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 Reporter |
Summary: Early in 1954, Pennsylvania Forestry Association president Dr. Maurice K. Goddard wrote a letter to the new administration of Governor George Leader, suggesting things that needed to be done for forestry. Leader was impressed enough to appoint Goddard as his secretary of Forests and Waters and Goddard went on to serve twenty-four years under five governors, establishing the Department of Envirionmental Resources and building Pennsylvania's state Park system.. The 2,856-acre park that bears his name is dominated by Lake Wilhelm, a popular fishing and boating lake. The multi-purpose paved trail circuts the lake and, unlike many paved trails, is not flat. There are numerous short hills and dips that can make this a varied but not difficult bike ride. The north shore section of the trail has a number bridged stream crossings and more open fields and vistas than the southern shore. The trail on the south shore shares Creek Road for a distance. Trailhead: The park is five minutes from I-79. Take Exit 130 (Sandy Lake-Greenville) and travel west on PA 358 (towards Greenville) for about 0.1-mile, then bear right onto Carpenters Corner Road. At the first stop sign, turn right onto Lake Wilhelm Road, which goes directly to the park. The official trailhead (mile 0) is on the right after crossing the bridge across Lake Wilhelm but the larger parking lot and amenities are at the main park entrance before reaching the bridge. There are rest rooms, water fountains, a bike rental concession, picnic pavilion and store. (N41 25.147 W80 9.119) There are also several other parking areas along the southern bank of the lake, each with a boat launch. There is a parking area at the Sandy Creek Dam spillway with a rest room and water fountain. (N41 22.074 W80 5.172) The north shore has a large parking area with rest room, water fountain and boat launch off of Rt. 285 near New Vernon (N41 25.036 W80 7.806). (Lat:41.4262 Lon:-80.14712) Trail Guides for Goddard State Park: Best Seasons: Year-Round User Groups: Hikers, Dogs, Bikes, Ranger Contact: Maurice K. Goddard State Park 724-253-4833 Localhikes Reporter: This hike was submitted by Kevin Geiselman, who has posted 95 other hikes on this site. To visit this reporters web site, click here. Trail Reviews Submit your own review 
Reviewed by ROJO on 6/19/2007 Perfect for families. We have a two year old daughter who rides in a bike carrier and a six year old son who rides his own bike. The trail is well marked and is always maintained. 
Reviewed by Denise on 11/21/2006 This trail is great. The entire family loves it. Notice: Traveling in the backcountry can be hazardous. You are responsible for informing yourself about these hazards and taking necessary precautions. Information on this web site comes from volunteer reporters and may contain errors or omissions. A current guidebook and proper equipment are essential for safe enjoyment of the hikes posted on this site. Keys: Pennsylvania Hiking, Pennsylvania Trails, Pennsylvania Hikes, Mercer County Hiking, Mercer County Trails, Mercer County Hikes | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||