What a beautiful hike! The boys loved the waterfall and furnace. It was like a shaded magical…read morewonderland.

very pretty, kinda hard to find if your not from the area but definitely worth to seeing if your…read morewilling to look !

Wonderful kayaking and birding here at the park. If you want to see Osprey, this is the place to…read morego. This park is most lake, but Lake Wilhelm is quite extraordinary. The facilities are well maintained, but the stars here are the wildlife. There is a 12 mile paved bike trail that circumnavigates the lake. The trail has nice views of the lake, depending on the season.

A very nice park and lake area. I was in the area for a high school crew meet (octuple scull…read morerowing). Ran into a very polite ranger, the area we were at was very clean and well kept, and the boat launches were in great shape (Launch area 2).

My husband & I hiked here for the first time last week. Hopefully, it won't be the last time as we…read morereally enjoyed it & plan to come back to the area soon. We chose to hike the "Phyllis" trail which was deemed difficult. It was challenging & gave us a great workout which is exactly what we were looking for. We thoroughly enjoyed the scenery...beautiful park.

Clear Creek was an ideal getaway. The drive was through beautiful farm country. We did it in…read moreOctober so the fall colors were still abundant. The park is very well maintained. The trails range from flat family friendly to leg burning uphills.you can hike a tremendous variety but the most scenic seem to be near the creek or Clarion River. We loved it.

Another great visit to cook forest in the books!!! I grew up, coming to cook forest and fall in…read morelove again every time I visit. The fire tower is an absolute must, and although there are trails to take to reach the fire tower, I love the drive through the forest, the best. Since many are visiting the fire tower along with Seneca point I always try and visit earlier in the mornings when there's not a lot of people. I also am a fan of the lodging in the area. The cabins (River & McBeth) are very affordable & comfortable and sometimes we even stay nearby in Brookville. A lot to book up fast but they do have availability from time to time so even if its last minute, still check their websites. The sawmill is so fun to shop at as well as Parkers Indian trading Post. We love Cook Forest & will always return!!

I love visiting Cook Forest State Park! If you enjoy being outdoors, this is a place you should add…read moreto your bucket list. There is truly something here for everyone. If you're the hiking type, there are 52 miles of trails to explore. If you're a birder, you'll definitely want to grab your binoculars and check out different parts of the park, as numerous birds inhabit the forest. If you prefer spending a day on the water, you can go swimming in the Clarion River, as well as rent kayaks, canoes, and river tubes. It's not hard to find a good spot to fish, and in the winter you can also enjoy cross-country skiing, snowmobiling, sledding, and ice-skating. In my case, Cook Forest is just a couple of hours away - a day trip isn't out of the question. Still, it's so much nicer to spend an entire weekend in this beautiful place. Fortunately, that's pretty easy to do! Campgrounds and log cabins alike are available within the park. The cabins are very popular, but have no fear: there are hotels within driving distance of the park as well. Do keep in mind that cell service is not guaranteed here; this is totally OK in my book, but it does mean that having a rough idea of where you'll be driving is essential. Grab a map or write down some directions from Google Maps - then go forth and enjoy your time in this beautiful place!

Beautiful park not too far from Pittsburgh. The park has many trails and nice bike paths across the…read moresurprisingly large park area. A generous amount of well kept up restrooms throughout the park. We started at a cabin that was modern and good looking. Each cabin sleeps six. Note: the cabins have nice showers and furniture but there are no other things aside from a refrigerator. Stove with oven, and microwave. Bring your own plates, cutlery bedding and glasses/cups. We were aware so we brought a press for coffee. Great park for families.

I have loved Moraine for the kayaking, boating, fishing trips, but as a hiker I hadn't explored…read moremuch of the trails till last Saturday. I hiked the Sunken Garden Trail that is near the park office. It was a pretty cool hike. It goes along the lake and around in different loops through some woods. Along my hike I ran into a hollowed out tree, a swamp and wetland, lichen, skunk cabbage, blooming yellow trees, and several bridges. It was also cool when I hear the call of Spring peeper frogs making high pitched noises as I exited. I wanted to see some Spring peepers, but they hide very well. I went by the giant snow man that usually sells ice cream and snow cones, but they were not open for the season yet. It still looks cool.

While working in Beaver County I have passed this sign to Buttermilk Falls countless times, but…read morenever had occasion to stop until yesterday. It was a gorgeous, sunny, unseasonably warm March day & I was the first car in the tiny dirt parking area on the left as soon as you turn in. The Falls is now directly across from the new entrance to the Pennsylvania Turnpike. There is a big stone covered with graffiti on the right. After you park, you just hop out and hit the path and follow the sound of gushing water. it is a short distance to the Falls, but it is uphill and it is steep and rocky and this is not a suitable path for anybody with physical limitations of any sort. It can also be dangerous for young children. It's very beautiful and it is worth the hike up. If you're sturdy footed (muddy & rocky), you can walk right behind the falls and it's quite beautiful. Highly recommended for a sightseeing but I'm sure it gets crowded and warmer weather.

The hiking trail we went on was not to long and had nice scenery. Parking was easy to find. The…read morewaterfall is definitely worth the hike there. You can go under it, go above it, and go behind it! Also lots of smooth rocks to set up towel and sit in the sun.

Very beautiful and peace full would love take more time to walk more trails an relax at the lake …read more Just look out at the warter, it's so beautiful.

No buttermilk. We brought jugs and everything. Just water. Thought there would be at least a…read moretrickle.

Visited this state park for the first time earlier this month and had a blast!…read more I parked at what I think is the main lot, up above the mill itself. I didn't take a tour of the mill (which the park volunteers and staff do offer throughout the day) but I did walk through it and read the information in it about the history of the mill. Definitely enjoyed exploring and learning. That said, I was really there for the trails, so I spent most of my day hiking. I took a loop trail down from the mill and back (with a detour up a short trail to some falls) and it was great! I love being outside and I love a good challenge; these trails were not paved or even at all and I had a great workout navigating them. During hydration breaks I'd find a nice rock to sit on by the water, which was wonderful. It was noisy as heck by the mill because of the families, but the further out I got the more peaceful it got. Definitely met my goal of unplugging for a day during my trek on the trails. I want to come back in the future and begin to try to walk the Slippery Gorge Trail, as it sounds like the gorge is another beautiful part of the park. But that is definitely a long term goal, because that trail is not a short one! I loved visiting this park and I'd be back for sure. To everyone else, PLEASE remember water and wear the proper footwear - while I enjoyed my walk in the park, these trails are definitely not a walk in the park!

If you live in Pittsburgh or are just visiting the area, McConnells Mill is one of the best day…read moretrips around. It's only about 40 miles north up I-79, so it's an easy drive from the city, but it feels like a completely different world once you get down into the gorge. I've been going there for years with friends and family, and it became my go-to spot to take people when they would visit from out of town. Everyone always loves checking out the historic old gristmill and the red covered bridge right next to it. It's a great, classic view, and if you go during the summer, they usually open up the mill for tours so you can see how it all used to work. The hiking there is fantastic, too, with a good mix of trails depending on what you're up for. You can take a pretty easy walk back to Hell's Hollow Falls, or you can tackle the rougher, rockier trails that run right along Slippery Rock Creek. You definitely want to wear sturdy shoes because the terrain gets steep and the rocks get slick, but the scenery with the rushing whitewater and massive boulders is totally worth it. It's just a beautiful, simple place to get outdoors for a few hours. Whether you want a challenging hike or just want to sit by the water and look at the old bridge, it never disappoints.

One of the prettiest bike rides I've ever taken! This amazing rails to trail fully paved bike path…read moreis 24 miles round trip through some truly spectacular scenery and woodlands. The largest of 7 wooden bridges along the path spans the Allegheny River and the smaller ones cross several creeks. What you don't see are any roads along this gorgeous wilderness path. There is a slight upward grade during much of the 12 miles from Fishermans Cove to the end of the line - the good news is it's nearly imperceptible until you turn around and head back. You feel like you're flying on your return trip which is really fun! This area is the definition of remote so go prepared with food, water & flat tire supplies. There's decent cell service, so bring your phone. There is also a fairly long tunnel mid-trail with reflectors down the center. A light would likely make you feel a tad more comfortable on a cloudy day. The reflectors work decently to direct you on a sunny day. This bike trail is located slightly over an hour north of Cranberry Township. Google map Seneca Hills Bible Camp which is where you turn off Old Route 8 off I-80. At the T heading to the Bible Camp you head right to Fisherman's Cove to the trailhead. If you're interested in more information and specific directions, here is a link: www.avta-trails.org ' sandy-creek-trail

Wow. This is a spectacular trail!! Such a pleasant ride through the woods crossing the river and…read morecreek multiple times on a paved surface. I don't even know how they managed to get blacktop back into some of these remote areas but they did!! It's mostly shaded as well so even on hot days this would be a great choice when you just want to ride! We started at the western end of the trail called Fisherman's cove. A little tricky to find and accessible by a gravel road about 3 miles off old route 8. Parking here is limited and is roadside so I can imagine it getting pretty crowded on weekends. But it is so worth it. The eastern end is 12 miles out at Van. The ride back seemed a lot quicker since there appears to be a minor downhill heading back although it is an easy ride in both directions. The fact that it's quite remote means there are no road crossings so you can just ride completely carefree!! If you feel up to it you can extend the ride by joining up with other rails to trails and make a long day out of it!! We absolutely loved it and will no doubt be heading back there this fall to enjoy the ride and the scenery! Highly recommended!!