I visited it twice this summer for a little swimming and hiking after just googling it. It far…read moreexceeded my expectations. I love open water swimming, so I was pleased to have an area dedicated to swimming. Ok, I wish we could swim in the whole lake, but I'll take what I can get. The man-made was well used by all and seems like a nice place for people that can't get to a real beach. It seemed very family friendly. Good place for picnics. Several good hikes ranging from 20 minutes upward. The staff in the station helped me pick one that was just perfect for what we would looking for. Enjoy our state parks!

Been to MANY state parks across the state and have definitely been to better. We arrived and the…read moreweather was not great in early June. (They were calling for a possible tornado and we left early in order to get to the park before the bad wether.) We got there an hour early before check in and our cabin wasn't ready. Fine! We drove around and explored the park. There were booked pavilions with kids birthdays and a couple of graduations. We saw one park ranger with a tactical vest on and couldnt figure out why. We've NEVER seen rangers with those types of vests on especially since he was only walking around checking in with the kids birthday parties and graduations. Seemed totally excessive for the tactile gear. We came back 15 minutes before check in to the office thinking they would give us the key since the horrible weather started and they still told us to come back at 3. It was a torrential downpour and calling for a tornado we were forced to wait in our car for the 15 minutes. Went back in at 3 and they finally gave us our keys. We stayed at a cabin and the bathrooms definitely need a HUGE remodel. Once the rain stopped the ranger in the tacticle gear made it a point to come by our cabin and creep around. We thought that was weird. We stayed 4 nights and every single night the cabin beside our played very loud church music. It started at 6pm and went on until about 10 pm. Every. Single. Night. The whole cabin colony heard it. Quiet hours were to start at 9 pm. No one from the park office ever told them to stop playing their church music. We had no peace and were forced to listen to it for our entire trip every night we were at our cabin. We will not be back to this park. There are plenty of other state parks that are WAY more welcoming than this one.

Easy to make reservations online and check in was automatic. RV parking was level and we had…read morefull-hookup and 50 amps. I got to take the dogs for their walks in the woods and see lots of birds, squirrels, and pollinators. I wish we could have spent more than one night here.

Absolutely gorgeous park with so much to do and see. They have a full campground with hookups and a…read morerustic one also. You can rent anything from a boat to a yurt or cabin. The rangers are amazing people. You can swim, fish and there is hunting lands nearby.

One of my favorite parts about hiking is talking to other hikers! A few weeks ago, while wrapping…read moreup a different trail, another hiker asked where else I liked to hike. When I admitted I'd never been to Opossum Lake, she looked at me like I was missing out and told me I needed to check it out. Well...challenge accepted! When I got home, I looked it up and discovered it was only about 25 minutes from my house. Somehow, yet again, I had managed to overlook another great outdoor spot practically in my own backyard. A beautiful four-mile trail around a lake? Count me in! I headed out early on a mid-July Sunday morning, hoping to beat both the heat and the crowds. GPS brought me right to the parking area without any trouble, and even though there were already quite a few people there fishing, I had no problem finding a parking spot. The trail itself was fantastic! One of the things I appreciated most was how much the terrain changed throughout the loop. Parts of the trail were covered with crushed stone, others with pine needles, tanbark or natural dirt. It kept the hike interesting without ever becoming difficult. The entire four-mile loop is well-marked, easy to follow and beautifully shaded, making it an excellent summer hike even when temperatures start creeping up. The recent rain left a few muddy spots along the trail, but nothing that slowed me down. PRO TIP: If you're hiking after a rainstorm, use a little extra caution on the wooden footbridges. They can get a bit slick. The trail offered plenty to see along the way. I spotted birds, turtles and beautiful views across the lake and I found myself stopping more than once simply to enjoy the peaceful scenery. One unexpected highlight came when I crossed the spillway bridge. The interpretive signs explaining the history of the dam, the high-water markers and why the bridge was built so high above the creek added a neat educational element to the hike that I wasn't expecting. I always appreciate when a place teaches me something while I'm out exploring. Beyond hiking, it's easy to see why Opossum Lake has become such a popular recreation area. Throughout my visit I saw anglers casting from the shoreline, boats out enjoying the water and families making use of the many picnic areas scattered around the lake. Whether you're looking to hike, fish, paddle or simply enjoy a peaceful picnic, there's plenty of room to spread out and enjoy the scenery. I can already tell Opossum Lake is going to earn a permanent spot on my short list of local hikes. It's close to home. It's easy enough to enjoy without needing to mentally prepare for a mountain expedition. And it's beautiful enough that it never feels like "just another walk." Sometimes you want a huge adventure. Sometimes you just want to lace up your hiking boots, get a few peaceful miles under your belt and spend some time outside. Opossum Lake is absolutely perfect for those days!

'Possum Lake is a great place to go for a quick hike or paddle. My favorite thing is to hike…read morearound the lake in the evening then head out in the kayak. The distance around the lake is, I think, about 3 or 3 1/2 miles and there are some small hills, steps, and mostly dirt or pine-needle-covered terrain. In terms of kayaking, I can paddle around all areas in about an hour. It's a convenient, easy-to-get-to location and it's open until 10pm.

For families with mobility issues or physical disabilities please do your research with certain…read morepavilion picnic areas. I was very disappointed with how our accessibility concerns were initially handled at Little Buffalo State Park. Pavilions 1 and 2 are extremely difficult, and for some people with disabilities, practically impossible to access from the parking area. I called the Little Buffalo State Park office on 7/9/26 two days prior to our family gathering to simply request to have the gate at the end of the access road to be opened temporarily (as we had the last several years), so family members with serious mobility limitations could be dropped off closer to our Pavilion 1. We were not asking to park there permanently. When I was told they would not temporarily open gate for us I asked to speak to Park Manager Jim Eckert to discuss this but he never called me back. There were 2 office employees I spoke to 7/9 and 7/10. One office employee named Tracy, who showed little empathy or willingness to help and ultimately hung up on me when I suggested going above their head and call DCNR (Department of conservation and natural resources.) Thankfully, Ryan Donavan at DCNR apologized and stepped in immediately and resolved the issue by making sure the gate was opened for drop-off. DCNR was wonderful, responsive, empathetic, and helpful--and the park rangers were also wonderful. We also found that a wheelchair could not even get through the bathroom stall entrance serving Pavilions 1 and 2. And not even a grab bar near the urinal. People with disabilities should not have to fight for basic access. The Americans With Disabilities Act is the law, not a suggestion! Little Buffalo State Park needs to seriously address accessibility at Pavilions 1 and 2 and how accommodation requests are handled by park manager Jim Eckart and staff. They were not at all empathetic or willing to help us find a solution. I would not want this to happen to another family. Thank you DCNR for stepping in.

Easily marked hiking trails, clean restrooms. Nice mix of easy and difficult trails. Plenty of…read morepicnic tables and grills.

When your Adventure Buddy makes one request..."Can we hike Mount Nittany?" The answer is obviously…read moreyes. Neither of us had ever hiked Mount Nittany before, but after a little research, a mid-July Sunday morning seemed like the perfect time to explore one of central Pennsylvania's most iconic mountains. About an hour and a half later, we pulled into the trailhead parking lot just before 8:00 a.m. Parking was plentiful, GPS brought us right to the trailhead and, before we even started hiking, I encountered what may have been the biggest surprise of the morning: the trailhead porta john. It was...spotless. Seriously. I've encountered plenty of questionable trailhead restrooms over the years, so finding one that clean in the middle of July honestly deserved its own shoutout. After getting ourselves organized, we hit the trail. During my pre-hike research, I'd read quite a few reviews recommending the short white-blazed trail to the famous Mike Lynch Overlook. The only problem? That route climbs roughly 600 feet in about half a mile. Since my Adventure Buddy was a brand-new hiker, I decided we'd take the one-mile blue-blazed trail to the Nittany Mall Overlook instead before completing most of the loop in a clockwise direction. Past me made an excellent decision! The blue trail was definitely a workout, but it was manageable and gave us a chance to ease into the climb instead of immediately tackling the steepest section of the mountain. Once we reached the top, the hike transformed into a beautiful walk through the woods with overlook after overlook waiting to be discovered. Some of the scenic overlooks were partially hidden behind the thick summer foliage. But, honestly...that's a pretty wonderful problem to have! The forest was lush, green and absolutely thriving. As we worked our way around the loop, I kept checking in with my Adventure Buddy, who was having an absolute blast! Watching someone discover a love of hiking is almost as rewarding as the hike itself. We intentionally saved the Mike Lynch Overlook for last. And I'm so glad we did! Standing there looking out over Happy Valley felt like the perfect grand finale to an already fantastic morning. Instead of retracing our steps, we took the shorter white-blazed trail back down to the parking lot. Now that we'd actually experienced both routes, I would absolutely make the same decision again. Descending that steep section was challenging enough. If we'd climbed it first thing in the morning, I don't think we would've had the energy to complete the nearly 5.9-mile adventure we enjoyed that day. One thing that really stood out throughout the entire hike was how well people care for Mount Nittany. The trails were remarkably clean. I saw virtually no trash, no graffiti and very little evidence of careless visitors. It's obvious this mountain means a lot to the community, and it shows. Timing also worked in our favor. We finished around 11:30am, just as the trails were becoming noticeably busier. By the time we returned to the parking lot, it had filled considerably compared to when we arrived. PRO TIP: Start early. You'll enjoy cooler temperatures, quieter trails and much better opportunities to soak in the overlooks without crowds. I'd also recommend downloading or printing a trail map before you go. While the trails are well-marked overall, there were a couple of intersections where we appreciated having the map to confirm we were headed the right direction. Mount Nittany turned out to be everything I'd hoped it would be! Beautiful views. Peaceful forests. A great workout. Wonderful memories with a friend. And, perhaps most importantly...proof that sometimes the best hiking decision you make happens before you ever take your first step.

This trail is very well marked and maintained. I'm a big hiker and love to explore trails when…read morevisiting new places. The white and blue trails are marked with signs noting stations, distance, and steepness (topography maps show lines close together for steep areas and farther away for more flat) I stuck to the white trail for the energy I had in me that day, but like that you could go in and out of each to see overlooks or get more exercise depending on what you want. Very 'choose your own adventure'! The beginning part is a big steep, but not long or unbearable. Overall great place!

This is a great remote spot to hike, camp, fish, and generally just get away from everything. It…read moreis located within the Rothrock State Forest, adjacent to Greenwood Furnace State Park, and near the site of an old CCC camp. There are 18 rustic campsites, with water fountains/spigots, non-flush toilets, picnic tables, and grills available for campers and day use visitors. There are garbage cans available, but it is advised that you pack out your trash if possible. The roads leading into and out of the park are unpaved and are not plowed in the winter. Four wheel drive is not necessary to get there, but if you drive a car that is low to the ground be aware that the trip up will not be the smoothest. We spent a long weekend here in mid October, and while there were a few other couples and families camping on Fri/Sat night, on Sunday we were completely alone. It was isolated and a little creepy, but ultimately it was really nice to be away from civilization! Rangers drive through a couple times of day. There are some nice trails, lots of wildlife (keep your food in your car, if you don't want to be visited by foxes and coyotes in the middle of the night) streams, and a pond that is stocked for fishing. It is a nice, quiet place to kick back & enjoy the outdoors. I am really looking forward to visiting again!

Used to take Leo here to stare at the stars. Wow! There's a crapload of them here. Was always glad…read moreLeo was along because there's remnants of the famous Seven Mountains black wolf pack still around. Maybe they were just huge black coyotes but they certainly sounded like the wolves from a Dracula movie howling.

Black Moshannon State Park and its 250 acre lake is an often overlooked Pennsylvania State Park…read more In addition to all of the trails and wetlands it also offers a campground and rental cabins. For those that hold family gatherings or other large grope picnics it also has numerous picnic areas that can be rented. We, until recently, lived only a short distance from the Park. Today we went for a ride and came to the Park to relax and decided to have a dish on Ice Cream. I choose Mint Chip and my wife had Black Raspberry. We sat on the porch and enjoyed our food as well as the beauty of the park. If you have not visited Black Moshannon Park you should give if a try. You will enjoy the beauty and tranquility.

I'm a bonafide Pennsylvania enthusiast/knucklehead who enjoys a rush of adrenaline with a hint of…read moreunmatched relaxation to cap it off. Black Moshannon State Park is the place for people like me, and I reckon I'll return if I ever get the chance to meet Phillips Burg and decide to live in his town one day. The campsites, while basic, did the job with ease. I've never had a better s'more in my life in those fire pits. The falling acorns, however, made me have several Sir Isaac Newton moments and even gave my camping tent a concussion. It was nuts, but I slept like a dead dog every night. The 20 miles of hiking trails are excellent, and the bathhouse was suprisingly clean. I'll be back once I figure out what I'm doing with my life. The end.

Super cool boardwalk on the marsh, kinda disappointed that half of it is blocked off and it's…read moretaking forever to get fixed but I still love it

Beautiful wetlands park with miles of boardwalk trails in state college pa. This park offers a…read morelarge wetlands area with numerous streams cutting through it. The park is very well kept and a great place to take a short hike or get a little exercise. The park also offers a viewing blind for birdwatching or scoping out animals. Overall a really cool nature preserve in State College Pa.