Is It Illegal to Feed Ducks in Pennsylvania? The Rules, Park by Park

The short answer: not under state law, but in a lot of Pennsylvania parks, yes. You can’t feed ducks in a state park without written permission, in a national park like Valley Forge, in 7 of the 10 county park systems we checked, or in the city parks of Philadelphia, Allentown, Bethlehem and Lower Burrell. Fines run from $25 to $1,000. We read the official rules in October 2026.

We make duck food, and we’d still rather you leave the bag in the car than get a ticket. Here’s what each rule says, region by region. Near Pittsburgh? Our Pittsburgh guide goes park by park.

The rules at a glance

A dash means the rule we read didn’t state a fine, or we couldn’t confirm one. Parks also post their own signs, so check at the water before you feed.

Is it illegal to feed ducks in Pennsylvania?

Not statewide. Pennsylvania’s feeding ban, 58 Pa. Code § 137.33, covers bears and elk, not ducks. The Game Commission still asks people not to feed wildlife of any kind, because feeding unnaturally crowds wildlife, contributing to the spread of disease. Parks, counties and cities then set their own rules, which is why the answer changes from one park to the next.

State parks: not without written permission

Pennsylvania’s state park rules list feeding wildlife among the activities that need written permission from the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. Without it, don’t feed the ducks at any state park lake, from Moraine and Pymatuning in the west to Nockamixon and Marsh Creek in the east.

Pymatuning’s own page puts it plainly: Do not feed wildlife anywhere in the park with the unique exception of fish-feeding at the spillway. Even at the Linesville spillway, a popular spot for feeding the carp, the park asks visitors to aim at the fish, not the ducks and geese.

National parks: not allowed

Federal rules ban feeding wildlife in every park the National Park Service runs. Valley Forge National Historical Park’s safety page is blunt about it: Feeding of any wildlife is prohibited.

Pittsburgh and Western Pennsylvania

All nine Allegheny County parks ban it: Feeding of wildlife and exhibit animals is prohibited. So do Westmoreland County’s parks, which have barred feeding waterfowl since 1999, and Lower Burrell’s city parks. We didn’t find a ban in the City of Pittsburgh’s parks, though the city code bars throwing anything into a park pond or lake that will or may pollute the water. Our Pittsburgh guide covers each park.

Philadelphia and the suburbs

Philadelphia lists Feeding or disturbing birds or wildlife among the things prohibited in all city parks. Three of the four suburban counties we checked ban it too.

• Montgomery County updated its park rules in August 2025. Rule 10 reads: Feeding, disturbing, or harassing any wildlife is prohibited. Fines run from $100 to $300.
• Chester County says on its parks FAQ: Feeding is prohibited for the well-being of the wildlife in our parks.
• Delaware County bars feeding any animal or waterfowl any food or other substance in its parks, unless it’s food the Game Commission expressly permits. The fine can reach $300.

We didn’t find a feeding rule for Bucks County’s parks, so look for signs at the water.

The Lehigh Valley

Allentown’s rule is specific: No person shall feed any water fowl in the City’s parks and the municipal golf course. Breaking it gets you a $100 ticket. Leave the ticket unpaid and it becomes a citation, with a fine of $100 to $1,000 if you’re convicted.

Bethlehem’s code says: No person shall give or offer, or attempt to feed any animal or bird in a park. Fines start at $200 and rise to $500 for a second violation and $1,000 for a third, and each can also mean time in jail.

Central and Northeastern Pennsylvania

York County’s park rules name ducks outright. Among the things you can’t do: Feed wild animals within the Park System, including but not limited to geese, ducks, deer, birds and squirrels. Fines run from $75 to $800. Dauphin County’s park rules are shorter: Feeding of wildlife is prohibited.

We didn’t find a feeding rule for Lancaster County’s parks or Lackawanna County’s. That doesn’t mean a park there welcomes it, so check the signs.

Why so many parks say no

• Crowding. Handouts pull more birds into one spot than it can support, and the Game Commission says that crowding helps disease spread.
• Bread pollutes. Researchers who studied the Linesville spillway at Pymatuning found that the bread visitors threw in added more phosphorus to the water than the creek’s whole watershed did on 33 of the 35 days they measured. Phosphorus feeds algae.
• Risk to people, too. In the Game Commission’s words, Feeding wildlife is dangerous for wildlife and people.

Where you can feed ducks in Pennsylvania

• At home. Pet ducks, and wild ducks on your own pond, unless your town has a rule against it.
• A private pond, with the owner’s OK. Ask first.
• City parks with no ban, like Pittsburgh’s. Read the posted signs, toss a small handful and leave nothing behind.

Wherever you feed, keep it to a small handful at a time of food made for waterfowl, not bread. Here’s what to bring.

Other states

Heading across the state line? See the rules in Ohio and New York, or start with duck feeding rules by state.

We’ll keep this page current. If you know a Pennsylvania park rule we missed, email us at hapetrailsllc@gmail.com.