Stopped by the park while in the area to check out the overlook view. The park was clearly marked…read moremaking it easy to navigate. Free entry and plenty of parking. There were walking trail options in the area as well. The view was amazing and definitely worth the stop!

Beautiful scenic overlook of the confluence of the branches of the Susquehanna River. And unlike…read moreMaryland's state parks, there's no admission fee. Very quiet, despite the constant traffic on State Routes 11/15 immediately below. Didn't find the nesting raptors in the trees below, nor did we see any deer as we hiked along the Deer Trail, although we came across a family BBQ at one of the covered picnic areas. Near the top were restrooms that were in an actual building rather than the usual porta-potties, but with no running water (although there was hand sanitizer). Well-maintained playground with swings, slides, and monkey bars at the upper parking lot for the kids too. Just be sure to map or GPS your route to avoid having to make numerous U-turns - coming north up Route 11/15, there's no park directional signage (look for the County Line Road sign just before the bridge) and from County Line Road, the park entrance sign is pointing towards visitors coming from the opposite direction.

Ricketts Glen is a very special place for me and my family, and we have been visiting annually for…read moremany years. Lodging: My family likes to stay in the little cabins in the park. They have two or three bedrooms, a kitchen, a bathroom, and a fire ring. They are fully furnished and climate controlled, which is nice in the winter and summer. However, there is no WiFi or cell service (unless you have A T and T) so be mindful of that when you book. I have never stayed at the campsites, so I cant speak for accommodations there. Activities: There's so much to do around the park, including boating or swimming at Lake Jean, exploring the many miles of trails, or having a family barbecue. The most famous trail in the park, the Falls Trail, is a must-hike for visitors. The trail can be steep, rocky, and slippery, and the main loop (not including the bottom three falls) runs about 5 miles, which is longer than the advertised distance, so be prepared. Bring good shoes and lots of water and expect some amazing views of the falls. The other trails in the park are also beautiful, albeit far less traveled. I did the 13 mile loop from cherry run to mountain springs road to the mountain springs trail, and it was a great distance and not too steep. We went past the old Lake Leigh dam breast and an unnamed waterfall with a nice swimming hole. The cherry run and mountain springs trails have lots of tall grass, so make sure to wear long pants in case of ticks. Additionally, the spring runs right through portions of the mountain springs trail, so be prepared to get your feet a little wet. I look forward to each year I get to go to Ricketts and even though I am sad I'm home, I'm super excited for next year!

My birthday is the most important day of the year. This is a fact. I get very ornery if I don't…read morespend the day/week/month the way that I want. For 3 years running The Plan has been to go to Acadia. First year: someone went to an international wedding of 500 people and got the Rona Second year: someone bought a big rig and rates were in the toilet Third year: Someone was tired and the planing was overwhelming I just knew this would be The Year. Sike - Rain and thunderstorms forecasted from May 27-June 4 and we had a campsite lmaaoooooo But one thing about me - I'm gon pivot every time. So we booked a Hipcamp and headed to PA instead. I wanted open land, dark skies, and opportunities to hike. Ricketts was only 10 minutes away!! All I knew about this park beforehand was that it was a waterfall paradise. We had our dog with us and arrived at Ricketts around 4pm on a Sunday. We checked out some of the small falls at the trailhead then did the Evergreen Trail. Beautiful view of Adams Falls, a lovely wooded walk through an old growth forest, and some climbs here and there to keep your heart rate up. I love when Wesley goes out on the trails - he sniffs everything, bounds ahead to scout the path, and patiently waits until I can clear obstacles. Still, given the height and uneven terrain of even this shorter trail in the park, I would likely return without him to take on some of the more challenging routes. Making sure he didn't fly off the ledge and I didn't fall off the stone steps had my nervous system on fire lol. I'm also old now and believe feet should always stay rooted to the floor. So yeah. The park is very dog friendly and we love that. But for me and mine, maybe we'll come solo next time. Summed Up: Beautiful Ethereal Calming Steep Heights Dog-friendly Free Do it!

I've camped at Hickory Run a few times and although this time there were some updates, there were…read moresome major downfalls. I stayed in the organized group camping area and loved how the sites that we booked allowed for plenty of tents to spread out within your group. We stayed in J, K and L. Last year there were porter potties and this year there was a bathhouse. Sadly there were no showers, the family bathroom was locked all weekend, and maintence getting to the bathroom was not good. Wehad to walk through a field of knee high grass to get there. During peak tick season, this was not ideal. Lastly, quiet hours apparently do not exist this is area of camping. Groups around us were chanting and singing before 5am and had an intense volleyball match at 6am. Boyscotts camped near us and were up late screaming until 12am. There needs to be more ranger presence, this truly altered our experience. The state park itself has great hiking and swimming area but the organized group sites were very mismanaged.

Who doesn't love Pennsylvania, and its beautiful state parks, waterfalls and nature itself…read more Visiting in town, and discovered this park, and Hawk Falls. The hike was moderate, highly recommend hiking boots, as its down hill short trial, but well worth the view of the 25 foot water fall. Perfect early week activity, and best of all was free to visit, not like the state parks in NY.

A beautiful scenic campground. We were in site 039 and were grateful there was nobody across from…read moreus when we arrived or when we left as it was very tight. It was very buggy when we arrived (late July) but the weather turned cooler and we had beautiful weather for our four night stay. There was no sewer or water hookup at our site but the bathhouse was close. We walked some of the trails and everything was beautiful. We brought kayaks but the water we paddled in by the dam was just ok. Lots of vegetation close to the surface, etc. We stayed to visit friends nearby. Dogs are welcome but they don't want you walking them by the no-pet sites, which is a little awkward.

There are a lot of activities available in Little Pine State Park! There is a lake, Little Pine,…read morelocated near the park office. It's a very nice area with picnic tables, a playground, and a beach available along the water, which can be used for swimming and boating. The dam above the lake provides a great place to get a good overlook of the area to enjoy. There are several trails that run through the park. Camping, including yurts and cottages, are also available. The staff in the park office were friendly and helpful.

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.

One of my favorite places ever Our family has enjoyed camping here many years. There is a medium…read moresized lake with a beach area and plenty of room outside of that to fish and boat. The sites have a nice amount of trees in them and privacy between spots. We prefer the beach loop which is all tent camping. It usually is cold enough in the summer to need hoodies at night. There are a ton of chipmunks and squirrels. Make sure your food is secured well as they will find it and have chewed through our plastic totes to get to it. This morning we found that they got our chocolate bars, took them up into a tree and were dropping them half eaten onto the ground. Wildlife is nothing to mess with, they will cut you.

The lake and property are quite beautiful but the inhumane restrooms/showers are unacceptable.read more

After 3 years of bi annual visits to Jim Thorpe, my boyfriend and I finally went to visit the…read moreoverlook (and it was finally opened - we had a great luck of it being closed the first 2-3 times we drove by it). You have to take a short detour off of either W Broadway or Beaver Run Dr. to Flagstaff Rd. There are signs you can follow all the way up there, on a one way dirt path 1,000 feet above the town, and only 3 miles away from it. We went around 4pm in November, when the sun was blending beautifully with the clouds. The panoramic view is insanely stunning! According to discovernepa.com : "Facing south, you'll take in a breathtaking look at the expansive Mahoning Valley and the rolling Pocono foothills. To the north, the overlook offers a stunning bird's-eye view of Jim Thorpe itself, nestled at the base of the mountains and bordered by the scenic curves of the Lehigh River." We took some pictures, walked around to take the views in. We noticed there is a development in process, so depending how long the construction will take place - I imagine the overlook might get more crowded, or the area more restricted. There is a picnic bench you can sit down at. And apparently there is also a camp site. Just imagine drinking your morning coffee with this view! Definitely will be visiting again when we're in the neighborhood.

Take in stunning, panoramic views of the rolling hilltops of Carbon County at this overlook in Jim…read moreThorpe. 100 Mile View offers a southern survey of the Mahoning Valley and beyond. To the north, you can capture a bird's eye view of Jim Thorpe, the Lehigh Gorge State Park, and the snaking Lehigh River. it is accessible via Flagstaff Road (or put google map) Parking: ample parking on the top.!! but when you are reaching, its one-way dirt road to the top, like hardly 200-300 meter.

Came here on Sat 10/25 to hike with a couple gf's and brought my doggo, Linc, since it's a dog…read morefriendly trail. I work out but I wasn't ready for this trail as a first time hiker lol! I wore sneakers but would have greatly benefited from hiking boots for more ankle support after slipping and tripping my way along the dense leaf covered dirt trail that continued to get more rocky on the ascent. Also, you will need to climb some legit large rocks/boulders to reach the Pulpit Rock overlook but the challenge was well worth it for the views! My gf's & I chose the easy way down which was to take the gravel road alongside the observatory that eventually transitions to pavement. Even the decline of this road was steep in itself. No easy way up or down haha! I saw people of all ages and fitness levels along my hike and plenty of cute dogs! Bring snacks and water to re-energize during a rest break. My one friend packed some TP and I thought it was a great idea cuz you just never know when you might have to go! Parking lot is a joke with ~20-25 spots but many ppl, including us, parked along Reservoir Rd so make sure to get here early in the morning or expect to walk a couple extra miles just to reach the start of the trail.

Great spot for a day hike, with beautiful views at the two main lookouts - Pulpit Rock and the…read morePinnacle. The hardest part of the hike is getting to Pulpit Rock, as it starts with a fairly steep road to get to the trail, and then some more elevation climb as you get up to the lookout. From there, it's probably another 2.5 miles or so to get to the Pinnacle, but the elevation gain is minimal. Both of these stops provide great views, with lots of raptors flying around if you're lucky! Bring snacks and water, especially on a hot day, and cameras to take pictures!