The Pine Grove Division of the state's South Mountain Forest began with the South Mountain Mining & Iron Company's sale of acres to the Pennsylvania Bureau of Forestry in 1912. On September 12, 1913, three additional tracts totaling were sold in the areas of land surrounding Pine Grove and Laurel Forge—including in Adams County. By 1921, Pine Grove was one of Pennsylvania's 7 forest parks, within which the smaller Pine Grove Furnace State Park was established by 1931 under the 1929 Pennsylvania Bureau of State Parks (the remaining state forest was named the Michaux State Forest.)