Cherry Springs State Park

Cherry Springs State Park is in on PA 44 in Potter County.

GPS DD:Lat. 41.66384 Long. -77.82321

Call 911 and contact a park employee to summon medical, fire, or safety professionals. 

Call or text 988 to contact a crisis center counselor during a mental health or substance abuse crisis. 

A free, local-use phone is located in the camper check-in station.

Directions to the nearest hospital are posted on bulletin boards.

Nearest Hospital

UPMC Cole
1001 East Second Street
Coudersport, PA 16915
814-274-9300

♿ This symbol indicates facilities and activities that are Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) accessible for people with disabilities. Screen reader users will hear this symbol as "wheelchair."

​If you need an accommodation to participate in park activities due to a disability, please contact the park you plan to visit.

For a safe and enjoyable park visit, all state park rules and regulations apply, including:

• Campfires -- Open fires are prohibited. Grills are located in the picnic area at the pavilion. Traditional campsites with fire rings are located in the park campground across the road.
• Pets -- Pets are prohibited in the Night Sky Public Viewing Area, Overnight Astronomy Observation Field, and Rustic Campground.
• Alcohol -- Alcoholic beverages are prohibited in Pennsylvania state parks. 
• Green Lasers -- Green laser pointers are prohibited in the park at all times and for all reasons.
• Food, Wildlife, and Trash -- Food scraps invite scavengers, such as black bears, raccoons, opossums, and skunks. Store food in a vehicle to prevent damage to your equipment. Please wash dishes in a dish pan, then dispose of the water. No dishwashing is permitted in the restrooms or at the hydrants. Please place trash, accumulated during your stay, in the appropriate receptacles.

Cell service is unpredictable in and around many Pennsylvania State Parks. Please download the park map before your visit. 

Cherry Springs State Park is very remote and most cell phones do not have network coverage. 

Current conditions at the park is available from the Cherry Springs State Park Dark Sky Fund.

Cherry Springs State Park offers a wide variety of environmental education programs year round. Visitors gain appreciation and awareness toward the natural and historical resources through guided walks and hands-on activities.

Weather permitting, a park educator or guest speaker presents public stargazing programs in the Night Sky Public Viewing Area and amphitheater.

Curriculum-based environmental education programs are available to schools and organized groups. Call the park office to schedule a group program. A variety of professional development workshops are offered for teachers.

Contact the park office or explore the calendar of events for more information on programs and other learning experiences.

Due to its exceptionally dark skies, Cherry Springs State Park is one of the best places on the eastern seaboard for stargazing and the science of astronomy, which is the study and observation of:

• Planets
  
• Nebulae
  
• Galaxies
  
• Stars
  
• Other heavenly bodies
  

A dark night sky is a natural resource, just like plants, waterways, and wildlife. Recognizing this unique resource needed to be managed and protected, during 2000, DCNR declared Cherry Springs State Park its first Dark Sky Park.

Dark Sky Fund/Association

The Cherry Springs Dark Sky Fund/Association is a “Friends” group under the Pennsylvania Parks and Forests Foundation.

Their mission is the protection of the dark night sky at Cherry Springs State Park and enhancing the astronomy experience through facility improvement and educational outreach programs.

Dark Sky Fund donations will be used to enhance the stargazing and astronomy experience at Cherry Springs State Park. Physical improvements to the park will help to eliminate any outside light pollution and remove overhead obstructions.

Donations will also be used to educate local residents and visitors about the value of the night sky resource and why it needs to be preserved.

Fund donations have been used to:

• Plant light screening trees and shrubs
• Convert all park lighting to shielded, red-light fixtures
  
• Bury overhead electrical lines
• Install electrical pedestals on the astronomy field

The fund also has provided educational materials about astronomy and environmentally friendly lighting in the park and surrounding communities.

Decisions about how the fund monies are spent are a collaborative effort of the park management and the Dark Sky Fund Advisory Council. The council is made up of astronomers from all over the country who regularly observe at Cherry Springs.

How to Donate

Donation forms and envelopes for the Cherry Springs Dark Sky Fund are available at the astronomy information bulletin board, located adjacent to the restroom on the Overnight Astronomy Observation Field and donations may be inserted into the Dark Sky Fund’s donation tube -- a square, blue fee tube located next to the astronomy information bulletin board.

Please do not combine park fees and donation fees. Use the separate forms and envelopes. Thanks for your support!

During 1952, the first Woodsmen Show at Cherry Springs State Park attracted a crowd of 4,000 people.

Today, the annual Woodsmen Show attracts thousands of spectators for the early August event. The show features lumberjack contests in:

• Tree-felling
• Log rolling
• Spring board chopping
• Standing block chop
• Chain-saw events
  

Find nearby attractions by Cherry Springs State Park.