Colonel Denning State Park is a Pennsylvania state park in Lower Mifflin Township,

Cumberland County Cumberland County may refer to: Australia * Cumberland County, New South Wales * the former name of Cumberland Land District, Tasmania, Australia Canada *Cumberland County, Nova Scotia United Kingdom * Cumberland, historic county *Cumberl ...

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania, officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a U.S. state, state spanning the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern United States, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes region, Great Lakes regions o ...

in the United States. The park is in the Doubling Gap of Blue Mountain on

Pennsylvania Route 233 Pennsylvania Route 233 (PA 233) is a north–south state highway in south central Pennsylvania. It runs from Pennsylvania Route 997, PA 997 in Mont Alto, Pennsylvania, Mont Alto north to Pennsylvania Route 274, PA 274 in Green Park, Pennsy ...

between Newville and Landisburg. Doubling Gap Lake is a man-made lake covering . Colonel Denning State Park is surrounded by

Tuscarora State Forest Tuscarora State Forest is a Pennsylvania state forest in Pennsylvania Bureau of Forestry District #3. The main office is located in Blain in Perry County, Pennsylvania in the United States. Tuscarora State Forest contains in several tracts a ...

History

Colonel Denning State Park is named in honor of William Denning who was, oddly, never a

colonel Colonel ( ; abbreviated as Col., Col, or COL) is a senior military Officer (armed forces), officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, a colon ...

. He was a

veteran A veteran () is a person who has significant experience (and is usually adept and esteemed) and expertise in an job, occupation or Craft, field. A military veteran is a person who is no longer serving in the military, armed forces. A topic o ...

of the

American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was the armed conflict that comprised the final eight years of the broader American Revolution, in which Am ...

and a manufacturer of

wrought iron Wrought iron is an iron alloy with a very low carbon content (less than 0.05%) in contrast to that of cast iron (2.1% to 4.5%), or 0.25 for low carbon "mild" steel. Wrought iron is manufactured by heating and melting high carbon cast iron in an ...

cannon A cannon is a large-caliber gun classified as a type of artillery, which usually launches a projectile using explosive chemical propellant. Gunpowder ("black powder") was the primary propellant before the invention of smokeless powder during th ...

s. Denning was a

sergeant Sergeant (Sgt) is a Military rank, rank in use by the armed forces of many countries. It is also a police rank in some police services. The alternative spelling, ''serjeant'', is used in The Rifles and in other units that draw their heritage f ...

in the

Continental Army The Continental Army was the army of the United Colonies representing the Thirteen Colonies and later the United States during the American Revolutionary War. It was formed on June 14, 1775, by a resolution passed by the Second Continental Co ...

from March 1778 until April 1780. He was stationed near

Carlisle Carlisle ( , ; from ) is a city in the Cumberland district of Cumbria, England. Carlisle's early history is marked by the establishment of a settlement called Luguvalium to serve forts along Hadrian's Wall in Roman Britain. Due to its pro ...

at Washingtonburg Forge, now the

Carlisle Barracks Carlisle Barracks is a United States Army facility located in Pennsylvania, with a Carlisle post office address and with a portion in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. The site of the U.S. Army War College, it is the nation's second-oldest active military ...

. While stationed there, Denning explored and mastered the technique of creating lighter and more easily transported cannons. He did this by welding strips of wrought iron together in layers and building the cannon with the layers. Denning lived out his life following the Revolution near Newville. His grave can be found in the

cemetery A cemetery, burial ground, gravesite, graveyard, or a green space called a memorial park or memorial garden, is a place where the remains of many death, dead people are burial, buried or otherwise entombed. The word ''cemetery'' (from Greek ...

of Big Spring

Presbyterian Presbyterianism is a historically Reformed Protestant tradition named for its form of church government by representative assemblies of elders, known as "presbyters". Though other Reformed churches are structurally similar, the word ''Pr ...

Church in Newville. Many of the facilities at Colonel Denning State Park were constructed during the

Great Depression The Great Depression was a severe global economic downturn from 1929 to 1939. The period was characterized by high rates of unemployment and poverty, drastic reductions in industrial production and international trade, and widespread bank and ...

in the 1930s by the

Civilian Conservation Corps The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) was a voluntary government unemployment, work relief program that ran from 1933 to 1942 in the United States for unemployed, unmarried men ages 18–25 and eventually expanded to ages 17–28. The CCC was ...

. It was formally opened in 1936.

Recreation

Colonel Denning State Park is open to

hunting Hunting is the Human activity, human practice of seeking, pursuing, capturing, and killing wildlife or feral animals. The most common reasons for humans to hunt are to obtain the animal's body for meat and useful animal products (fur/hide (sk ...

. Hunters are expected to follow the rules and regulations of the

Pennsylvania Game Commission The Pennsylvania Game Commission (PGC) is the state agency responsible for wildlife conservation ethic, conservation and management in Pennsylvania in the United States. It was originally founded years ago and currently utilizes more than 700 ful ...

. The common game species are

squirrel Squirrels are members of the family Sciuridae (), a family that includes small or medium-sized rodents. The squirrel family includes tree squirrels, ground squirrels (including chipmunks and prairie dogs, among others), and flying squirrel ...

white-tailed deer The white-tailed deer (''Odocoileus virginianus''), also known Common name, commonly as the whitetail and the Virginia deer, is a medium-sized species of deer native to North America, North, Central America, Central and South America. It is the ...

, and

turkeys The turkey is a large bird in the genus ''Meleagris'', native to North America. There are two extant turkey species: the wild turkey (''Meleagris gallopavo'') of eastern and central North America and the ocellated turkey (''Meleagris ocell ...

. The hunting of

groundhog The groundhog (''Marmota monax''), also known as the woodchuck, is a rodent of the family Sciuridae, belonging to the group of large ground squirrels known as marmots. A lowland creature of North America, it is found through much of the Easte ...

s is prohibited. Hunting is also permitted in the nearby

. Doubling Gap Lake is open for

trout Trout (: trout) is a generic common name for numerous species of carnivorous freshwater ray-finned fishes belonging to the genera '' Oncorhynchus'', ''Salmo'' and ''Salvelinus'', all of which are members of the subfamily Salmoninae in the ...

fishing during the trout season established by the

Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission is an independent state agency responsible for the regulation of all fishing and boating in the state of Pennsylvania within the United States of America. Unlike many U.S. states, Pennsylvania has a sepa ...

. There are of hiking trails at Colonel Denning State Park and the park serves as a trailhead for the

Tuscarora Trail The Tuscarora Trail is a hiking trail in the eastern United States, following the Appalachian Mountains through portions of Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, and Pennsylvania. Its route is roughly parallel to, and to the west of, the Appalachia ...

(). Visitors are permitted to swim at their own risk in Doubling Gap Lake;

lifeguard A lifeguard is a rescuer who supervises the safety and rescue of swimmers, surfers, and other water sports participants such as in a swimming pool, water park, beach, spa, river and lake. Lifeguards are trained in swimming and Cardiopulmonary ...

s are not provided. There are over 200

picnic table A picnic table (or picnic bench) is a Table (furniture), table with benches (often attached), designed for working with and for picnic, outdoor dining. The term is often specifically associated with rectangular tables having an A-frame structure. ...

s available at Colonel Denning State Park. Flat Rock trail is a out-and-back hike reaching a peak elevation of at Flat Rock. At the rock, a cool breeze is welcome to hikers in the summertime. Occasionally, black bears are seen along the trail. The camping season at Colonel Denning State Park begins with the start of trout season and ends at the conclusion of deer season. There are 52 tent and trailer sites. Each site is equipped with a fire ring and picnic table.

Outhouse An outhouse — known variously across the English-speaking world otherwise as bog, dunny, long-drop, or privy — is a small structure, separate from a main building, which covers a toilet. This is typically either a pit latrine or a bucket ...

s are available at the campsite. On Flat Rock Trail up the mountain, a camping shelter was built as an Eagle Scout Project in 2000. A picnic table and fire pit accommodate the shelter along with an outhouse located a few hundred feet away.

Nearby state parks

The following state parks are within of Colonel Denning State Park:''Note: shows Colonel Denning State Park '' * Big Spring State Forest Picnic Area (

Perry County Perry County may refer to: United States *Perry County, Alabama *Perry County, Arkansas *Perry County, Illinois *Perry County, Indiana *Perry County, Kentucky *Perry County, Mississippi *Perry County, Missouri *Perry County, Ohio * Perry Cou ...

) *

Caledonia State Park Caledonia State Park is a List of Pennsylvania state parks, Pennsylvania state park in Greene Township, Franklin County, Pennsylvania, Greene Township, Franklin County, Pennsylvania, Franklin County and Franklin Township, Adams County, Pennsylva ...

(

Adams Adams may refer to: * For persons, see Adams (surname) Places United States *Adams, California *Adams, California, former name of Corte Madera, California * Adams, Decatur County, Indiana *Adams, Kentucky *Adams, Massachusetts, a New England to ...

and Franklin Counties) * Fowlers Hollow State Park (Perry County) *

Kings Gap Environmental Education and Training Center Kings Gap Environmental Education Center is a List of Pennsylvania state parks, Pennsylvania state park in Cooke Township, Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, Cooke, Dickinson Township, Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, Dickinson, and Penn Townshi ...

(Cumberland County) *

Little Buffalo State Park Little Buffalo State Park is a Pennsylvania state park on in Centre and Juniata Townships, Perry County, Pennsylvania in the United States. The park is a historical destination as well as a recreational destination. Visitors to the park can c ...

(Perry County) *

Mont Alto State Park Mont Alto State Park is a List of Pennsylvania state parks, Pennsylvania state park on in Quincy Township, Pennsylvania, Quincy Township, Franklin County, Pennsylvania, Franklin County, Pennsylvania in the United States. The park is on Pennsylva ...

(Franklin County) *

Pine Grove Furnace State Park Pine Grove Furnace State Park is a List of Pennsylvania state parks, protected Pennsylvania area that includes Laurel Lake (Cumberland County, Pennsylvania), Laurel and Pine Grove Iron Works#Fuller Lake, Fuller Lakes in Cooke Township, Cumberl ...

(Cumberland County)

References

External links

* {{authority control State parks of Pennsylvania Parks in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania Campgrounds in Pennsylvania Protected areas established in 1936 1936 establishments in Pennsylvania Civilian Conservation Corps in Pennsylvania Protected areas of Cumberland County, Pennsylvania