![]() | BendigoBrochure |
Brochure of Bendigo State Park (SP) in Pennsylvania. Published by Pennsylvania State Parks.
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A Pennsylvania Recreational Guide for
Bendigo State Park
Bendigo State Park
The Park
The 100-acre Bendigo State Park is in a small valley
surrounded by picturesque hills. About 20 acres of the park is
developed, half of which is a large, shaded picnic area.
The forest is predominantly northern hardwoods and
includes beech, birch, cherry and maple. The East Branch
of the Clarion River flows through the park. This beautiful
waterway was once polluted by abandoned mine drainage. It
now provides excellent fishing and is stocked with trout by
the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission.
Directions
In Jones Township, Elk County, Pennsylvania, Bendigo
State Park is four miles northeast of Johnsonburg on SR
1004, which branches off of US 219 in Johnsonburg.
Reservations
Make online reservations at: www.visitPAparks.com or call
toll-free 888-PA-PARKS (888-727-2757), 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.,
Monday to Saturday, for state park information and
reservations.
Recreational Opportunities
sWiMMiNG: The pool is open daily from 11 a.m.
to 7 p.m., Memorial Day weekend to Labor Day, unless
otherwise posted. Depth ranges from three to five feet.
Certified lifeguards staff the pool. The pool has an ADA
accessible lift.
pennsylvania
WI LDS
Bendigo SnowFest
Held on the first Saturday in February, visitors can participate
in a variety of outdoor activities including snowshoeing,
cross-country skiing, sledding and geocaching. Children and
adults of all ages are welcome at this celebration of winter in
the Pennsylvania Wilds. The SnowFest will have alternate
activities in the event of no snow.
Environmental Education and
Interpretation
Bendigo State Park offers year-round environmental
education and interpretive programs. Hands-on activities,
guided walks and historical talks are offered to park visitors.
Participants will gain an appreciation and understanding of the
natural world and develop a sense of stewardship for the
park’s natural resources. Group programs must be arranged in
advance and may be scheduled by calling the park office.
History
picNicKiNG: Over 150 picnic tables are located in
several picnic areas. Within these areas are charcoal grills,
drinking water, four horseshoe pits, restrooms and three
picnic pavilions. Picnic pavilions may be reserved up to 11
months in advance for a fee. Unreserved picnic pavilions are
free on a first-come, first-served basis. Pavilion #1 is ADA
accessible.
For More Information Contact:
Bendigo State Park
533 State Park Road
Johnsonburg, PA 15845-0016
814-965-2646
email: bendigosp@pa.gov
GPS: Lat. 41.53168 Long. -78.62849
An Equal Opportunity Employer
FisHiNG: The East Branch of the Clarion River flows
through the park and is an excellent fishery. The river is
stocked with trout and is home to many cold-water species.
A fishing platform behind the pool allows for easy access for
children and the elderly.
www.visitPAparks.com
Information and Reservations
Make online reservations at:
www.visitPAparks.com or call toll-free
888-PA-PARKS (888-727-2757) , 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.,
Monday to Saturday, for state park information
and reservations.
Printed on recycled paper
2013
caNoeiNG/KaYaKiNG: The East Branch of the Clarion
River is scenic and appropriate for beginning boaters under
normal conditions. A canoe launch is three miles upstream
along Kilgus Road. Best water conditions are generally in
the spring. To launch in a state park, a non-powered vessel
needs a state park or PA Fish & Boat Comission launch
permit.
Bendigo State Park has a mysterious and interesting history. It
includes the Bible, boxing, lumbering and a mysterious name.
William Abednego Thompson (1811 - 1880) was born into
a poor family in Nottingham, Britain. The last of 21 children,
Thompson was one of triplets named for three men who
escaped a fiery furnace in the Book of Daniel.
Thompson began bare-knuckle boxing to make money.
He was nicknamed Bendy Abednego due to his bobbing and
weaving. The name eventually evolved into ‘Bendigo’. He
was popular with fans because of his wild behavior in the
ring. Bendigo was known to do flips, taunt his opponent,
and skillfully avoid punches. After becoming a champion in
British boxing, he retired and became a Methodist preacher.
There are no records of Bendigo ever leaving Britain.
In 1895, fifteen years after Bendigo’s death, a lumbering
operation began on a small creek in northwestern
Pennsylvania. The operation was built and operated by Alfred
Truman, who also built a small town named Bendigo. After
five years of business, the operation exhausted the available
timber. The mill and town disbanded and the lumber company
razed the facilities.
It is still a mystery how a mill town and creek in
Pennsylvania came to bear the name of a left-handed boxer
from Britain.
Early European settlement in the area was centered on the
abundant timber of northwestern Pennsylvania. Towns and
services sprang up around the lumbering industry. Starting
in 1887, the towns and mills were linked by the Johnsonburg
and Clermont Railroad that carried timber to the market.
When the timber was exhausted, the railroad, sawmills and
towns slowly disappeared. The old railroad bed is now the
main park road.
In the 1920s, the townspeople of Johnsonburg joined
together to form a community park for swimming, picnicking
and outdoor recreation. The lumber company that owned the
former village of Bendigo gave 100 acres to the county to be
a park.
In 1936, during the Great Depression, the Works Progress
Administration (WPA) began building roads, a dam and a
pool at Bendigo Community Park. However, there were not
enough funds to complete some projects and the pool and
other facilities remained unfinished. Visitors to the park in
that era were able to swim in the river behind the dam and
enjoy the picnic tables and grills.
Floods destroyed many of the facilities in 1942, but the
stone wall and dam on the East Branch of the Clarion River
survived. Due to the debris, most of the park was unusable;
however, visitors still frequented the swimming hole and
picnic area.
In 1948, the late State Senator George B. Stevenson
introduced a bill that transferred the property to the
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Now a parcel of the State
Park system, improvements were made to the park facilities,
including the building of a swimming pool. Bendigo
State Park opened in 1954, completing the vision that the
community began.
develop a statewide system of public hunting grounds and
game refuges, and this land purchase was significant in those
efforts. The marker was erected in 1948 by sportsmen and
friends of Philips.
elK state Forest: The western section of this
195,911-acre forest is adjacent to Elk State Park. Hiking,
bird-watching, fishing, hunting and outdoor recreation is
permitted on state forest land. 814-486-3353
Protect and Preserve Our Parks
Please make your visit safe and enjoyable. Obey all posted
rules and regulations and respect fellow visitors and the
resources of the park.
• Be prepared and bring the proper equipment. Natural areas
may possess hazards. Your personal safety and that of your
family is your responsibility.
• Alcoholic beverages are prohibited.
• Because uncontrolled pets may chase wildlife or frighten
visitors, pets must be controlled and attended at all times
and on a leash, caged or crated. Pets are prohibited in swimming areas.
• Do your part to keep wildlife wild! Enjoy wildlife from a
safe distance and do not feed or approach wild animals.
• Prevent forest fires by having a fire in proper facilities
and properly disposing of hot coals. Do not leave a fire
unattended.
• Please park only in designated areas and obey all traffic
regulations.
• Please recycle. Place trash accumulated during your stay
in proper receptacles, or take it home with you.
Nearby Attractions
Information on nearby attractions is available from:
Great Outdoors Visitors Bureau, 814-849-5197.
www.visitpago.com
elK state parK: This beautiful park contains the lake
formed by the East Branch Dam. Recreational opportunities
include unlimited horsepower motor boating, waterskiing,
hiking, fishing and hunting. 814-965-2646
east braNcH laKe: The East Branch Dam of the
Clarion River was finished in 1952 by the U.S. Army
Corps of Engineers. The dam provides flood protection
and recreational opportunities. The U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers operates a recreation area by the East Branch
Dam that has camping with facilities, sanitary dump station
and boat launch. 814-965-2065
state GaMe laND 25: This 24,523-acre wooded
area consists of long narrow valleys and flat mountaintops.
Visitors are welcome to hunt, fish, hike and bird-watch.
A large stone marker at the entrance to State Game Land
25 in Glen Hazel commemorates the purchase of this land
in 1920. State Game Land 25 was the first purchase by
the Pennsylvania Game Commission from the proceeds
of hunting license fees. John MacFarlane Philips, Game
Commission member from 1905-1924, worked tirelessly to
Access for People with Disabilities
This symbol indicates facilities and activities that are
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) accessible for
people with disabilities. This publication text is available in
alternative formats.
If you need an accommodation to participate in park
activities due to a disability, please contact the park you plan
to visit.
In an Emergency
Contact a park employee or dial 911. For directions to the
nearest hospital, look on bulletin boards or at the park
office.
Nearest Hospital
Elk Regional Health Center
763 Johnsonburg Road
St. Mary’s, PA 15857
814-788-8000