Maurice K. Goddard State Park
Rate this placeLast Updated: December 5, 2025
Maurice K.
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Summary
Goddard State Park is a 2,856-acre park located in Mercer County, Pennsylvania. The park offers a variety of recreational activities, including hiking, fishing, boating, camping, and picnicking.
One of the main attractions of the park is Lake Wilhelm, a 1,740-acre reservoir that is popular for fishing and boating. The lake is stocked with a variety of fish, including bass, walleye, and trout. There are also several hiking trails in the park, ranging from easy to challenging, that offer scenic views of the lake and surrounding woods.
Other points of interest in the park include the park office and nature center, which offers educational programs and exhibits about the park's natural and cultural history. The park also has several picnic areas, a disc golf course, and a playground for children.
Interesting facts about the park include its namesake, Maurice K. Goddard, who served as Pennsylvania's Secretary of Environmental Resources from 1971 to 1979 and was instrumental in the creation of many of the state's parks and natural areas. Additionally, the park is home to several species of wildlife, including bald eagles and ospreys.
The best time of year to visit Maurice K. Goddard State Park is in the summer months, when the weather is warm and the lake is ideal for swimming and boating. However, the park is open year-round and offers activities such as ice fishing and cross-country skiing in the winter months.
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Park & Land Designation Reference
Large protected natural areas managed by the federal government to preserve significant landscapes, ecosystems, and cultural resources; recreation is allowed but conservation is the priority.
State Park
Public natural or recreational areas managed by a state government, typically smaller than national parks and focused on regional natural features, recreation, and education.
Local Park
Community-level parks managed by cities or counties, emphasizing recreation, playgrounds, sports, and green space close to populated areas.
Wilderness Area
The highest level of land protection in the U.S.; designated areas where nature is left essentially untouched, with no roads, structures, or motorized access permitted.
National Recreation Area
Areas set aside primarily for outdoor recreation (boating, hiking, fishing), often around reservoirs, rivers, or scenic landscapes; may allow more development.
National Conservation Area (BLM)
BLM-managed areas with special ecological, cultural, or scientific value; more protection than typical BLM land but less strict than Wilderness Areas.
State Forest
State-managed forests focused on habitat, watershed, recreation, and sustainable timber harvest.
National Forest
Federally managed lands focused on multiple use—recreation, wildlife habitat, watershed protection, and resource extraction (like timber)—unlike the stricter protections of national parks.
Wilderness
A protected area set aside to conserve specific resources—such as wildlife, habitats, or scientific features—with regulations varying widely depending on the managing agency and purpose.
Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Land
Vast federal lands managed for mixed use—recreation, grazing, mining, conservation—with fewer restrictions than national parks or forests.
Related References
State Game Lands 270
State Game Lands 130
State Game Lands 294
State Game Lands 213