trip was to visit Ricketts Glen State Park, a 13,193-acre park spread across Luzerne, Sullivan, and Columbia counties and famous for its 22 waterfalls.“We left for the park at 5:30 a.m. because the park is very busy and we wanted to see it without the foot traffic,” said Goettler.“We were on the trail at 7:30 a.m. which was a challenge to some of the people who wanted to sleep a little longer,” she said, but the group wanted to hike to has many waterfalls as possible.“I think about 1 p.m. we stopped for lunch and then drove to Hickory Run State Park and hiked the Shades of Death Trail,” she said. “And then we went to the boulder field at Hickory Run and that was one of the highlights.”Shades of Death isn't a reference to the trail's difficulty. According to a Department of Conservation and Natural Resources map, “Before the Civil War, the (entire) area was known as the 'Shades of Death' because the entire region was covered with a dense growth of virgin white pine, hemlock and secondary species of oak and maple.”
With her August trip completed, Goettler said she has 61 out if 121 state parks entered into her passport.“I started in 2019,” she said. “We do a lot of camping, my husband and I, and that is why I got the state park passport. “This year with the COVID, there wasn't a lot we can do, but I do like to hike and camp,” she said.“We like to stay at state parks and the passport gives us an incentive to go different places,” said Goettler.“Pennsylvania does not charge admission to its state parks,” she said. “The passport is a ringed binder with a description of each of each state park. Each state park has a stamp that you can get at the park office. Each stamp is different.”Following her passport has allowed Goettler to see some sights she might not otherwise have seen.For instance, Hyner View State Park was a place Goettler and her husband visited this year.“It was really neat. It is up on this hill, this scenic vista, and people like to hang glide from it,” she said. “It's only a six-acre park but we were there two hours watching people hang glide.”
And she discovered Cherry Springs State Park which is known for its star watching as is one of the few dark skies areas on the East Coast.The park is famous for great views of the Milky Way, planets, and hard-to-see astronomical objects and phenomena.“And I've been to Bald Eagle State Park which has an inn,” she said. “Each park has its own flavor, really.”The passport is “just a fun way to keep track of what you have done,” according to Goettler.She's not setting a deadline for filling her passport. She said, “I am not putting a time restraint on myself to do this. The parks around Philadelphia and the east of the state are difficult to visit, especially with COVID.”But she said her son lives in Lancaster and her sister lives in New Jersey, so visits to them will give her an opportunity to visit parks in the east.“I don't have a time frame. I'm just enjoying it as I go,” said Goettler.“It's a great thing to do, especially because of COVID; you are not supposed to leave the state,” she said.“I'm amazed by the diversity of our state parks and what they have to offer. It's a shame not to take advantage of it,” she said.
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