2023 Fall lake and trail cleanup will be held on Oct. 21st
The Friends of Whitehall‘s fall lake and trail clean-up will be held on Sat. Oct.21st
2023 from 9 a.m. until 12 noon. We will gather at the boat landing parking lot at
Whitehall State Park on Wood St. (rte.135) and be assigned areas of trails and
shoreline around the lake to clean up debris and refuse. We will work on both the
DCR state trails and the Whitehall Conservation Area trails. We will also clean up
some of the roadsides near the lake. Gloves, trash bags, tools, bug spray and
water will be provided. We will also have coffee and donuts available for
volunteers. We will be working with the approval of the Department of
Conservation and Recreation. This is a wonderful opportunity to help your
community and we hope you will join us.

2023 Annual Appeal Letter from our president
Click here to read the annual appeal letter from our president.

Friends of Whitehall funds bog footbridge construction project
Two years ago Friends of Whitehall identified an almost impassable portion of the Whitehall perimeter trail along the eastern shoreline. It was a quagmire full of rocks, roots, vines, peat, and deep water for a lengthy stretch of what used to be a trail. We decided to apply by written letter to the Student Conservation Association (SCA) headquartered in Rowe, MA in hopes they would accept the project of building a bog bridge at the site. The SCA is a valuable resource for the hands-on conservation service they provide to state and national parks throughout the United States. SCA accepted our project and scheduled it for the following summer. Then the pandemic hit and we were put on hold. The project came to fruition in September 2021 when a group of 5 SCA volunteers came to Whitehall State Park ready to go to work. Sponsored by DCR and guided by Park and Forest Supervisor Rich Trubiano, the group of young people worked enthusiastically and tirelessly constructing the 60 foot long bog bridge. Friends of Whitehall paid for the materials used for the bridge and it took the volunteers a week to finish the project in less than ideal conditions. They worked in humid, rainy weather with muck up to their knees and even had to make a dash into a local barn to avoid a fast moving thunder storm. FOW, with the support of DCR, will continue to help maintain the trail system in and around the lake and volunteers are always welcome to be a part of our conservation efforts. (Click on thumbnail for a larger image)

Commercial dog walkers now must have a permit to use DCR parks 
Starting in 2019 all commercial dog walkers using any DCR park for their businesses MUST have an annual permit. Please click here to see more information regarding these permits and other requirements that commercial dog walkers must abide by when using Whitehall and other DCR parks.