The newer part is the 54-acre (22 ha) marina on the southern end of Packer Island in Upper Augusta Township, Northumberland County.

Packer's Island lies between the city of Sunbury and the borough of Northumberland at the confluence of the two branches of the river.

The fish ladder is primarily to allow the American shad to access the upper part of the Susquehanna.

This dam maintained an adequate water level for ferry traffic across the Susquehanna from Shamokin (now Sunbury) to the west bank.

Before Moravian settlers inhabited the valley in the 18th century, the Penns creek path began and ended where county line road now sits, an important logistics route for the Native Americans in the area.

In the 1840s, the cliff was home to John Mason, an eccentric bachelor who constructed a viewing tower that hung at a 45-degree angle of the precipice.

In the early 20th century, the cliff was frequented by locals for picnics and leisure, often at what was called table rock.

[2] A breeding pair of state-endangered peregrine falcons have established a successful nest on the cliffs below the scenic overlook.

In 1874 a group of rowers (log raftmen and shad fishermen) from Shamokin Dam and Sunbury competed in a regatta on Lake Augusta, rowing in both singles and doubles.

Rowers traveled from as far away as Canada and the Midwest to compete, and reportedly, thousands of spectators lined the banks of the river.

The number of spectators was so great, the railroad companies rerouted trains to accommodate the throngs of people.

[citation needed] Rowing in Central Pennsylvania was popular until an ice surge in 1904 demolished the dam that made conditions ideal for the sport.

The college teams and masters club now share a boat house on Lake Augusta near the junction of Routes 11 and 15, just north of Shamokin Dam.

[7] It was announced in 2010 that marina building would be remodeled for the purpose of establishing and environmental education center at the park.

The research would monitor river quality at 17 locations along the West Branch between Lock Haven and Sunbury.