Shawnee State Park (Pennsylvania)

Shawnee State Park
Pennsylvania State Park
A boat on the shore of Shawnee Lake
Country	United States
State	Pennsylvania
County	Bedford
Townships	Juniata, Napier
Location
- elevation	1,280 ft (390 m)
- coordinates	40°01′34″N 78°38′08″W / 40.02611°N 78.63556°W / 40.02611; -78.63556Coordinates: 40°01′34″N 78°38′08″W / 40.02611°N 78.63556°W / 40.02611; -78.63556
Area	3,983 acres (1,612 ha)
Founded	1951
Management	Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources
IUCN category	III - Natural Monument
Location of Shawnee State Park in Pennsylvania
Website: Shawnee State Park

Shawnee State Park is a 3,983-acre (1,612 ha) Pennsylvania state park in Juniata and Napier Townships, Bedford County, Pennsylvania in the United States. Shawnee Lake, a 451-acre (183 ha) warm water reservoir, is at the center of the park as its main attraction. The park's main entrance is just east of Schellsburg, along U.S. Route 30 and about 10 miles (16 km) west of the county seat of Bedford. The park is also easily accessed via State Route 31, by State Route 96 (Shawnee Road).

Shawnee State Park is named for Shawnee Creek, a stream which flowed through the area and was dammed to create the recreational lake at the park. The creek was named for the Shawnee, a Native American tribe that once lived in many parts of Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Kentucky. They were forced from their lands in Ohio and Kentucky by invading Iroquois, the powerful five-nation confederacy based in western New York. Later the Shawnee were forced west out of Ohio by encroachment by settlers of the Thirteen Colonies.

The area surrounding the park was used as a trade route and military road during the French and Indian War (also known as the Seven Years' War). General John Forbes built the Forbes Road (which the modern-day U.S. Highway 30 parallels) to send supplies from the ports in Philadelphia and Baltimore to a force of British soldiers under his command as he tried to capture Fort Duquesne from the French in 1758.