The oldest state park in Pennsylvania is Mont Alto State Park, located in Franklin County, which was established in 1902. While Valley Forge was technically the Commonwealth's first state park when it was designated in 1893, it was transferred to the National Park Service in 1976 and is now a National Historical Park. Therefore, Mont Alto holds the title of the oldest park still within the Pennsylvania state park system. It was originally developed as a recreational area for the students of the Pennsylvania State Forest Academy (now Penn State Mont Alto) and was built on the site of the former Mont Alto Iron Works. Today, the park is a popular spot for picnicking, fishing, and hiking, offering a tranquil, historic atmosphere. It represents the very beginning of Pennsylvania’s vast and award-winning state park system, which has grown from this single small plot of forest land to over 120 parks encompassing nearly 300,000 acres across the state.