No cell service and wonderful hiking trails. Boat rental and swimming available as wellread more

There are a lot of sites that back into the dog trail in the dog friendly section. Where we…read morewere, the trail was great and ran along side a beautiful stream.

One of the most beautiful state parks in Maryland. Amazing views of the valley and is only a 2 mile…read moredrive away from iconic High Rock. It is situated right on the Appalachian Trail and is a perfect place to enjoy a peaceful picnic. A great play area makes this an ideal location for get togethers for families.

I love Pen Mar Park! It a great way to escape to take time look around take in the unique art work…read morethe kids do. Also aside from the art the view is breathtaking! You can see for miles lifts the spirits especially these times we face and what we're about to face.

We rented a cottage for like $150 a night and got a huge place for ourselves. It was 3 bedroom…read morewith bunk beds in two of the rooms. Large sun room, living room and a big kitchen. We went hiking during the day time and covered a couple of trails, played board games in the evening and campfire at night. The trails were well marked. Appalachian Trail(AT marked in white) goes right through the park. There was a shelter. It was the cleanest and best shelter I have seen in a state park. Well maintained. The side trails are marked in blue. You can book the cottages for daily or weekly rental on the website of The Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources ( or search for pennsylvaniastateparks) General information: 717-787-2869 We stayed at Caledonia House #2 Located along US 30, Caledonia Lodge is a two-story frame house available for rent year round. The lodge has: Modern kitchen Closed-in porch One and one half baths Dining room Living room Central heat Three bedrooms that sleep ten people

Beautiful nature less than two miles from home has freshwater springs and lots of opportunities.read more

I've now hiked Pine Grove Furnace twice -- once on a warm February Saturday morning just to get out…read moreand move, and once specifically to check out the Appalachian Trail Midway Point marker. Both visits delivered exactly what I was looking for: quiet, well-maintained woods and a chance to disappear for a bit. Parking was easy both times. I found spots right near the trailheads without circling or waiting, which immediately set the tone for a low-stress hike. Even better? Across both visits, I saw a grand total of three other people. Three. If you're looking for seclusion and space to think, this is a solid choice. The trails themselves are clearly cared for. They were well-maintained, free of trash and debris, and the recent tree work was evident in the best way -- cleaned up, safe, and thoughtfully handled. Blazes were easy to follow and intersections were clearly marked, so navigation on the ground wasn't an issue at all. One important heads-up: I had zero cell service with Verizon either time I was there. None. Plan ahead. Download your maps, save your trail info offline, and don't rely on pulling anything up once you're in the woods. It's peaceful... but it's disconnected. Beyond the trails themselves, there's a lot to appreciate in the area -- from Appalachian Trail landmarks like the Midway Point marker to the surrounding natural beauty that makes this part of Pennsylvania so special. It's one of those places that feels quietly significant without being overrun. If you're looking for a quiet hike, a reset, or just some time in well-kept woods without crowds, Pine Grove Furnace is an excellent option. Peaceful, scenic, and exactly what it should be.

Charged us $34 for Pine Grove group camping even though I said twice we didn't stay in the group…read morecamping area and that it was a Michaux site, the worker didn't believe me I guess. The physical sign next to my site said $10 per night for PA residents, $15 out of state, the employee told me "No none of our sites would be that cheap". No intentions on returning which is unfortunate because the site was very nice and spacious and had a small fire pit. Don't charge us for Pine Grove Furnace State Park Organized Group Camping when we stayed in the Michaux State Forest campground just a tad further down the exact same camping road.

I've spent a lot of time at Norlo Park over the years, especially playing softball there, and…read moreoverall it's a really nice park. The softball fields are usually in good condition and well maintained, which makes a big difference when you're playing regularly. One thing everyone notices right away is how windy it can get--it's probably one of the windiest places around--but you kind of get used to it. Besides sports, it's a great place for families. There are playgrounds for kids, plenty of open space, and lots of spots that are perfect for picnics or just hanging out. I've also walked my dogs there many times, and one thing I really like is that the park is big enough to keep distance if your dogs aren't super friendly with others. They also have a large dog park with separate areas for small and big dogs, which is really nice. There's water available for the dogs, and I've seen a lot of people bring their pets there to play. The park also has fountains for both people and dogs, as well as porta potties, which makes it convenient if you're staying for a while. Overall, Norlo Park is a great local spot whether you're there for sports, walking your dog, or just spending time outside with family.

This is a surprisingly large park, almost 150 acres. I'm not sure why it's called a dog park, it's…read moremuch more than that. There are three separate playgrounds, one of which is built for toddlers and younger kids. Another playground is conveniently located between two pavilions. Both pavilions have grills available to cookout. The third playground is closer to the cloverleaf area (see paragraph below). There are over two miles of paved walking/running trails throughout the park. Most of which is fairly level, for Pennsylvania anyways. There are a several brand spanking new softball fields, four of which are grouped in one area. To me they resemble a four leaf clover. I didn't use the dog area, but from what I could tell, there were two fenced areas. You must keep your dog on a leash outside of these areas for sure. During summer Saturday afternoons there are train rides for kids (and adults). The impressive train goes in a loop on site. The current hours are from one to four, so you have three hour window to work with there. I think I saw soccer field, horseshoe pits, sand volleyball, basketball, and tennis courts as well. A large barn and community building rental can be utilized for weddings, parties, and such. With so much to do nearby it is work looking into.

Great spot to picnic in the mountains. There a round green tin carousel pavilion that protects the…read moretables. Small play area and a stream nearby are nice to play in with the kids. While not much to look at, this is the oldest state park in Pennsylvania, having neen under the Commonwealths ownership for 113 years. Originally a furnace, then a picnicing spot and now a state park. Small parking lot sits just across route 233. Restrooms are available.

Tony and I stopped to enjoy the roadside park. Waterfall, playground, bathrooms, grills and picnic…read moreareas. Great free park to enjoy. People we're eating, fishing and swimming

This is a well cared for park. However- the trail is not what AllTrails says it is. It's possible…read moreit used to be a bigger park with a 3-4 mile trail. It is not anymore- now it's closer to .5 miles.

Beautiful little park! Lots of trees and vegetation and little paths all around. Some benches to…read moresit on. Two main places where you can get in the creek and it is shallow. A little difficult when crowded because the creek entry points are narrow (single file). There is vegetation blocking access to the rest of the creek. There is a parking lot across Harrisburg Street, a 2 minute walk. There is a well marked crosswalk with a blinking yellow light to alert traffic to stop.

Nice little park along the Greenbelt in Harrisburg. A garden for each of the five senses, plenty of…read morebenches and a nice stream as well.

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

Beautiful Park, quiet and peaceful surroundings-had a nice picnic with my husband. Exercise walking…read moreup steps to get a beautiful view of the lake. Will enjoy visiting again.

REVIEW FOR CABINS: Decided to rent out some of the cabins with friends during THE YEAR OF THE…read morePANDEMIC. We were really happy with the cabins - we stayed in the Chestnut cabin. Here are the pluses: Price - under $50 a night. Bargain! Inside cabin: Electricity - bring a long extension cord with multi plugs. Heat - Such a plus since we were in the fall. Fan - Very useful for the summer. Two bunkbeds with bottom bunks that are either a full or queen. Long table with seating Plenty of lighting Cleaning materials - they provide a broom to keep the floor clean. Outside cabin: Outdoor plug for electricity Two picnic tables - one under shelter (so so nice!) / also next to fire ring Overhang is excellent for keeping things dry and sheltered Fire ring Due to COVID, check in is not until 5 PM. Ugh, what a drag. They did let us get in finally at 4:00 PM - after all, it was a Sunday and hardly anyone was around. Check out is 9 AM. Stay for at least 2 nights. Firewood is $7 for a small bundle. Drive around - you might find better deals from locals. Bathrooms were toasty warm and cleaned daily. We didn't use showers, but other people said the hot water was plentiful and it was cleaned well. Utility sinks are behind the bathrooms and extremely useful for dishes and other cleaning.

We visited for the "Experience Codorus Outdoors" event. We camped at the nearby campground which…read morewas super convenient to the park. I'll rate the various parts accordingly. Main park 9/10 In a word, breathtaking. You have several amazing views of Lake Marburg, which is unfortunately not a swimming lake. We visited during the experience Corodus outdoor event, so they allowed kids and adults to put their feet in. You might be able to go to one of the less populated areas and get away with swimming, but would probably be kicked out eventually. We saw a few people in the water at random spots outside of the main park. The kayak launch looks nothing short of amazing. It was closed due to the event, but I scoped it out while we walked around. It looked super easy and shallow. Campgrounds Right across from the marina. There are 4 loops, 3 mainly for tent camping and smaller RVs, and giant sites for the HUGE RVs. You do have to make your way through loop C (tents) to reach loop D, which can be pretty tight especially when people stupidly park their car(s) in the road. The sites were spacious and quiet. We were at loop C right next to the bathhouse. I would stay at the site again except the doors swing shut HARD. Nothing like waking up from a dead sleep when someone exits the bathroom and the door slams shut. There are utility sinks near the bathrooms which was a nice touch for those of us using reusable dishes. There's a small playground for young kids. It was perfect for my 5 year old, but my 12 year old would have been bored quickly. They also offer church services on Sundays which was a nice touch. They have a private launch that is VERY remote. Good because other boats aren't flying through. Bad because if something happens and you need help, there likely won't be any. We launched a double inflatable kayak without issue, but realized we were pretty much on our own if anything went wrong. Marina 2/5 Lots of spaces to park and plenty of paved trails to walk around. We were looking for a place to launch our inflatable kayak. This didn't seem like a great option with the rental house open. If it was closed, it might be better. Unless you own a boat or want to walk, there's not much to do here (to be fair it is a marina). Visitor Center- 2/5 Sad. They had a bird watching widows but guess what? All of the bird and squirrel feeders were empty. There were a couple displays with taxidermy animals, but not much else sadly. Other than a bathroom break, there really wasn't much to do here. Experience codorus outdoors- 3/5 There were lots of activities for kids and families. A rock climbing wall, pontoon ride, splash in the water, slip and slide, food trucks, obstacle course, kayaks, and SOOO many other things. It was a great event and we had a blast. There were a few things that could be improved (I plan to send this to the codorus outdoor committee as well) - Offer double kayaks. Some of the kids who went solo didn't look old enough to navigate a kayak alone. They offered to allow my 5 year old to go, but that seemed dangerous to me. Why they didn't offer any double kayaks is beyond me. It seemed like lots of families with smaller kids were turned away. - The water fountains weren't working. For an event that has probably the highest number of people at the park, they should have offered some water for people to drink besides paying at food trucks. Oversight on the part of the committee. -Our pontoon boat driver was a grump. I innocently asked why people were not allowed to swim in the lake. Instead of informing an out of towner who was curious, he responded with a super condescending tone like "Duh, how did you not know that!?" We will definitely be back when the place is less crowded and access to the kayak launch site is available.