We were the only ones there so parking was easy. There are only about 4-5 actual parking spaces but…read morecars can also park along the right hand side of the road. The rocks in some area in the creek are tough so water shoes or crocs are recommended. There is a ton of flat spaces though once past the rocks and it's really awesome to just play there on the edge of it with the current pushing you along to the deeper side.

It's a cute little park that's known for the large dam. It offers beautiful views and a nice quiet…read moreatmosphere. Trout fishermen love it here during the spring and fall months best known for trout fishing. People will pile ontop of eachother while casting. It's also a nice park for a quick hike or picnic with the family! There are two parking lots, one on each side of the creek but please be mindful of where you are walking/fishing. There are lots of posted signs for private property.

This is an update to a review I originally wrote 11 years ago, and somehow, I love Allegany State…read morePark even more now than I did then. I've been coming here since I quite literally fit into a bucket (not exaggerating). Allegany has been a constant for me and probably the beginning of my love for everything outdoors. Growing up, my family spent Columbus Day weekends camping here, originally along McIntosh Trail and later at Summit Trail near the Art Roscoe Ski Area and fire tower on the Red House side of the park. Now, they go extra fancy and stay on Bova Trail. Over the years, Allegany became the backdrop for countless adventures from tent camping, cabin stays, hiking, geocaching, and just being together outdoors. These days, instead of Columbus Day, I usually start the year here by staying in a cabin and doing the First Day Hike with my dad. While my most recent visit wasn't the best, it doesn't erase the years of great memories before it. I've visited Allegany in every season, but autumn will always be my favorite thanks to the foliage. The trails shine in summer and fall. I've backpacked the North Country Trail through the park, hiked nearly every trail, and uncovered some lesser known gems along the way. I participate in the park's hiking challenges, serve on the board of the Allegany State Park Historical Society, and appreciate organizations like Friends of Allegany for the work they do to protect and enhance this place. The Red House Restaurant serves up some good times and great food, too. From Thunder Rocks to the Bear Caves, beaches, creeks, kayaking, canoeing, fishing, geocaching (including night caches and GeoBash!), and endless quiet corners, Allegany surely offers something for everyone. It's located a mere hour and 45 minutes from Buffalo and to me, it's a crown jewel of the New York State Park system. My advice? Do a little research before you go so you can make the most of your visit. Stop by the Administration Building on the Red House side, explore Thunder Rocks or the Bear Caves, and camp if you can. And whatever you do... don't feed the bears!

We always enjoy coming to Allegany. This time we decided to hike up to Bear Caves. If you are in…read moretown don't snooze on Allegany. You won't be disappointed.

Clean, small community park, located in heart of Amherst, behind the Amherst police station…read more Recently visited for a fire fly hike that was guided, by the NYS Parks Department; Catol Rodgers. Interesting facts learned on fireflies: they like leafy dark areas, eat slugs, and snails and really lite up the park. Paved trail, not very long, perfect for quick walk or hike to explore the many trees. Family, everyone friendly.

Went to this park with my son and his two children under eight years of age (7 & 5). It was the…read moreperfect length to get through without hearing the children complain that they were tired of walking. This is such a beautiful park to enjoy a nice walk, jog, a bike ride or to go fishing (no spots to play sports of any kind here). There are a couple small grassy areas you can sit with a blanket and have a small picnic, eat lunch or bring your own lawn chair and enjoy a book. Plenty of benches to sit down, relax and enjoy the view of the water. In addition, the trees provide lots of shaded areas to appreciate as you walk through the paved trail on a hot summer day. Lastly, there are a lot of droppings from the geese (the children were stressing about avoiding it). I didn't see a playground during my walk but there is a very nice playground available for the children in front of the library that is located adjacent to the park entrance - you'll see it. I used my GPS to get here and parked at the courthouse parking lot, there was a path to where the trail starts - in my photos. Bring bug spray and sunblock in the summer and enjoy a stroll after a good meal. Rated this park four stars because I would probably only come back to take a walk if I'm already in the area but there's nothing here you absolutely have to see if you were visiting Buffalo. However, the park is beautiful and serene. If there was more to do or picnic tables for families to sit and eat, I would give it five stars.

Gorgeous park not far from downtown Erie features sandy beaches, great trails, and bike and boat…read morerentals. Check out the Presque Island Lighthouse and Museum, too!

I've been going to Presque Isle for as long as I can remember. Whether splashing around in the…read morewater, biking the multi-purpose trail, or looking for beach glass along the shore, there is always something fun to do.

We Did the blue, red and yellow trails around the ponds off of Vail rd . Before that we started…read moredown the Cattauragus creek trail on other side of gorge but we decided we were not up for THAT challenge this time w/ 300 ft decend and climb. Fall colors were perfect and temp in 60s was great. Area is Somewhat developed but trails are rough and narrow in many places.

Have been going to Zoar Valley since my Dad started taking me back in the late 40's. The only…read morereason I gave it 4 stars is that it is not an area to mess around playing superman and such. There are people that need to get way to close to the unseerable overhang. They can and have taken a very long drop to the bottom. Play safe and it is a great place to enjoy hiking and swimming. Seem to have lost my pics. Figures.

This one is going to be a partial review. Why partial? Well, we barely scratched the surface of…read morewhat's at this beautiful state park and I want to come back to see more. On our way from Ohio to the other side of PA, we took a detour to get a look at where the modern petroleum industry got its start in this country. One big downside is that because this was ad-libbed, we entered the per se, "wrong side" of the park which doesn't have a much to see as the other side. Let me explain: As the below map shows, the park is laid out in a thin vertical line. Instead of arriving at the northern end where the Drake Well Musuem is, we showed up at the southern tip by the Egbert Farm Day Use Area. The big problem with that goes back to the adlibbing and not knowing that the bridge that leads over Oil Creek is long term closed to vehicles. It's possible to go around but it's a PIA and we didn't have enough time. www.dcnr.pa.gov/StateParks/FindAPark/OilCreekStatePark/pages/maps.aspx We saw Coal Oil Johnny's House, some of the Blood Farm Area and walked a bit of the snowy/muddy Gerard Trail before we ran out of daylight. uncoveringpa.com/things-to-do-oil-creek-state-park Jim at unoveringpa.com has a great list of stuff to do in the park and later this year I'm hoping to do a longer tour of the area and hit this place up for a few days along with Cherry Springs and Hyner Run. We didn't spend a long time here, but the appetite has been whet for more.

This park is an intriguing blend of history and nature. This is the site of an oil boom town, and…read morethere are a number of historical indicators left memorializing it. An interpretive trail is located near the visitor's center that lets you stroll what used to be an old street in the town. None of the actual buildings remain, but the signage is great. There is a train visitor center where a train still runs through at times. There is also a nice playground and picnic tables available. The Blood Farm area is also beautiful - there's a nice large green space near the Oil Creek, with picnic tables, a playground, and shelterhouses. The Blood Farm Interpretive Trail provides an enjoyable short hike with some information about how the Blood Farm became a site where oil was discovered, and you can still find stopped off oil wells, old equipment and old farm buildings to view. Several waterfalls can be found here during certain times of year; unfortunately, the friendly staff told us that they weren't really running at the time of our visit. Very interesting park!

Very nice and well-maintained grounds. We enjoyed a pleasant walk around the park, including stops…read moreat the beach area and the marina.

Great location and hike out to the point but a little sprucing up would help this beauty. We may…read morecome back for the beach though we were warned about blue algae in the area. The trails were clean and maintained but the structures were dated and showing age. It feels like this park represents the area in the sense that it's saying "look at how we were when" instead of embracing the awesome it can be today. I'd love to see this park and area be vibrant, be about the now and the beauty that exist here.

They always had everything we needed. Other places ran out of bait and these guys always had…read more Prices where cheaper than other places as well. Will be shopping there the next visit we take up there for all our fishing needs.

Great little bait shop. Knowledgeable about local fishing holes and prices are very reasonable…read more The lady that runs the place is very nice and pretty hot! What more can you ask for...

This is an absolutely lovely park, with wide open spaces as well as trails through the woods. All…read morealong beautiful lake Erie. The grounds are well-maintained and there is strategic seating along most trails. There were these chain link basket devices located around one field and it took me almost a month to find out that it has something to do with a frisbee game. There are bathroom facilities and grills and garbage pails so this is designed to be used by families for picnics. I plan on returning in the summer to see this beautiful park in full bloom.

Beautiful, peaceful park... Perfect stop off on scenic route 5. Camping, fishing, hiking... Looks…read morelike you can find it all here. Wish I had more time, but was just passing through and decided to make a quick stop. Don't miss it, if you're in the area!!

We went for a quick fishing visit this summer and this park was fabulous for a bunch of shoreline…read moreanglers like us. The park has a nice paved trail for a walk/run and lots of picnic tables along the shoreline where you can cast off and set up a picnic with your family. While my family settled down to fish, I went for a quick run on their fantastic trail and we all enjoyed our afternoon there thoroughly. The only downside was that there was no public washroom that was open at the time of our visit. There was a facility being used by the YMCA and while there were still some counselors around after the camps let out, they refused to let us in to use the washrooms which I thought was very odd. All in all, the visit to this quiet park was enjoyable and fun for all of us. I look forward to our next fishing outing soon!