Tyler State Park (Pennsylvania)

Tyler State Park is a Pennsylvania state park on 1,711 acres (692 ha) in Newtown and Northampton Townships, Bucks County, Pennsylvania in the United States.[2]

For the Texas State Park, see Tyler State Park (Texas).
Tyler State Park
IUCN category III (natural monument or feature)
Schofield Ford Covered Bridge
Location of Tyler State Park in Pennsylvania
LocationBucks, Pennsylvania, United States
Coordinates40°13′30″N 74°59′00″W
Area1,711 acres (6.92 km2)
Elevation236 ft (72 m)[1]
Established1974
Named forMr. and Mrs. George F. Tyler
Governing bodyPennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources
WebsiteTyler State Park

Park roads, trails, and facilities are carefully nestled within the original farm and woodland setting. Neshaminy Creek meanders through the park, dividing the land into several sections. Before becoming a state park, the land was owned by Mr. and Mrs. George F. Tyler who purchased the land between 1919 and 1928. Their first purchase was the Solly Farm, currently leased to Hostelling International at the north end of the park. The Solly House served as the Tyler’s country home until the George F. Tyler Mansion was constructed. The mansion is now the administration building of the Bucks County Community College.

The Tylers developed an Ayrshire dairy herd. In addition, they raised poultry, sheep and pigs, and had a stable of about 25 fine riding horses. The croplands were mainly used to supply feed for the livestock.

Old original stone dwellings in the park stand as fine examples of early farm dwellings of rural Pennsylvania. Some structures date back to the early 18th century. A date stone (1775) can be found on a house located by the bicycle trail north of the pedestrian causeway in the center of the park. Ten original farm dwellings are currently being leased as private residences.

The land for the park was acquired as part of the Project 70 Land Acquisition and Borrowing Act, with the governor approving the acquisition on November 17, 1964.[3] The park was formally dedicated on May 25, 1974.[2]

Tyler State Park contains a 36-hole disc golf course and a former landfill, which is now mainly used for archaeological digs by students from Council Rock School District elementary schools.

Tyler State Park is home to many different species of birds. The creek is home to water snakes, turtles, and eels. The secluded sections of the park are home to foxes, deer, beavers, wild turkey, rabbits, and black bears.

One of the main attractions in the park is the Schofield Ford Covered Bridge, originally built in 1874. The bridge burned down due to arson on October 7, 1991, but was rebuilt with raised funds and reopened on September 7, 1997.[4]

Climate

According to the Trewartha climate classification system, Tyler State Park has a Temperate Continental climate (Dc) with hot summers (a), cold winters (o) and year-around precipitation. Dcao climates are characterized by at least one month having an average mean temperature ≤ 32.0 °F (0 °C), four to seven months with an average mean temperature ≥ 50.0 °F (10 °C), at least one month with an average mean temperature ≥ 72.0 °F (22 °C) and no significant precipitation difference between seasons. Although summers are typically slightly humid at Tyler State Park, episodes of heat and high humidity can occur with heat index values > 108 °F (42 °C). Since 1981, the highest air temperature was 102.8 °F (39 °C) on 07/22/2011, and the highest average mean dew point was 75.2 °F (24 °C) on 08/13/2016. The average wettest month is July which corresponds with the annual peak in thunderstorm activity. Since 1981, the wettest calendar day was 6.46 inches (164 mm) on 08/27/2011. During the winter months, the plant hardiness zone is 7a with an average annual extreme minimum air temperature of 0.5 °F (−18 °C).[5] Since 1981, the coldest air temperature was −10.5 °F (−24 °C) on 01/22/1984. Episodes of extreme cold and wind can occur with wind chill values < −10 °F (−23 °C). The average annual snowfall (Nov-Apr) is between 24 and 30 inches (61 and 76 cm). Ice storms and large snowstorms depositing ≥ 12 inches (30 cm) occur once every few years, particularly during nor’easters from December through February.

Climate data for Tyler State Park. Elevation: 223 ft (68 m). 1981-2010 Averages (1981-2018 Records).
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °F (°C) 71.3
(21.8)		 77.6
(25.3)		 87.3
(30.7)		 94.1
(34.5)		 95.0
(35.0)		 96.1
(35.6)		 102.8
(39.3)		 100.2
(37.9)		 97.9
(36.6)		 89.0
(31.7)		 80.8
(27.1)		 75.5
(24.2)		 102.8
(39.3)
Average high °F (°C) 40.1
(4.5)		 43.2
(6.2)		 51.5
(10.8)		 63.6
(17.6)		 73.2
(22.9)		 82.3
(27.9)		 86.6
(30.3)		 84.9
(29.4)		 78.0
(25.6)		 66.7
(19.3)		 55.6
(13.1)		 44.4
(6.9)		 64.3
(17.9)
Daily mean °F (°C) 31.7
(−0.2)		 34.4
(1.3)		 41.8
(5.4)		 52.5
(11.4)		 62.0
(16.7)		 71.5
(21.9)		 76.1
(24.5)		 74.6
(23.7)		 67.4
(19.7)		 55.7
(13.2)		 46.0
(7.8)		 36.2
(2.3)		 54.3
(12.4)
Average low °F (°C) 23.3
(−4.8)		 25.5
(−3.6)		 32.1
(0.1)		 41.5
(5.3)		 50.8
(10.4)		 60.7
(15.9)		 65.7
(18.7)		 64.2
(17.9)		 56.8
(13.8)		 44.7
(7.1)		 36.5
(2.5)		 28.0
(−2.2)		 44.2
(6.8)
Record low °F (°C) −10.5
(−23.6)		 −2.7
(−19.3)		 3.4
(−15.9)		 17.8
(−7.9)		 34.2
(1.2)		 42.1
(5.6)		 48.3
(9.1)		 42.9
(6.1)		 35.9
(2.2)		 25.1
(−3.8)		 12.1
(−11.1)		 −0.8
(−18.2)		 −10.5
(−23.6)
Average precipitation inches (mm) 3.55
(90)		 2.77
(70)		 4.12
(105)		 3.97
(101)		 4.33
(110)		 4.35
(110)		 5.24
(133)		 4.37
(111)		 4.43
(113)		 3.80
(97)		 3.65
(93)		 4.05
(103)		 48.63
(1,235)
Average relative humidity (%) 65.6 62.2 57.8 57.2 61.5 65.4 66.0 68.1 69.3 68.5 67.4 67.3 64.7
Average dew point °F (°C) 21.5
(−5.8)		 22.8
(−5.1)		 28.0
(−2.2)		 37.8
(3.2)		 48.6
(9.2)		 59.3
(15.2)		 63.9
(17.7)		 63.4
(17.4)		 57.0
(13.9)		 45.5
(7.5)		 35.8
(2.1)		 26.4
(−3.1)		 42.6
(5.9)
Source: PRISM[6]

Ecology

According to the A. W. Kuchler U.S. potential natural vegetation types, Tyler State Park would have dominant vegetation type of Appalachian Oak (104) with a dominant vegetation form of Eastern Hardwood Forest (25).[7]

Nearby state parks
The Neshaminy Creek in Tyler State Park

The following state parks are within 30 miles (48 km) of Tyler State Park:[8][9][10]

The Guild of Craftsmen building/secondary park entrance

References
  1. "Tyler State Park". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey. August 30, 1990. Retrieved 2007-12-13.
  2. "Tyler State Park". Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. Retrieved 2007-12-13.
  3. Forrey, William C. (1984). History of Pennsylvania's State Parks. Harrisburg, Pennsylvania: Bureau of State Parks, Office of Resources Management, Department of Environmental Resources, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. pp. 43–44. OCLC 17824084.
  4. Madsen, Kelly. "Burned bridges meet different fates". The Intelligencer. Archived from the original on 2007-09-30.
  5. "USDA Interactive Plant Hardiness Map". United States Department of Agriculture. Retrieved August 26, 2019.
  6. "PRISM Climate Group, Oregon State University". Retrieved August 26, 2019.
  7. "U.S. Potential Natural Vegetation, Original Kuchler Types, v2.0 (Spatially Adjusted to Correct Geometric Distortions)". Retrieved August 26, 2019.
  8. 2007 General Highway Map Bucks County Pennsylvania (PDF) (Map). 1:65,000. Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, Bureau of Planning and Research, Geographic Information Division. Note: shows Tyler State Park
  9. Michels, Chris (1997). "Latitude/Longitude Distance Calculation". Northern Arizona University. Retrieved 2008-04-23.
  10. "Find a Park by Region (interactive map)". Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. Retrieved November 18, 2011.
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