DCNR dedicated the new $7.5 million Marsh Creek State Park Visitor Center in Chester County — enhancing access for all park visitors, advancing the Commonwealth’s commitment to sustainable operations, infrastructure, and community engagement.
The 5,300-square-foot center is located on the southern shore of Marsh Creek Lake and provides improved space for visitor contact and park administration. The facility features modern amenities for staff and visitors, and includes offices and staff support spaces, a multipurpose room, and education porch on the lower level. Design elements such as a geo-exchange HVAC system, sustainable site development, and a high performing building envelope, are expected to earn the new visitor center LEED Gold certification—the 19th LEED certified building DCNR manages.
“This new visitor center is a win for present and future generations of Marsh Creek visitors,” said Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn. “We are excited to demonstrate our vision for modern, sustainable facilities that meet the needs of our staff and the public through this impressive building. I am hopeful this will be an amenity to everyone who visits Marsh Creek, which is one of our popular parks in our wonderful state park system.”
Marsh Creek State Park is located in the rolling hills of north central Chester County. The 1,784-acre park contains the 535-acre Marsh Creek Lake, which is a wonderful resource for fishing, sailing, and migrating waterfowl. Among the many activities visitors enjoy are boating, fishing, swimming, hiking, mountain biking, and birding. Winter activities include ice skating, sledding, ice fishing, and cross-country skiing. The park is enjoyed by more than 1 million visitors annually.
Other improvements surrounding the new visitor center include new roadways, walkways, landscaping, and rain gardens for stormwater management. A newly added solar array — the 38th on DCNR managed lands — brings the park’s energy use to net zero. This saves taxpayers nearly $30,000 on electricity costs at the site and furthers DCNR’s commitment to sustainability on public lands.
“We look for opportunities to demonstrate our commitment to sustainability each time we assess our infrastructure needs,” said Michael Twigg, R.A., Director of DCNR’s Bureau of Facility Design and Construction. “This project was no different, and the result is a state-of-the-art building and self-sustaining energy production at Marsh Creek. Thank you to the Shapiro Administration for empowering this important work.”
DCNR currently has at least 7 solar arrays in design and construction at:
- Elk State Forest
- Keystone State Park
- Hills Creek State Park
- Maurice K. Goddard State Park
- Moshannon State Forest
- Tuscarora State Park
- Shawnee State Park
DCNR is taking a phased approach to major restoration and rehabilitative projects on public lands to ensure present and future generations’ have access to Pennsylvania’s natural beauty. In March, DCNR announced it would take phased approaches to campground improvements at Cook Forest, Gifford Pinchot, Lackawanna, and Ricketts Glen state parks to allow for camping at these popular campsites during the construction. Critical work to improve the Kinzua Bridge State Park Skywalk is also being addressed with a phased approach to allow visitors to enjoy the scenic beauty of fall foliage from one of the most renowned viewpoints in the Pennsylvania Wilds.
Pennsylvania state parks now offer a wide range of overnight accommodations, including tent and glamping sites; RV full-service sites; yurts; rustic cabins with fireplaces and modern cabins with heat and bathrooms; and the eco-lodge The Nature Inn at Bald Eagle in Centre County.
