Lyman Run State Park is a Pennsylvania state park in

Ulysses Ulysses is the Latin name for Odysseus, a legendary Greek hero recognized for his intelligence and cunning. He is famous for his long, adventurous journey home to Ithaca after the Trojan War, as narrated in Homer's Odyssey. Ulysses may also refer ...

and West Branch Townships in Potter County,

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. Lyman Run Lake is a man-made lake within the park, surrounded by a northern

hardwood Hardwood is wood from Flowering plant, angiosperm trees. These are usually found in broad-leaved temperate and tropical forests. In temperate and boreal ecosystem, boreal latitudes they are mostly deciduous, but in tropics and subtropics mostl ...

forest of mainly

maple ''Acer'' is a genus of trees and shrubs commonly known as maples. The genus is placed in the soapberry family Sapindaceae.Stevens, P. F. (2001 onwards). Angiosperm Phylogeny Website. Version 9, June 2008 nd more or less continuously updated si ...

and

cherry A cherry is the fruit of many plants of the genus ''Prunus'', and is a fleshy drupe (stone fruit). Commercial cherries are obtained from cultivars of several species, such as the sweet '' Prunus avium'' and the sour '' Prunus cerasus''. The na ...

trees. Lyman Run State Park is west of Galeton and east of Coudersport, and is nearly completely surrounded by the

Susquehannock State Forest Susquehannock State Forest is a Pennsylvania state forest in Pennsylvania Bureau of Forestry District #15. The main office is located in Coudersport in Potter County, Pennsylvania in the United States. Susquehannock State Forest is locate ...

History

Major Isaac Lyman

Lyman Run State Park is named for the creek that runs through it, which is dammed to form Lyman Run Lake. Major Isaac Lyman, an

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 ...

veteran was one of the first permanent settlers in Potter County. Major Lyman is recognized as the founder of Potter County. He was paid ten dollars for each settler that he convinced to move to Potter County. He built his home in 1809 in nearby Lymansville, now known as Ladonna. Major Lyman also built the first road to cross Potter County and the county's first

sawmill A sawmill (saw mill, saw-mill) or lumber mill is a facility where logging, logs are cut into lumber. Modern sawmills use a motorized saw to cut logs lengthwise to make long pieces, and crosswise to length depending on standard or custom sizes ...

and

gristmill A gristmill (also: grist mill, corn mill, flour mill, feed mill or feedmill) grinds cereal grain into flour and Wheat middlings, middlings. The term can refer to either the grinding mechanism or the building that holds it. Grist is grain that h ...

. Lyman had a colorful personal history. Isaac was married three times and had 17 children. His first wife (Sally Edgecomb Lyman) died in 1791. He divorced his second wife (Laura Pierce Lyman) and started a third family in Potter County with his third wife (Patience Mann Spafford Lyman). The second Mrs. Lyman was determined not to suffer on her own. She sought out the Major, traveled to Potter County, with the help of her son, Burrell who was 18 at the time, and settled. Major Lyman lived with his two families in Potter County. Historical accounts of the living situation vary. Some say that Lyman kept both wives under one roof. Others state that there were two log homes for the families on the same piece of property. The descendants of Major Isaac Lyman still live and work in Potter County.

The lumber era

The Lyman Run area was part of the massive lumbering operation that occurred in most of north central Pennsylvania in the 1880s and 1890s. The land near Lyman Run was purchased by Frank and Charles Goodyear. The Goodyear brothers owned a

railroad Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport using wheeled vehicles running in railway track, tracks, which usually consist of two parallel steel railway track, rails. Rail transport is one of the two primary means of ...

and

lumber Lumber is wood that has been processed into uniform and useful sizes (dimensional lumber), including beams and planks or boards. Lumber is mainly used for construction framing, as well as finishing (floors, wall panels, window frames). ...

company that harvested the

old-growth An old-growth forest or primary forest is a forest that has developed over a long period of time without Disturbance (ecology), disturbance. Due to this, old-growth forests exhibit unique ecological features. The Food and Agriculture Organizati ...

white pine ''Pinus'', the pines, is a genus of approximately 111 extant tree and shrub species. The genus is currently split into two subgenera: subgenus ''Pinus'' (hard pines), and subgenus ''Strobus'' (soft pines). Each of the subgenera have been further ...

and hemlock. These logs were floated down Lyman Run to the

log boom A log boom (sometimes called a log fence or log bag) is a barrier placed in a river, designed to collect and or contain floating logs timbered from nearby forests. The term is also used as a place where logs were collected into booms, as at th ...

at Williamsport by way of the West Branch of Pine Creek, then Pine Creek itself, and finally the

West Branch Susquehanna River The West Branch Susquehanna River is one of the two principal branches, along with the North Branch, of the Susquehanna River in the Northeastern United States. The North Branch, which rises in upstate New York, is generally regarded as the ex ...

Modern era

In the 1930s, a

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 ...

camp was built at what later became Lyman Run State Park. The grounds of the former CCC camp became a

prisoner of war A prisoner of war (POW) is a person held captive by a belligerent power during or immediately after an armed conflict. The earliest recorded usage of the phrase "prisoner of war" dates back to 1610. Belligerents hold prisoners of war for a ...

camp toward the end of

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, with

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany, the country of the Germans and German things **Germania (Roman era) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...

prisoners of war detained by the U.S. Military there. In 1951, construction began on the state park facilities. In 2000 the park became part of the Hills Creek State Park complex, an administrative grouping of eight state parks in Potter and

Tioga Tioga may refer to: United States communities *Tioga, California, former name of Bennettville, California *Tioga, Colorado * Tioga, Florida * Tioga, Iowa * Tioga, Louisiana * Tioga, Michigan * Tioga, New York, a town in Tioga County *Tioga County, ...

counties.

Recreation

Camping, picnics, and hiking

Camping at both modern and rustic campsites is available at Lyman Run State Park. There are twenty-nine campsites equipped with

electricity Electricity is the set of physical phenomena associated with the presence and motion of matter possessing an electric charge. Electricity is related to magnetism, both being part of the phenomenon of electromagnetism, as described by Maxwel ...

for RV's. Each site has a fire ring,

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. ...

and

lantern A lantern is a source of lighting, often portable. It typically features a protective enclosure for the light sourcehistorically usually a candle, a oil lamp, wick in oil, or a thermoluminescence, thermoluminescent Gas mantle, mesh, and often a ...

hanger. There is a sanitary dump station at the campground. Those interested in camping out in

tent A tent is a shelter consisting of sheets of fabric or other material draped over or attached to a frame of poles or a supporting rope. While smaller tents may be free-standing or attached to the ground, large tents are usually anchored using g ...

s may use one of six walk-in rustic camping areas. These locations have

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 and hand-operated water pumps. In addition to the picnic tables at the campsites, Lyman Run State Park has a central, shaded picnic area. There are

charcoal Charcoal is a lightweight black carbon residue produced by strongly heating wood (or other animal and plant materials) in minimal oxygen to remove all water and volatile constituents. In the traditional version of this pyrolysis process, ca ...

grills, outhouses, and a play area. Drinking water is available at hand-operated pumps. There is one picnic pavilion on the grounds. Lyman Run State Park has of

hiking trail A hike is a long, vigorous walk, usually on trails or footpaths in the countryside. Walking for pleasure developed in Europe during the eighteenth century. Long hikes as part of a religious pilgrimage have existed for a much longer time. " ...

s, which connect with the much larger system of trails in the adjoining

. It is a northern access point for the

Susquehannock Trail System The Susquehannock Trail System (STS) is an loop hiking trail in Susquehannock State Forest in Potter County (with a few short segments in Clinton County) in north-central Pennsylvania, United States. The trail walks through two state parks an ...

(STS), an loop trail almost entirely on state forest land. The STS runs west of the park, and is reached via an access trail from the southwest end of the lake.

Hunting

Hunting is permitted on about of Lyman Run State Park. 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

ruffed grouse The ruffed grouse (''Bonasa umbellus'') is a medium-sized grouse occurring in forests from the Appalachian Mountains across Canada to Alaska. It is the most widely distributed game bird in North America. It is non-migratory. It is the only spe ...

squirrels Squirrels are members of the family (biology), 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 ...

wild turkey The wild turkey (''Meleagris gallopavo'') is an upland game bird native to North America, one of two extant species of Turkey (bird), turkey and the heaviest member of the order Galliformes. It is the ancestor to the domestic turkey (''M. g. dom ...

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

black bear Black bear or Blackbear may refer to: Animals * American black bear (''Ursus americanus''), a North American bear species * Asian black bear (''Ursus thibetanus''), an Asian bear species Music * Black Bear (band), a Canadian First Nations group ...

s. 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 not permitted at the park. Many more acres of forested woodlands are available for hunting on the grounds of the adjacent

Lyman Run Lake

Boating with gas powered motors is prohibited on Lyman Run Lake. Motorized boats must be powered by electric motors only. Rowboats,

canoe A canoe is a lightweight, narrow watercraft, water vessel, typically pointed at both ends and open on top, propelled by one or more seated or kneeling paddlers facing the direction of travel and using paddles. In British English, the term ' ...

s and

kayak ] A kayak is a small, narrow human-powered watercraft typically propelled by means of a long, double-bladed paddle. The word ''kayak'' originates from the Inuktitut word '' qajaq'' (). In British English, the kayak is also considered to be ...

s are permitted on the waters of the lake. All boats must be properly registered with the state. Lyman Run Lake is a popular fishing lake, with exceptional water quality. The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat commission fish stocking, stocks the lake with

rainbow A rainbow is an optical phenomenon caused by refraction, internal reflection and dispersion of light in water droplets resulting in a continuous spectrum of light appearing in the sky. The rainbow takes the form of a multicoloured circular ...

and palomino

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 ...

during the fishing season. In winter, ice fishing for trout is permitted. The thickness of the ice is not monitored, but should be at least thick before venturing out on it. Ice skating is allowed when the ice is thick enough, but limited to the beach area. Swimming is permitted in Lyman Run Lake. The swimming season opens on

Memorial Day Memorial Day (originally known as Decoration Day) is a federal holiday in the United States for mourning the U.S. military personnel who died while serving in the United States Armed Forces. It is observed on the last Monday of May. It i ...

weekend and concludes on

Labor Day Labor Day is a Federal holidays in the United States, federal holiday in the United States celebrated on the first Monday of September to honor and recognize the Labor history of the United States, American labor movement and the works and con ...

weekend. Beginning in 2008 lifeguards will not be posted at the beach.

Nearby state parks

The following state parks are within of Lyman Run State Park:''Note: shows Lyman Run State Park'' *

Bucktail State Park Natural Area Bucktail State Park Natural Area is a Pennsylvania state park in Cameron and Clinton Counties in Pennsylvania in the United States. The park follows Pennsylvania Route 120 for between Emporium (in Cameron County, which contains of the par ...

(

Cameron Cameron may refer to: People * Clan Cameron, a Scottish clan * Cameron (given name), a given name (including a list of people with the name) * Cameron (surname), a surname (including a list of people with the name) ;Mononym * Cam'ron (born 19 ...

and Clinton Counties) * Cherry Springs State Park ( Potter County) *

Colton Point State Park Colton Point State Park is a List of Pennsylvania state parks, Pennsylvania state park in Tioga County, Pennsylvania, Tioga County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. It is on the west side of the Pine Creek Gorge, also known as the Grand Ca ...

( Tioga County) * Denton Hill State Park (Potter County) * Hyner Run State Park (Clinton County) * Hyner View State Park (Clinton County) *

Kettle Creek State Park Kettle Creek State Park is a List of Pennsylvania state parks, Pennsylvania state park in Leidy Township, Clinton County, Pennsylvania, Leidy Township, Clinton County, Pennsylvania, Clinton County, Pennsylvania in the United States. The park is ...

(Clinton County) *

Leonard Harrison State Park Leonard Harrison State Park is a List of Pennsylvania state parks, Pennsylvania state park in Tioga County, Pennsylvania, Tioga County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. It is on the east rim of the Pine Creek Gorge, also known as the Grand ...

(Tioga County) *

Patterson State Park Patterson State Park is a List of Pennsylvania state parks, Pennsylvania state park on that are located in Summit Township, Potter County, Pennsylvania, Summit Township, Potter County, Pennsylvania, Potter County, Pennsylvania in the United Stat ...

(Potter County) *

Prouty Place State Park Prouty Place State Park is a Pennsylvania state park on in Summit Township, Potter County, Pennsylvania in the United States. The park is southwest of Pennsylvania Route 44, along Prouty Road near the junction with Long Toe Road, near Sweden ...

(Potter County) *

Sinnemahoning State Park Sinnemahoning State Park is a List of Pennsylvania state parks, Pennsylvania state park in Grove Township, Cameron County, Pennsylvania, Grove Township, Cameron County, Pennsylvania, Cameron County and Wharton Township, Potter County, Pennsylva ...

(Cameron and Potter Counties) *

Sizerville State Park Sizerville State Park is a List of Pennsylvania state parks, Pennsylvania state park in Portage Township, Cameron County, Pennsylvania, Portage Township, Cameron County, Pennsylvania, Cameron County and Portage Township, Potter County, Pennsylv ...

(Cameron and Potter Counties)

References

External links

* {{authority control State parks of Pennsylvania Protected areas established in 1951 Civilian Conservation Corps in Pennsylvania Parks in Potter County, Pennsylvania Campgrounds in Pennsylvania Protected areas of Potter County, Pennsylvania