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Taking in the total solar eclipse on April 8 at Pymatuning State Park is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and visitors are expected to flock to the Crawford County attraction for a chance to share in the excitement.
“Nobody that’s alive today is going to be alive for the next one, so I think that’s what’s driving this,” park manager Dan Bickel said.
Within about two weeks of opening campground reservations for the season, nearly all of the 318 campsites and 25 cabins at Pymatuning were filled for April 8. The nearly 17,000-acre state park — along with other parts of northwestern Pennsylvania — falls in the eclipse’s path of totality, where the moon will pass between the sun and the earth, turning day into night for a few minutes.
There will not be another U.S. eclipse, spanning coast to coast, until 2045. But it takes about 400 to 1,000 years before the path of totality returns to the same spot. The April 8 eclipse just happens to slice across the northwestern corner of Pennsylvania, in the path of several state parks.
The 2017 total solar eclipse generated a spike in attendance at Pymatuning, Bickel said. He expects an even higher turnout in April.
The park’s second campground, the 40-site Linesville Campground, opened for reservations March 6. Apart from any remaining slots there, the park will not be able to accept any more overnight stays, Bickel said.
Day-of attendance is difficult to estimate, he said, but the park is preparing to welcome more than 25,000 people — the attendance for a typical holiday weekend. The park usually sees 230,000 people throughout the entire month of April, Bickel said.
Staff at Presque Isle State Park in Erie County have fielded phone calls about the eclipse for about a year, said park manager Mathew Greene. Call volume has only ramped up over the past three months.
“The diehards definitely knew it was coming and had it on their radar,” he said.
Drawing on the experience of state parks that fell in the path of totality for the 2017 eclipse, Presque Isle is preparing to welcome 50,000 to 100,000 people April 8, Greene said.
Presque Isle, a 3,200-acre peninsula, has a shorefront view of Lake Erie from its sandy beaches — the perfect location for viewing the eclipse, Greene said.
“People can get as close to the center line of the path of totality by being on the beach at Presque Isle,” Greene said.
In addition to managing high traffic volumes, maintaining restrooms and providing enough trash and recycling bins, Presque Isle staff will have to direct visitors away from areas with fragile ecosystems to prevent damage to the wildlife, Greene said.
Maurice K. Goddard State Park in Mercer County will likely not see as big of a turnout as Pymatuning or Presque Isle, said park manager Mark Scarpitti.
But that has not spared Scarpitti from answering an influx of phone calls to the park office in recent weeks, with potential visitors posing questions about the eclipse.
“Things are picking up,” said Scarpitti, who has worked at the 2,800-acre park for four years. “People have called from Jersey, Philadelphia — Pittsburgh, certainly — asking if we have recommended viewing locations, kind of what we’re expecting (from the eclipse).”
Lake Wilhelm is the central focus of the park, Scarpitti said. The 1,680-acre lake — surrounded by a 12-mile paved loop and sprawling hiking trails — draws visitors for paddling, boating, fishing and photography each year.
The park sees its highest annual attendance — more than 1,000 people — during its Music by the Marina festival in August and its Country by the Creek event in June.
Though turnout for the eclipse has yet to be determined, Scarpitti expects a significant uptick in attendance during the natural phenomenon.
“I think a lot is going to depend on the weather, but if it’s a beautiful day, I think we’ll certainly have a few hundred more people than we normally do,” Scarpitti said. “That’s where a lot of the question marks come in — are we going to have a few extra, a few hundred people, or are we going to have a thousand people?”
Nearby Camp Wilhelm, a campground with more than 200 six-month rental sites and 26 overnight sites, is completely booked for April 8, said Mary Goldstrohm.
“I have people blowing up my phone,” said Goldstrohm, who opened the campground with her husband seven years ago. “There’s just no room.”
Goldstrohm did not expect such a turnout for the eclipse.
“I was shocked how it took off, and I’m not so certain it’s just because of the solar eclipse,” she said, commenting that visitors are likely inspired to get outside at the conclusion of winter.
Scarpitti suspects people are being drawn to state parks April 8 because most Pennsylvania residents will not be able to experience the full extent of the eclipse from their home.
“I’ve been told that the difference between being (totally) eclipsed — in the path of totality — and being just outside of it is literally the difference between night and day,” Scarpitti said.
The path of totality cuts Goddard in half, he said. He advises visitors to view the eclipse from the park’s marina area, the park office, Launch No. 3 or Launch No. 4 — which are close to parking lots and restroom facilities. A map of the park can be found on the park’s Department of Conservation and Natural Resources website.
“I think the beauty of public lands is that parks are for the people and the fact that we have these incredible spaces that are great for outdoor recreation,” Scarpitti said. “They’re great for solitary pursuits, but when you get a big event like this that’s a natural phenomenon, (public lands) are oftentimes the best place to view it.”
Preparing for the eclipse
For those traveling to view the eclipse at a state park or campground, Scarpitti advises visitors to pack like they would for a day of hiking — with appropriate clothing layers, good walking shoes, water and food.
On April 8, Bickel will be most focused on efficiently filtering visitors in and out of Pymatuning, he said.
“The biggest concern, from sitting in meetings, is making sure people leave enough time to enter and exit the park,” he said, adding that the state Department of Transportation is advising people not to pull their vehicles onto the side of the road to view the eclipse.
Staff members at Pymatuning and Goddard will hand out eclipse glasses while supplies last. Goddard staff also will operate information tables to answer visitors’ questions about the eclipse, Scarpitti said.
On the Saturday before the eclipse, Camp Wilhelm will have a variety of eclipse-themed activities, Goldstrohm said. Campers can try their luck at solar eclipse bingo, enjoy hot dogs and sauerkraut, sit around a bonfire or bring a black T-shirt to decorate with a painted eclipse design.
“It’s very family-oriented,” Goldstrohm said. “We are old fashioned. It’s like back when you were little with your parents.”
Quincey Reese is a TribLive reporter covering the Greensburg and Hempfield areas. She also does reporting for the Penn-Trafford Star. A Penn Township native, she joined the Trib in 2023 after working as a Jim Borden Scholarship intern at the company for two summers. She can be reached at qreese@triblive.com.
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