Friends of Oil Creek State Park was formed in 2005 as a nonprofit chapter of the Pennsylvania Parks and Forests Foundation to support Oil Creek State Park through community engagement, stewardship and financial support for projects outside the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) budget. The group’s mission is to preserve, protect and interpret the park’s natural environment and cultural heritage while providing recreational and educational opportunities for residents and visitors to the Oil Region.
For Oil Creek State Park, we provide:
- Volunteer coordination for park conservation and maintenance
- Over The Hill Gang trail maintenance group
- Support and funding for trail maintenance, gardens and educational projects
- Support for the OC100 trail races.
- Community outreach and public events related to park stewardship
- Financial support for equipment, materials and special initiatives not funded by DCNR
One of the most significant shifts in 2025 and continuing in 2026 is greater emphasis on the ADA Accessibility Project. This ongoing initiative aims to make portions of the park more welcoming for people with physical disabilities by improving access. While the terrain at Oil Creek State Park is naturally rugged, this project represents meaningful movement toward greater inclusivity for all visitors.
One example of accessibility already implemented is the availability of EnChroma Goggles. These goggles are now available at the park office. The goggles allow for enhanced color contrast to allow visitors with red-green color vision differences to see forests, trees, waterways and wildlife in new ways.
The Friends group has helped to maintain the Cross-Country Ski Trails for many years. In 2025, and continuing with greater involvement in 2026, is our group’s support of the Wildcat Hollow Trail. We are looking forward to ensuring these trails remain open for park visitors.
The board is also undertaking a cemetery cleanup project of the historic cemeteries in the park.
We have approximately 500 members. And our current Board of Directors Officers for 2026 are:
- Jen McAlevy – Chairperson
- Rebekah Deal – Vice Chairperson
- Laura Anna – Treasurer
Oil Creek State Park is open all year. In addition to enjoying the beauty of the park spring, summer, winter and fall there are opportunities for volunteers to support the park during every season.
For more information, please visit www.friendsocsp.org
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