Pictured: Beachfront at Bald Eagle State Park
Waupelani Drive in State College and Bald Eagle State Park are 28 miles apart, but have an intimate connection… They’re named after the same person!
Munsee Lenni Lenape Chief Woapalanne (English translation? Bald Eagle!) lived in the area in the mid-18th century.
Now, you can visit a creek, a mountain, a valley, a state park, a township, and a street, all named for Chief Bald Eagle.
P.S. Want to know more about Central PA before European settlers moved in? Check out Penn State’s Indigenous Peoples in Pennsylvania History resources to learn more.
Laura Mustio made her way to State College via Pittsburgh in 2015. Her writing celebrates our area’s hidden gems, treasured locals, and not-to-be-missed experiences.
