Big Spring State Park
- Status
- Status not postedDaily sunrise – sunset
- Entrance fee
- Not posted
- Day-use reservations
- None mentioned
- Dogs
- Not stated — check with park
- Camping
- None listed
- Official site
- pa.gov(717) 776-5272
Official page last checked Oct 29, 2026. How we keep this current
Overview
Big Spring State Park is a 45-acre park in Perry County, about 17 miles northwest of Shippensburg.
The park supports snowmobiling, winter sports, hunting in season, hiking, and picnicking. The official site lists about 1.0 miles of trails.
Hours
Park, gate, office and facility hours are listed separately because they often differ. Alerts above override normal hours.
| Facility | Days | Hours | Season |
|---|---|---|---|
| Park | Daily | sunrise – sunset | — |
Official wording
The park is open every day of the year, sunrise to sunset. Day use areas close at dusk.
Source: official park page, checked Oct 29, 2026. Times are local to the park (America/New York).
Reservations
- Day use
- No day-use reservation requirement mentioned
- Booking system
- ReserveAmerica (Aspira), Pennsylvania State Parks contract
- Phone
- 888-PA-PARKS (888-727-2757)
We link to the official booking system rather than showing live availability, which changes minute to minute.
Things to do
HikingHuntingPicnickingWinter sportsSnowmobiling
Trails
| Trail | Length | Difficulty | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Iron Horse Trail | 0.7 mi | Most difficult | Recreations permitted: hiking, backpacking, mountain biking, equestrian Trailhead amenities: picnic tables Only a small section of the 10-mile Iron Horse Trail is in the park. The park provides access to the Iron Horse Trail, designed for day hikes and overnight hiking in Tuscarora State Forest.HikingBackpackingMountain bikingEquestrian |
| Tunnel Trail | 0.2 mi | More difficult | Recreations permitted: hiking, mountain biking, equestrian Trailhead amenities: picnic tables A short, loop trail starts in the park and leads to the site of the partially completed railroad tunnel in Tuscarora State Forest. A 0.75-mile loop can be formed by combining the trail sections in the park and forestry. Historic information is provided at the trailhead.HikingMountain bikingEquestrian |
Trail descriptions from the park
1.0 mile of trails
Big Spring State Park Map
Amenities
Facilities
- Picnic areas
✓ listed by the park · ✕ the park says it is not available. Anything not shown here isn’t mentioned by the official source — that means unknown, not unavailable.
Getting there
- Address
- 9072 Big Spring Road
Blain, PA 17006 - Nearest town
- Shippensburg — about 17 mi northwest (straight line)
- Coordinates
- 40.2621, -77.6615
- Phone
- (717) 776-5272
- coloneldenningsp@pa.gov
Google Maps directionsApple MapsOfficial park map (PDF)
Directions from the park
The 45-acre Big Spring State Park is 5.5 miles southwest of New Germantown, Perry County, along PA 274. GPS DD: Lat. 40.26207 Long. -77.6615
Nearby state parks
Sources and freshness
- Pennsylvania State Parks — park page — last checked Oct 29, 2026; page says updated Aug 14, 2026
- DCNR Find a Park: content-fragment JSON feed used by the pa.gov park finder
- USGS PAD-US 4.1 (boundary and acreage)
“Last checked” is when our system last read the official source. No change has been detected since this page was first published. Hours, fees and rules can change without notice — confirm with the park before you go. Methodology