Friends Of Prince Gallitzin State Park

06/10/2026

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06/09/2026

High temperatures are expected in parts of Pennsylvania through the weekend. 🥵

If you have plans for outdoor recreation, please stay safe and follow these tips.

06/09/2026

06/09/2026

Join us for a summer morning exploring one of western Pennsylvania’s best sites for grassland birds. Piney Tract’s rolling fields and reclaimed strip mines are alive in June with the songs of meadowlarks, bobolinks, grasshopper sparrows, and other open-country specialists. We’ll look and listen for these charismatic breeders while discussing how grassland habitat restoration supports their nesting success and long-term survival. This walk complements our online program on grassland birds and their habitats on June 17.

Follow link to register: https://aswp.app.neoncrm.com/nx/portal/neonevents/events?path=%2Fportal%2Fevents%2F30619

📸Prairie Warbler, D. Mendenhall

06/08/2026

Wow! An incredible, menacing photo of thunderstorms rolling over the lake in Prince Gallitzin State Park this afternoon. Thank you for sharing, Horton! How were the storms in your area?

06/08/2026

For those who don’t know, the park was named after this gentleman.

Most people drive through Gallitzin, Pennsylvania without knowing they're passing through one of the strangest founding stories in American history. 🏔️

A Russian prince gave up everything to live here.

Demetrius Augustine Gallitzin was born into one of the wealthiest noble families in Europe. His mother was a countess. His father was a Russian ambassador. He had access to a fortune most people in the 1700s couldn't imagine. And then, in his early twenties, he converted to Catholicism, came to America, and spent the rest of his life serving the poorest settlers in the Allegheny Mountains of Pennsylvania.

What's interesting is that Gallitzin didn't just pass through. He stayed for 41 years. He built churches with his own money. He gave away his inheritance piece by piece to support the community. He turned down a bishop's appointment because he didn't want to leave the mountain people he'd come to serve. When he died in 1840, he was nearly penniless.

The town was named after him. The Catholic Church has been formally considering his sainthood for decades.

Here's what people don't realize: this story happened in a small Pennsylvania mountain town that most Pennsylvanians have never visited. A European nobleman, a converted faith, and a life spent in the Alleghenies.

Did you know Gallitzin's story before today? 👇

06/06/2026

Thinking of leaving trash behind? 🐿️
Think again! 🥜

Litter left in state parks and forests, or thrown along the road, can seriously impact wildlife, hurting both health and habitat.

Please be a good steward for our wildlife and natural places by disposing of litter properly.