Vosburg Neck: New State Park Highlights Project Partnership Between DCNR and North Branch Land Trust

On September 27, 2022, Pennsylvania announced three new state park projects, representing $45 million of state investment.

One of the three new state parks, Vosburg Neck State Park (though the name may change as the development process unfolds between now and the scheduled debut of the park in 2026), is located in Wyoming County. The Vosburg Neck site will be Wyoming County’s first state park.

Vosburg Neck is 669 acres being acquired with the assistance of the North Branch Land Trust. The park will offer scenic hiking opportunities, including a climb to an impressive westerly oriented vista, pleasant strolls along a former railroad bed, invigorating shared-use trails, and significant public access for water-based recreation to the North Branch of the Susquehanna River.

DCNR Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn said the state is in final negotiations for the Wyoming County tract, expected to cost $12 million in land purchase and development costs. “These are all serving areas with a growing need and growing demand for recreation that is not being met,” said Dunn. She noted that, largely due to the pandemic, visitors to state parks increased from 37 million in 2019 to nearly 47 million in 2020 and 42 million in 2021.

Located within the North Branch Land Trust’s Howland Preserve, the Vosburg Neck property is bordered by an oxbow turn in the Susquehanna River and already includes an extensive trail system. The outside bend has steep cliffs with spectacular views across the river. The future state park is mostly forested and includes a remnant of a canal system from the 1800s, a historic cemetery and a tunnel on an abandoned railroad. Water access for paddlers and trailered boats will be expanded.

Intended as a day use park, it will eventually have picnic facilities, restrooms, parking lots and interpretive stations.