(This is for the Speedwell Forge Lake which is right next door to the actual park itself.)…read more If you are so inclined for a little light reading and/or mapery, see the below for all of the technical necessaries regarding the lake. pfbc.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=c3a9b1eef46b4ebe85bf2c883fa7f73e&center=-76.30666700%2c40.20333300&level=13 co.lancaster.pa.us/DocumentCenter/View/521/Speedwell-Forge-Park-Location-Map?bidId= www.fishandboat.com/About-Us/PFBC-by-Region/PFBC-Lakes/Pages/SpeedwellForgeLake.aspx Looking for a new place put the kayaks in the water is what led us here. Why? To me, the lake is big enough to give you some interesting things to see and explore, but not too big that you can't see it all in a few hours. There are two docks you can launch from - one on either side of Brubaker Valley Road. It was mid-morning on a weekday and there were seven or eight other kayaks out there (mostly people fishing) and a few small boats that were also fishing. Plenty of wildlife with a Bald Eagle, a deer, a few Blue Heron and fish constantly jumping out of the water. At the far west end of the lake, where it gets shallow and you come to where it gets fed by the Hammer Creek, you expect to see a lot of ducks, turtles, frogs and since you're at the side of the Speedwell Forge Wolf Sanctuary - you can hear some barking & howling and even catch a few glimpses through the trees of a few of the residents running around. Fwiw, I can imagine that on weekends, this place getting very crowded and while it does have some size to it, compared to some other county/state parks, it's not that big. But for a weekday, it was more than fine. Beautiful. Peaceful. What more could you want?

This is a great place to go kayaking and fishing. Looks easy enough to navigate putting in even if…read moreyou are a beginner. First time here, apparently it's been recently drained and restocked. Lots of kayaks and canoes laying in the grassy areas, leading to a sense of serenity and safety, which is refreshing. Beautiful views & lots of wildlife all leading to a peaceful relaxing experience.

Well kept lake and beach area! The grounds were also well kept…read more Tons of lifeguards on staff! Loved that you could swim out past the roped off area if you are experienced. The swing and high dive are a must if you want to try an adventurous task! Tons of shade! Overall this place is a great time! we love that you can bring your own food, you can leave and come back, and they have a place where you can wash your feet off before exiting! Two cons in my opinion: The snack bar is lackluster and expensive. 4.50 for a hot dog....the slush puppy was good! Approximately $30 dollars for admission, a little steep. Think about it, family of 4 is 120 dollars....

IGNORANT RUDE STAFF. Singled my 9.5 son out and would not let him go past ropes b/c "his stroke…read morewasn't strong enough" EVEN THOUGH he swam back just fine unassisted with no struggle AND we were here over a year ago when he was only 8yrs old and jumped off the same platform 10+ times with 0 issues and not a problem from any of the dozen life guards (I have multiple videos to prove this). Also, there were many small kids out there and they did not require any of other kids to take the test. Our son was the only child SINGLED OUT. When he literally did the same swim/jump when he was 1 year younger here safely many times AND as parents we were watching and more than ok with him doing it, there is no reason for them to ruin his day and keep him from hanging out with his brothers and cousin. The staff here are INCOMPETENT and IGNORANT, including the snarky manager Julia!!! Just BE WARNED that they can single a child out arbitrarily and pass/fail them on a whim from teenage staff even after you pay and ruin your child's day! Since your response was spin and avoided all FACTS!!! Here are some questions that you IGNORED... Mt. Gretna Lake and Beach why was my son "safe" to multiple lifeguards a year prior who allowed him to go past the rope many times and do the jump? (I have video evidence) Were they not doing their job??? Why was my son the only child targets by the lifeguards and made to do the test? There were many children that day his size or smaller. That included a boy who was terrified to jump and paced the dive for nearly 10min holding on for dear life. More importantly, the boy could not swim at all and his parents had to bring him a tube to drag him back. My son swam unassisted last year and on Sunday. Not a single lifeguard whistled or said a thing to the terrified boy and his parents and they even allowed him to go past the rope after that whole incident. I also have video footage of this. What do you have to say about this incident that went on for 10min and was obvious to anyone there that day? Your staff is incompetent, unprofessional, and unreasonable. You targeted my family and let other major safety concerns slide. I was/am furious and will spread her word. Good thing everything on here in FACT and I can prove with videos unlike your biased spin! I'd love your answers to the above publicly!!!!

Great selection of paddleboards and excellent service. Also have kayaks, leasing, lessons, and…read moretrips. Store is cute and personnel wonderful and informative.

I rent kayaks from here. The current price for a single-person kayak is $26 for 2 hours (which…read moreincludes kayak, paddle & life-jacket), then $8 for every hour after that. The kayaks are already lined up at the launch point until the day is over. Go play, then after you return your rental gear, go pay. The Susquehanna River is a gentle river...the water is more like that of a bay or a lake. There are beaches and islands to explore. There are marinas and and docks so there is some traffic areas with boaters and jet-skiers, but it isn't daunting...just stick to the river bank until you're comfortable...you will be paddling in the middle of the river, soaking up the view like a pro before you even realize it! The staff is really, really nice, friendly and helpful. I highly recommend spending the day on the Susquehanna and Shank's Mare. note: the launch point is directly across the shop where there is public parking, picnic tables, docks, fishing, duck feeding, etc.

Love this place but disappointed that the wildlife drive closed on 9/30 for the season before…read moremigration. I was traveling with someone who cannot walk the trails and the drive is a great opportunity for them.

Very pretty and well managed area. There's many places to pull off to here, and lots of different…read moretrails. Lots of wildlife too. At the moment, they have multiple signs up warning about the bird flu, so a few different areas are blocked off. You can still enjoy a good bit of it though, very scenic and such a large park to explore. Also great just to drive through and see the nature.

I picked this park due to the convenience where I'm staying, and this came up. It's easy finding…read morethe location, but the signage needs to be fixed and improved on Miller Street. Also, there is another entrance located on Theatre Drive. There is plenty of parking in both lots, even when it gets packed. The majority of the park sits right at a lake, with a path that does a complete loop around the lake. The views are pretty nice, with two sections going past a couple of houses, a bridge that crosses the dam (the main highlight), and also a big field. Finally, in the main parking lot, there is also an opening that heads close to the lake, providing two docks. Picnic tables are also provided in the park as a plus. Something that should be addressed is keeping the dock clean because it is covered with you know what?! Pennsylvania is a beautiful state if only I lived closer.

This is a nice park with a lake & camping spots. The only bad thing is the walkways are dirt, not…read moregravel & inconsiderate people let their dogs do their business without cleaning it up. Otherwise it's all good.

Ive been up here many times while serving with the Army National Guard and its a pretty cool place…read morefor those who serve. The building is located at Bldg. 13-190. You could watch movies, eat snacks like chips and popcorn in air conditioned rooms. There are also xboxes and video games set up to play and lounge chairs to just chill out after a long day.

I do not back door small business, but enough is enough!!!! This place is a joke of an…read moreoperation!!!! I dropped my Jet ski off for winterization in the 2nd week of October to not hear another word back!! Phone calls have been made, messages have been left on answering machines (when I was able to, cause now you cant due to mailboxes being full) When I finally did speak to someone, cause I called yet again, I was given the cell number for Garrett the owner!!!! 2 calls later to him and nothing!!! I went December 11th to just take my ski off the lot (since I own it and no services rendered) to only see a winterized tag on DATED 12/2. Funny 12/3 I called and spoke to Nick, who supposedly looked at my ski and said it wasn't done as of 12/3. It is January 9th!!!! STILL NO calls or my Jetski!!!!

Blue Marsh had our three boats for months for winterization. No one answers the phone. You can not…read moreeven leave messages at the service department. We are seriously concerned about the lack of service to our boats. We have received one call back in months, around December 1st promising they would be ready in a week. Still nothing on December 20th.