Keystone State Park
The lake at Keystone State Park on a cloudy fall day.
Map showing the location of Keystone State Park
Map showing the location of Keystone State Park
Location of Keystone State Park in Pennsylvania
Map showing the location of Keystone State Park
Map showing the location of Keystone State Park
Keystone State Park (Pennsylvania) (the United States)
LocationDerry, Westmoreland, Pennsylvania, United States
Coordinates40°22′19″N 79°22′59″W / 40.3719°N 79.3831°W / 40.3719; -79.3831
Area1,200 acres (4.9 km2)
Elevation1,096 ft (334 m)[1]
Established1945
Visitors285,113[2]
Governing bodyPennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources
Official website Edit this at Wikidata

Keystone State Park is a 1,200-acre (486 ha) Pennsylvania state park in Derry Township, Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania in the United States. Located off U.S. Route 22 near New Alexandria, the park opened in 1945. Its main attraction is the man-made 78-acre (32 ha) Keystone Lake. The park also has extensive picnic areas and several miles of hiking trails.

History

Keystone Coal and Coke Company constructed Keystone Lake in the early 1900s for use in washing coal extracted from a nearby coal mine known as Salem #1 and quenching its coke ovens. A second mine, Salem #2, was in operation by the 1910s. Both mines had ceased operations by 1945. Abandoned mine tunnels lie beneath Hillside Campground and the cabin area. A mine entrance, now sealed, is located east of Pavilion #2 and north of the cabin entrance road.[3][4]

Recreation

Keystone State Park is open to camping and also has several cabins that are available to rent year round.[5]

Keystone State Park has two campgrounds. Lakeside campground is on the shores of Keystone Lake. It has 40 campsites for tents or campers. Hillside campground is in a more remote part of the park. It has 60 campsites, also for tents or campers. Each campground has some sites with an electric hook-up, a modern bathhouse and a sanitary dump station.[5]

The cabins at Keystone State Park are modern. The 11 cabins are located near the dam and between the campgrounds. Each cabin can sleep up to six guests in two bedrooms. The cabins are equipped with a modern bathroom, a kitchen with a stove, microwave and refrigerator. The yard areas have picnic tables, grills and fire rings.[5]

Hunting is permitted on about half of Keystone State Park. The most common game species are eastern cottontail rabbits, common pheasant, eastern gray squirrels, wild turkey, ruffed grouse and white-tailed deer. The hunting of groundhogs is prohibited. Hunters are expected to follow the rules and regulations of the Pennsylvania Game Commission.[5]

Lake

The park is a popular canoeing location.

Keystone Lake provides a habitat for both warm and cold water species of fish. The common game fish in Keystone Lake are carp, northern pike, tiger muskellunge, largemouth bass, black crappie, yellow perch and bullhead catfish. The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission stocks the lake with trout prior to the start of trout season in April. The lake is also open to ice fishing when the conditions permit.[5]

Gas powered boats are prohibited on Keystone Lake. Non-powered and electric powered boats must display a current registration from any state or a launch permit from the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission.[5]

A beach on the lake is open for swimming daily from 8:00am until sunset. The swimming season begins on Memorial Day weekend and ends Labor Day weekend. Lifeguards are not provided.[5]

See also

Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Son About His Father is a documentary film about Andrew and Zachary Bagby. Andrew was murdered at the park by Zachary's mother, Shirley Turner, who later murdered Zachary in a murder-suicide in Newfoundland.[6]

Nearby state parks

The following state parks are within 30 miles (48 km) of Keystone State Park:[7][8][9]

References

  1. ↑ "Keystone State Park". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey. August 2, 1979. Retrieved March 25, 2008.
  2. ↑ Hopey, Dan. "Cutbacks put some state parks on shaky ground". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Archived from the original on December 10, 2010. Retrieved January 13, 2022.
  3. ↑ Muller, Edward and Carlisle, Ronald. "Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania: An Inventory of Historic Engineering and Industrial Sites" (PDF). National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior. Retrieved March 23, 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  4. ↑ "History of Keystone State Park". Keystone State Park. Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. Retrieved March 23, 2022.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Keystone State Park". Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. Archived from the original on November 6, 2011. Retrieved January 15, 2007.
  6. ↑ Gazarik, Richard (August 20, 2003). "Turner, infant son found dead". Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. Archived from the original on May 5, 2009. Retrieved January 10, 2011.
  7. ↑ "Find a Park by Region (interactive map)". Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. Archived from the original on September 24, 2011. Retrieved November 18, 2011.
  8. ↑ 2007 General Highway Map Westmoreland County Pennsylvania (PDF) (Map). 1:65,000. Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, Bureau of Planning and Research, Geographic Information Division. Retrieved July 27, 2006. Note: shows Keystone State Park
  9. ↑ Michels, Chris (1997). "Latitude/Longitude Distance Calculation". Northern Arizona University. Archived from the original on April 11, 2008. Retrieved April 23, 2008.
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