The new manager of Beltzville State Park unfolded a Pennsylvania state park map and centered it on his desk.

“I can talk about this map forever,” Cody Miller admitted.

Enthusiastic about all the parks he’s either visited or worked at, Miller came to Beltzville in the spring after serving as manager for Chapman State Park in Warren County.

“That’s in the Allegheny National Forest,” he said, pinpointing the spot on the map.

Before that, he was a manager trainee at parks scattered around the 2 million acres of the Pennsylvania Wilds - an area marked by a vast expanse of dark green on the map.

Miller served at Colton Point and Leonard Harrison state parks, where folks take in majestic views of the Pennsylvania Grand Canyon. He welcomed folks to the Elk County Visitors Center, home to the largest elk herd in the northeastern United States. He crisscrossed the map for stints at Black Moshannon State Park, where waters become the color of tea as they pass through bog vegetation.

But despite those parks’ beauty and unique qualities, Miller admitted that there’s no place like home.

“Most people try to get close to home,” Miller said of his appointment to the Carbon County state park. “Life is good. This worked out.”

Miller grew up in Weatherly and often visited Hickory Run State Park with his family. When he was old enough to drive, he headed to Beltzville.

“I used to come here on weekends,” he said.

Miller recalled being a student at the Carbon Career & Technical Institute in Jim Thorpe when he was hired to a maintenance position at Hickory Run.

“It was a good job close to home and it turned into a passionate thing,” Miller said.

After nine years at Hickory Run, he worked for five years at French Creek State Park in Berks County.

Next up came his appointment as a park manager trainee, a job that had him at dozens of parks.

“Wherever it was busiest was where they sent me during my time as a trainee,” he said. “It was a great experience.”

He was appointed manager of Chapman State Park in the Allegheny State Forest in 2023.

“There are a lot of beautiful things up there as well but a lot less people” due to its remote location, Miller said.

It gets about 90,000 visitors a year, compared to the 600,000 Beltzville saw at its day use area and boat launch in 2024.

“Obviously, the beach and the lake are a big draw. It’s one of the nicest beaches I’ve been to in the system,” Miller said.

While much focus is on swimming, fishing and boating, Miller believes Beltzville’s 16 miles of trails are often overlooked.

“I haven’t been on a trail that I’m bored on,” Miller said. “Every trail has something to see.”

Just three months into the management job, Miller knows he found a good fit. Park employees, he said, are “phenomenal” and so, too, are the 85 volunteers of the Friends of Beltzville State Park.

“I love what I do and I love helping people. The more I’ve gotten to advance in my career, the more I’ve gotten to do that and the better I feel about what I do,” Miller said. “Now I’m not only responsible for one or two people that I meet, I’m responsible for everybody that comes here. It’s very rewarding.”

Miller replaces Ben Monk, who took a management position at Laurel Hill State Park in Somerset County earlier this year.

Miller and his wife, Maria, reside in Lehighton with their dogs, Macaroni and Tyson.