Modern era Cherry Springs State Park

up 10,000 stars, such these in constellation cygnus, can seen park

in post-war era, park long known chiefly isolated location , primitive camping facilities. in august 1952 it played host first woodsmen s carnival, annual celebration of lumbering industry, again active in second growth forests in area. festival, sponsored penn-york lumbermen s club, features lumberjack competitions reminder of past, displays of new equipment. in 1987 the galeton rotary club took on sponsorship, , renamed event woodsmen s show in 1990.

in 1980s, ccc , work in park honored. cherry springs state park 1 of several celebrate fiftieth anniversary of founding of civilian conservation corps ccc reunion in summer of 1983. on may 11, 1987, cherry springs picnic pavilion listed on nrhp. none of other remaining ccc structures in park had retained historic integrity sufficiently included on nrhp.

cherry springs began attracting stargazers in 1990s. in 1999 the dark sky fund established , continues enhance stargazing , astronomy experience funding improvements @ park. in 2000 cherry springs officially named dark sky park dcnr, , same year became part of hills creek state park complex, administrative grouping of 8 state parks in potter , tioga counties. headquarters cherry springs @ nearby lyman run state park. national public observatory picked pilot stars-n-parks program in april 2001. dcnr acquired cherry springs airport in 2006  expand overall dark sky observation area , allow increased programming opportunities @ park, , closed in 2007. on june 11, 2008, international dark-sky association named cherry springs state park second international dark sky park . (the first natural bridges national monument in utah.)