Early settlers to the area used two horse trails to cross the rugged highland from Muncy Creek to the forks of Loyalsock Creek at the town of Forksville. This treacherous road became obsolete in 1895 with the building of PA 154.
Pioneer Road Trail and Worlds End Road follow the path of the old horse trail. Worlds End Vista, at the junction of Pioneer Road Trail and Worlds End Trail, is the view that possibly inspired the name of the park.
At the turn of the 20th century, logging became big business in the area. At least one sawmill operated within the park area. The loggers cut the trees and floated them away on the creek, leaving behind hillsides covered in briars, stumps, and tree refuse that were prone to forest fires and flooding.
During 1929, the former Department of Forests and Waters began purchasing the devastated land to create a state forest park. During 1932, $50 was allotted to create the park facilities, which purchased little more than four picnic tables.
Civilian Conservation Corps
During 1933, to ease the rampant unemployment of the Great Depression, President Roosevelt created the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC). Companies of 200 young, unemployed men or veterans built camps as bases for performing reclamation and construction projects like:
- Planting trees
- Building parks
- Firefighting and prevention
- Creating roads and trails
- Other conservation work
Four CCC camps were built in Sullivan County. Camp S-95 in Laporte built many of the park facilities, like the swimming area and dam, cabins, pavilions, hiking trails, and roads. Camp S-95 closed during 1941.
What’s the Name of this Park?
The name of the park has swirled with controversy. A map from 1872 called the area Worlds End. The excerpt below is from an article from July 20, 1935, by W.S. Swingler, Assistant District Forester of Wyoming State Forest, now Loyalsock State Forest.
“There was even a dispute as to the proper name of the area. Some people called it Worlds End, others Whirl’s Glen, and still others Whirls End. The first name arose from the topography of the place. Seven mountain ranges converge on the point and one does receive the sensation of being at the ultimate ends of the earth. The proponents of the second name base their claim upon the whirlpool in the Loyalsock Creek and the third name was probably a contraction of the other two. Since the whirlpool had largely disappeared, it was decided that the name Worlds End would be the most appropriate. Hence, the name Worlds End State Forest Park.”
During 1936, a letter campaign caused the park name to be changed to Whirls End. Another letter campaign forced the matter to be brought to the former State Geographic Board, who supervised the official naming of places. The name was changed back to Worlds End during 1943.