{{Short description|State Park in Washington County, Pennsylvania}} {{Use mdy dates|date=August 2025}} {{Infobox park | name = Hillman State Park | image = Hillman State Park.jpg | image_caption = A marsh at Hillman State Park | image_alt = Marsh | image_size = 280 | location = [[Hanover Township, Washington County, Pennsylvania]], United States | coordinates = {{coord|40.435943|-80.40658|format=dms|display=inline,title}} | coords_ref = <ref name="hsp"/> | area = {{convert|3697|acre|abbr=on}}<ref name="forrey"/> | elevation = {{convert|1063|ft}} | established = 1969<ref name="forrey"/> | administrator = [[Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources]] | free_label = Named for | free_data = James F. Hillman<ref name="forrey"/> | visitation_num = | visitation_year = | visitation_ref = | website = {{Official website}} | module = {{Infobox protected area | map = USA Pennsylvania#USA | label = Hillman State Park | label_position = | map_caption = Location in Pennsylvania | relief = 1 | module = [[List of Pennsylvania state parks|Pennsylvania State Parks]] }} }} '''Hillman State Park''' is a {{convert|3697|acre|0|adj=on}} [[List of Pennsylvania state parks|Pennsylvania state park]] in [[Hanover Township, Washington County, Pennsylvania|Hanover Township]], [[Washington County, Pennsylvania|Washington County]] in the United States. It is about {{convert|25|mi}} west of [[Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania|Pittsburgh]]. The park opened in the late 1960s and has been managed for hunting by the [[Pennsylvania Game Commission]] since the early 1980s.<ref name="hsp" /> The park also has [[hiking]], [[cross-country skiing]], [[Equestrianism|horseback riding]], a [[radio-controlled aircraft]] field, and [[mountain bike]] trails that are open to the public.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.friendsofraccoon.com/Hillman/about_hillman.htm |title=Hillman State Park at Friends of Raccoon site |access-date=March 25, 2007 |publisher=Friends of [[Raccoon Creek State Park]] |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070310143621/http://www.friendsofraccoon.com/Hillman/about_hillman.htm |archive-date=March 10, 2007}}</ref><ref name="where"/> The largely undeveloped park is north of [[U.S. Route 22]] and east of [[Pennsylvania Route 18]] in northern Washington County near the village of [[Bavington, Pennsylvania|Bavington]] and the borough of [[Burgettstown, Pennsylvania|Burgettstown]].<ref name="hsp">{{cite web |url=https://www.pa.gov/agencies/dcnr/recreation/where-to-go/state-parks/find-a-park/hillman-state-park/history |title=Hillman State Park |publisher=Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources |access-date=2026-01-01}}</ref> Part of the park has been designated as [[Pennsylvania State Game Lands]] 117.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.huntingpa.com/sgl.html |title=HuntingPA.com Game Lands: Pennsylvania State Game Lands, their general location and acreage |access-date=September 16, 2006 |format=Searchable Database |archive-date=October 6, 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061006163841/http://www.huntingpa.com/sgl.html |url-status=dead}}</ref>

Hillman State Park lies within the [[Appalachian mixed mesophytic forests]] [[ecoregion]].<ref name="Ecoregions">{{cite journal |author1=D.M. Olson |author2=E. Dinerstein |title=Terrestrial Ecoregions of the World: A New Map of Life on Earth |journal=[[BioScience]] |year=2001 |volume=51 |issue=11 |pages=933–938 |doi=10.1641/0006-3568(2001)051[0933:TEOTWA]2.0.CO;2 |display-authors=etal |doi-access=free}}</ref> The park is a wild area that connects the Kings Creek and Raccoon Creek [[Drainage basin|watershed]]s within the greater Raccoon Creek Valley Natural Area.<ref name="where">{{cite news |url=http://www.post-gazette.com/sports/outdoors/2010/10/31/Where-to-go-Hillman-State-Park/stories/201010310206 |title=Where to go: Hillman State Park |publisher=Pittsburgh Post-Gazette |date=October 31, 2010 |access-date=May 15, 2017}}</ref>

== History == In 1885, the discovery of oil led to the establishment of Five Points, an oil boomtown. Over 170 wells have been drilled in the park, though most are now abandoned.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=History of Hillman State Park |url=https://www.dcnr.pa.gov/StateParks/FindAPark/HillmanStatePark/Pages/History.aspx |access-date=March 16, 2024 |publisher=Pennsylvania Department of Conservation & Natural Resources |language=en-US}}</ref>

Coal mining began in the park in 1914, and starting in 1932, the Harmon Creek Coal Corporation purchased the land that is now the park. It would become the largest [[bituminous coal]] [[strip mine]] in Pennsylvania, closed in 1968. In 1969, James F. Hillman, president of the HCCC, donated the land to the state of Pennsylvania.<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.amrclearinghouse.org/Sub/SCARLIFTReports/HillmanStatePark/SummaryIntroDescrip.pdf |title=Summary |access-date=May 6, 2012}}</ref>

The [[Lyle Covered Bridge]], a historic bridge listed on the [[National Register of Historic Places]], is located on the eastern side of the park.<ref name=":0" />

==References== {{reflist|refs= <ref name="forrey">{{cite web |url=http://paconservationheritage.org/wp-content/uploads/2015-history-of-state-parks-forrey.pdf |title=History of Pennsylvania’s State Parks 1984 to 2015 |author=William C. Forrey |publisher=Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources |page=64-65, 72 |date=2017 |access-date=2026-01-01}}</ref> }}

==External links== {{commons category|Hillman State Park}} {{portal|Pennsylvania}} *[https://www.pa.gov/agencies/dcnr/recreation/where-to-go/state-parks/find-a-park/hillman-state-park/history Hillman State Park] Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources * {{cite web |url=http://www.portal.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt/gateway/PTARGS_0_2_126465_11363_0_43/maps/117.pdf |title=State Game Lands 117 official map}}&nbsp;{{small|(952.2&nbsp;KB)}}

{{Protected Areas of Pennsylvania}}

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[[Category:Parks in Greater Pittsburgh]] [[Category:State parks of Pennsylvania]] [[Category:Protected areas established in 1969]] [[Category:Parks in Washington County, Pennsylvania]] [[Category:Protected areas of Washington County, Pennsylvania]] [[Category:1969 establishments in Pennsylvania]]