Pennsylvania State Forests

Michaux State Forest

Considered Pennsylvania’s “cradle of forestry,” Michaux is the site of the first forestry school, Mont Alto.

Michaux District Office
10099 Lincoln Way East
Fayetteville, PA 17222
717-352-2211

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Important Park Alerts & Advisories

Before you head out to explore Michaux State Forest, please take a moment to review the latest alerts and advisories. These updates are crucial for your safety and may impact your plans. Stay informed about trail closures, weather warnings, and other important information to ensure a safe and enjoyable visit.

Review Alerts & Advisories

Overview

Michaux State Forest encompasses more than 85,500 acres in the South Mountain area of:

Cumberland County
Franklin County
Adams County

The forest is named for the French botanist, Andre Michaux, who discovered and named many plants during the 18th century.

Explore Michaux State Forest

Chronic Wasting Disease

Chronic Wasting Disease, which is an always fatal disease to deer and elk, has been detected in all or portions of Michaux State Forest.

Hunters should be aware of special rules and regulations that apply to deer harvested within the Disease Management Area. It is recommended that those deer be tested for the disease.

More information about chronic wasting disease can be found on the Pennsylvania Game Commission and the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture websites.

In addition, the Pennsylvania Game Commission provides information about deer processors in the Disease Management Area.

Don’t Move Firewood

To help protect the forest from invasive insects that can kill trees and devastate the ecosystem, please do not transport firewood over long distances.

Firewood can harbor insects such as emerald ash borer and spotted lanternfly. Cut or purchase your firewood where you intend to burn it.

Cumberland County, which comprises part of the Michaux State Forest District, is under the spotted lanternfly quarantine order. The order restricts movement of certain items -- like firewood -- into and out of the county. For more information, please see the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture website.

The Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Bureau of Forestry manages our state forests for their long-term health and productivity while conserving native wild plants.

These forests are managed as “working forests” and provide a suite of uses and values to Pennsylvania citizens, while maintaining the forest’s wild character.

Our state forests are managed for:

Pure water
Recreation
Scenic beauty
Plant and animal habitat
Sustainable timber and natural gas
Many other uses and values

The management of our state forests is guided by the State Forest Resource Management Plan.

The Bureau of Forestry is in the process of revising the Michaux State Forest Resource Management Plan.

A district-level state forest management plan is written for each of the bureau’s 20 forest districts across the state.

Michaux State Forest staff hosted a public meeting and online survey about its draft management plan in 2018.

The 2020 Michaux State Forest Resource Management Plan Public Survey Data and Response to Public Comments (PDF) is available to review.

Using public input and building on the statewide 2016 management plan, the Bureau of Forestry revised and completed a new Michaux State Forest Resource Management Plan (PDF) setting district-level management priorities.

The Department of Conservation and Natural Resources will be replacing the current Michaux Forest District Office with a new Resource Management Center to better serve visitors, residents, and district forest needs.

The selected 70-acre site is state forest land that a portion of is leased to a third party to operate the South Mountain Golf Course, with the lease expiring at the end of 2025.

The project will increase public acres conserved as habitat and restore it as a free public resource for visitors and all outdoor recreation users.

Several sites were thoroughly evaluated, with the selected site chosen based on:

Public accessibility
Trail connectivity and nearness to visitors
Low environmental impact and opportunity to protect critical wildlife
Enhanced forest operations
Site connection to conservation history

The availability of a number of other golf opportunities in the region also was considered.

As a gateway to the southern end and up into Michaux State Forest, the new visitor center will increase engagement with forest users and serve as a teaching and demonstration center for conservation history and natural resource stewardship.

More information on the project is available in these documents:

The visitor center is in the design and planning stage.

The Bureau of Forestry has adopted “ecosystem management” as its principal strategy for managing state forests.

This approach seeks to conserve the natural patterns and processes of the forest while advancing long-term sustainability.

Ecosystem management promotes the conservation of plant and animal communities and the landscapes and habitats that support them.

It also accounts for needs and values of people and communities.

This results in a holistic, integrated approach to managing forest resources.

As you travel throughout the state forest, you’ll see examples of our forests “at work.” Some of these management practices are more noticeable than others, such as:

Active timber harvests
Deer exclosure fences
Natural gas drilling sites
Prescribed fires
Spongy moth (formerly known as gypsy moth) spraying

Others are more subtle, such as the:

Protection of a vernal pool
Buffering of a stream from timber harvesting
Setting aside of a special area to conserve its wild character or protect a rare plant community

Each of these management practices and activities play a vital role in the management and conservation of our state forest system.

Pennsylvania’s 2.2-million-acre state forest system is one of the largest dual certified forests in North America.

The Forest Stewardship Council™ is an independent organization supporting environmentally appropriate, socially beneficial, and economically viable management of the world’s forests.

Sustainable Forestry Initiative© certification focuses on protection of water quality, biodiversity, wildlife habitat, species at risk, and forests with exceptional conservation value.

Dual certification ensures that Pennsylvania’s state forests are managed to the highest third-party standards.