Fort Washington State Park

Fort Washington State Park
Pennsylvania State Park
Natural Monument (IUCN III)
Wissahickon Creek runs through Fort Washington State Park.
Named for: Fort Washington
Country	United States
State	Pennsylvania
County	Montgomery
Township	Springfield, Whitemarsh
Location	^[1]
- coordinates	40°07′11″N 75°14′01″W / 40.11972°N 75.23361°W / 40.11972; -75.23361Coordinates: 40°07′11″N 75°14′01″W / 40.11972°N 75.23361°W / 40.11972; -75.23361
- elevation	328 ft (100.0 m) ^[1]
Area	493 acres (200 ha)
Founded	1953
Managed by	Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources
Location of Fort Washington State Park in Pennsylvania
Website : Fort Washington State Park

Fort Washington State Park is a 493-acre (200 ha) Pennsylvania state park in Springfield and Whitemarsh Townships, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania in the United States. The park is noted for the springtime flowering of dogwood trees, and is popular with families for picnics and hiking. It is approximately 17 miles (27 km) north of Philadelphia, 2 miles (3.2 km) from exit 339 of the Pennsylvania Turnpike.

History

Main article: Battle of White Marsh

Both Fort Washington State Park and the neighboring town are named for American defenses and encampment established here in 1777, during the Philadelphia campaign of the American Revolutionary War.^[2] After Washington's defeat at the Battle of Germantown, his 11,000 troops where encamped in this area from November 11, 1777 to December 11, 1777, after which time they marched to Valley Forge for winter quarters. From December 5–8, 1777, the Battle of White Marsh was fought in the immediate vicinity. The park's Fort Hill marks the spot where a temporary fort once stood. The Pennsylvania Militia (under Generals Armstrong, Cadwalader and Irvine) held positions on what is today called Militia Hill.^[2]

The park was established by Philadelphia's Fairmount Park Commission in the early 1920s. The commission, in conjunction with the Pennsylvania Department of Forests and Waters, administered the park until 1953. That year, an act of state legislature transferred responsibility of the park to the Pennsylvania Department of Forests and Waters (known today as the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources).^[2]

The observation deck at Fort Washington State Park overlooks the Wissahickon Valley, a National Natural Landmark.

Recreation

Recreational activities at Fort Washington State Park include Disc Golf, fishing, hiking, dog walking, bird and wildlife watching, sledding, cross-country skiing and picnicking. From September 1 to October 31, an organized "Hawk Watch" takes place in which viewers can observe all 16 species of raptors that migrate on the East Coast from the park's observation deck. Hunting is prohibited at Fort Washington State Park.^[2]

Nearby state parks

The following state parks are within 30 miles (48 km) of Fort Washington State Park:^[3]^[4]^[5]

Benjamin Rush State Park (Philadelphia County)
Brandywine Creek State Park (New Castle County, Delaware)
Bull's Island Recreation Area (Hunterdon County, New Jersey)
Delaware and Raritan Canal State Park (Somerset County, New Jersey)
Delaware Canal State Park (Bucks and Northampton Counties)
Evansburg State Park (Montgomery County)
Fox Point State Park (Delaware)
French Creek State Park (Berks and Chester Counties)
Marsh Creek State Park (Chester County)
Neshaminy State Park (Bucks County)
Nockamixon State Park (Bucks County)
Norristown Farm Park (Montgomery County)
Ralph Stover State Park (Bucks County)
Rancocas State Park (Burlington County, New Jersey)
Ridley Creek State Park (Delaware County)
Tyler State Park (Bucks County)
Washington Crossing State Park (Mercer County, New Jersey)

References

1 2 "Fort Washington State Park". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey. August 2, 1979. Retrieved 2008-03-04.
1 2 3 4 "Fort Washington State Park". Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. Retrieved 2006-07-11.
↑ "Find a Park by Region (interactive map)". Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. Retrieved November 18, 2011.
↑ 2007 General Highway Map Montgomery County Pennsylvania (PDF) (Map). 1:65,000. Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, Bureau of Planning and Research, Geographic Information Division. Retrieved 2007-07-27. Note: shows Fort Washington State Park
↑ Michels, Chris (1997). "Latitude/Longitude Distance Calculation". Northern Arizona University. Retrieved 2008-04-20.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Fort Washington State Park.

"Fort Washington State Park official map" (PDF). (153 KB)

Protected areas of Pennsylvania

Federal

NPS National Historical Parks & National Historic Sites	Allegheny Portage Railroad NHS Edgar Allan Poe NHS Eisenhower NHS Friendship Hill NHS Gloria Dei (Old Swedes') Church NHS Hopewell Furnace NHS Independence NHP Steamtown NHS Valley Forge NHP

National Memorials	Benjamin Franklin Flight 93 Johnstown Flood Thaddeus Kosciuszko

National Battlefields and National Military Parks	Fort Necessity NB Gettysburg NMP

National Trails	Appalachian Trail

Other protected areas	Allegheny National Recreation Area Blue Marsh National Recreation Area Delaware and Lehigh National Heritage Corridor Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area Lackawanna Heritage Valley National and State Heritage Area Middle Delaware National Scenic River Upper Delaware Scenic and Recreational River

National Forests	Allegheny

USFS National Historic Sites	Grey Towers

National Wildlife Refuges	Cherry Valley Erie John Heinz Ohio River Islands

State

State Parks	Allegheny Islands Archbald Pothole Bald Eagle Beltzville Bendigo Benjamin Rush Big Pocono Big Spring Black Moshannon Blue Knob Boyd Big Tree Buchanan's Birthplace Bucktail Caledonia Canoe Creek Chapman Cherry Springs Clear Creek Codorus Colonel Denning Colton Point Cook Forest Cowans Gap Delaware Canal Denton Hill Elk Erie Bluffs Evansburg Fort Washington Fowlers Hollow Frances Slocum French Creek Gifford Pinchot Gouldsboro Greenwood Furnace Hickory Run Hillman Hills Creek Hyner Run Hyner View Jacobsburg Jennings Joseph E. Ibberson Kettle Creek Keystone Kings Gap Kinzua Bridge Kooser Lackawanna Laurel Hill Laurel Mountain Laurel Ridge Laurel Summit Lehigh Gorge Leonard Harrison Linn Run Little Buffalo Little Pine Locust Lake Lyman Run Marsh Creek Maurice K. Goddard McCalls Dam McConnells Mill Memorial Lake Milton Mont Alto Moraine Mt. Pisgah Nescopeck Neshaminy Nockamixon Nolde Forest Norristown Farm Ohiopyle Oil Creek Ole Bull Parker Dam Patterson Penn-Roosevelt Pine Grove Furnace Poe Paddy Poe Valley Point Presque Isle Prince Gallitzin Promised Land Prompton Prouty Place Pymatuning R. B. Winter Raccoon Creek Ralph Stover Ravensburg Reeds Gap Ricketts Glen Ridley Creek Ryerson Station S. B. Elliott Salt Springs Samuel S. Lewis Sand Bridge Shawnee Shikellamy Sinnemahoning Sizerville Susquehanna Susquehannock Swatara Tobyhanna Trough Creek Tuscarora Tyler Upper Pine Bottom Varden Warriors Path Washington Crossing Whipple Dam White Clay Creek Worlds End Yellow Creek

State Forests	Bald Eagle Buchanan Clear Creek Cornplanter Delaware Elk Forbes Gallitzin Loyalsock Michaux Moshannon Pinchot Rothrock Sproul Susquehannock Tiadaghton Tioga Tuscarora Weiser William Penn (Wild areas)

Scenic Rivers	Bear Run French Creek Lehigh River LeTort Spring Run Lick Run Lower Brandywine Octoraro Creek Pine Creek Schuylkill River Stony Creek Tucquan Creek Tulpehocken Creek Yellow Breeches Creek

Other

Other	Anders Run Natural Area Forrest H. Duttlinger Natural Area Hawk Mountain Sanctuary Hoverter and Sholl Box Huckleberry Natural Area Johnson Run Natural Area Stone Valley Recreation Area Trexler Nature Preserve Wykoff Run Natural Area

Hiking trails	Appalachian Baker Black Forest Central Mountains Shared Use Darlington Eastern Continental Five Star Glacier Ridge Great Eastern Greene River Horse-Shoe Indian Creek Valley Loyalsock Mid State Standing Stone Mason-Dixon North Country Ohio River Old Loggers Path Pinchot Potomac Heritage Quehanna Rachel Carson Sheepskin Susquehannock Thunder Swamp Tuscarora Valley Forge Historical West Rim Wissahickon Youghiogheny River

Rail trails	Abandoned Pennsylvania Turnpike Beaver River East Coast Greenway Five Star Ghost Town Great Allegheny Passage Great Shamokin Path Greene River Indian Creek Valley Lebanon Valley Lehigh Gorge Liberty Bell Lower Montour Ohio River Palmer Bikeway Panhandle Perkiomen Pine Creek Plainfield Township Schuylkill River Sheepskin Struble Susquehanna Warrior Switchback Three Rivers Heritage York Country Heritage Youghiogheny River

Nature centers	List of nature centers in Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources

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