I've been coming to Raccoon Creek State Park for over 50 years now, and it's one of those rare places that has somehow kept its magic across generations. My earliest memories from the 1970s are filled with the smell of charcoal smoke at the picnic groves and the freezing shock of jumping into the lake on hot summer afternoons. As a kid, that beach felt massive, and a simple day trip with packed lunches (the peanut butter and jelly sandwiches melted to goodness from the sun) and blankets spread out on the grass was the best part of summer with my sisters and mom. As I grew into adulthood, the way I used the park changed, but I never stopped going. I didn't always go swimming but instead would explore the miles of hiking trails. The best part, though, was getting to experience it all over again through my daughter's eyes. Taking her there when she was little and watching her hit the water and run around the playground were special times indeed. Raccoon Creek isn't just a park to me; it's a constant in my life. Over five decades later, facilities might get updated here and there, but the familiar feeling of the place hasn't changed a bit. It's serene, nostalgic, and always feels like coming home. read more

Raccoon Creek is a short drive from the city and an amazing escape into nature! I've camped here a few times and love how easy and accessible it is for so many reasons. The bathrooms are close by the camp sites and clean! Plus they have hot water for showering. The water pump for drinking water is fresh and better than my tap at home. The lake is so nice and the ice cream stand is the best (bring cash). Definitely recommend booking the camp sites closest to the trail that takes you to the beach. It's about a 15 minute hike, but so much nicer than driving 15 minutes to the beach. read more

Raccoon Creek is one of my favorite parks near the Pittsburgh area. There are tons of things to do and see from the wildflower reserves to the beach and campgrounds. The lake beach is my personal favorite tied with the Mineral Springs loop trail. This place is beautiful! You can even find some quartz crystals in the lake if you're lucky! Mineral Springs is a fairly easy hike and can be done with children. My son loves to find rocks in the water and see the waterfall there! Even in the fall Raccoon Creek is great to visit. I'd recommend it to anyone, solo visitors and families or anyone that loves some good nature sightseeing. read more

Raccoon Creek State Park - Beach views at sunset! My favorite - Parks Near Me - Hookstown, Pennsylvania

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A very large park on Western Pennsylvania with numerous trails, camps and unique destinations. The only negative I've encountered in this park is an angry, abrasive and unprofessional park ranger. I've been visiting this place for years and had met many kind, friendly and helpful fellow visitors. I cannot say the same for that ranger - I hope y'all never come across her in your effort to find clarity on directions. My favorite areas of Raccoon Creek are the beach and the mineral springs. When the area water levels aren't low, you'll also see a beautiful 10 foot waterfall adjacent to Frankfort Mineral Springs. The beach is lovely in all seasons, but if you can catch it during the peak of Fall foliage. The many colors of the trees reflecting from the lake surface is quite the sight! There's a boat rental and the rates are very reasonable. There's also a very large picnic area with dozens of tables, plenty of parking and restrooms. read more

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We did the Mineral Springs Loop trail to see the waterfall cove and it was beautiful! Easy 1.2 mile loop. Highly recommend. PS - it's always muddy so dress accordingly read more

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Walking trails are fun there's a waterfall and spring water camp ground is nice they have hike in spots too camper spots the swimming area isn't what it used to to be but still beautiful place to visit read more

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Raccoon Creek State Park is one of 121 state parks in Pennsylvania, and is an easy destination for nature lovers in the Pittsburgh area. Within this 7,572-acre state park, there are woodlands, meadows, a lake (and lakeside beach), and overnight/camping areas. In other words: there's lots to see and do in this beautiful park! In addition to hiking along the park's extensive trails, you can go swimming, boating/canoeing/kayaking, and fishing. Park Rangers also offer educational programs and hikes, many of which are family-friendly and free to the public. Just remember that registration is required for planning purposes, and sometimes the guided hikes and programs have a limit on how many people can attend. You might also notice a specific address for a Wildflower Reserve when you look up directions. The Reserve refers to a specific section of the park focused on supporting western Pennsylvania's wildflowers. As you might guess from its name, it's an absolutely beautiful area to explore during spring and summer. What you might not guess is that more than 700 species of plants can be found in this section of Raccoon Creek State Park! To date, I've gone kayaking on the lake as well as explored part of the Reserve. That said, I feel like need to visit more often and enjoy more of what Raccoon Creek State Park has to offer, as it's a lovely place to spend part of my day. Here's to future adventures! read more

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A gorgeous park with some really nice and challenging hikes that have some really steep inclines. From boating to lodging to remote camping this park has it all. read more

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Love this park and have visited many times. Plenty of road to walk and trails to hike. Fishing and boating also open when the weather cooperates. Boat and kayak re take in season. Hunting in many parts of the park. Free park access read more

Raccoon Creek State Park - Parks Near Me - Hookstown, Pennsylvania

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Cozy lake about 40 minutes outside of Pittsburgh, PA. Before this pandemic I had no idea so many beautiful places like this existed in the Western PA region. The man made lake is nestled in between the mountains. The beach was small, but the water was very clean. Children and adults were able to ride boats, swim, paddle, kayak. Whatever activity that could clear their mind from the monotony of the day to day. The only negative I have is some interactions with some of the fellow beach goers. No need to get into specifics, but if you're a minority just remember it's a little far from the city. Some might be less welcoming than others. read more

Raccoon Creek State Park - Raccoon Creek State Park - Parks Near Me - Hookstown, Pennsylvania

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I went to the "Beach" here at the State Park recently. It was... alright. River swimming by the grass... lots of people were out and it was a fun ambiance. But the concession stand was closed and there was ONE restroom open for both men and women to share - and needless to say, it was pretty gross. If all you're looking for is some nature, it suits the bill. read more

Raccoon Creek State Park - Beautiful beach area!!! - Parks Near Me - Hookstown, Pennsylvania

This is a gem of a state park for lots of fun outdoor activities. Today's visit was to go hiking. The trails are marked "blazed" well and seem To be taken care off often. It's a fun challenging abundance of trails through hilly terrain as well as over several streams and creeks. This is an outdoor heaven for the hiker enthusiast. We only tackled a few miles of the dozens on dozens of miles of trails available. There's a lake you can fish and during the summer months the beach is a fun oasis to get out of the heat and swim. They even have a swim lane if swim training is your thing. Love it here summer or winter read more

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Raccoon Creek State Park is a nice large park with a lot of opportunities to explore and participate in a variety of activities: hiking, camping, swimming, boating, and more! Raccoon Lake offers a beach and boat rentals. There's a cute little wildflower garden near the park office, but to really be blown away with flowers, the best destination in the park is the Wildflower Reserve. This stunning section is a real delight when the flowers are in bloom. There are hiking trails available in this area too, and you can wander through the wildflower area. We especially enjoyed the Frankfort Mineral Springs hike, which lets you view the source of the mineral springs, where it trickles down a rockface and is located near a waterfall that's also lovely to see. It's a cool hike through the woods and winding around a spring, though it does have signage up that it floods easily. Great park to check out! read more

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My camping trip last weekend - perfect weather and that was good cuz my site was mostly dried mud with 6" deep footprints! It would have been a disaster if it had rained (site F32) Imagine a really terrible bathroom - now double it. Bugs the size of volkswagens running across the floor and you have to be sharp to see them approach as you shower and be ready to squash them (wear your rubber flip flops!) read more

I have to say. My expectations weren't too high. But I was totally wrong. Beautiful, comfortable lake. Clean, with bathrooms and showers. Also, they have a food concession with a fair selection for this kind of activities. It has a beach, grass and picnic benches. Don't pay anything- No parking rate Totally recommended read more

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Always enjoy camping here but why do the bathrooms not have shower curtains like other state park campgrounds? Even just vinyl ones are better than nothing really nice camping otherwise. There is really good hiking too and the lake area is very nice. read more

Always make this our first (travel trailer style) camping trip every summer. The campground is well kept, and the Rangers are professional and friendly. The grounds themselves are nicely maintained, with trails for strolls, and a beach area nearby with a good refreshment and food stand. You can rent kayaks, small rowboats and a funny looking bicycle style pedal boat to go out on the water. Prices are reasonable. If there is any downside, it's that the campspots do not have water...but it can be dealt with, as the shower/restrooms are kept very clean. Good camping! read more

Raccoon Creek State Park - Parks Near Me - Hookstown, Pennsylvania

Always enjoy coming here to hike around. It is especially nice to visit in the Summer months to take advantage of the lake.

Very basic park 40 minutes outside of Pittsburgh for those just wanting to "take the edge off" for a beach visit without making the longer treks to somewhere like Erie. The lakefront, clearly man-made beach is very small but the small amount of sand is soft and the water is pretty clean. There is also a very convenient concession stand and LOTS of open grass space and areas to picnic. For an alternative experience the hiking trails are also nice and finding the hidden waterfall makes for a great adventure. It's not labeled well from all entrances but it's found down a path that is two right turns past the Park office and labeled Mineral Springs, just a short walk from the parking lot you'll see the small falls and cross over a nice creek. Definitely recommend this place for the person who loves a simple trip to nature without cost and very little crowding. From what I saw the campsite looks nice too.... certainly a hidden gem. read more

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Great park, nice lake, can boat, swim, kayak, paddle board! Lots of hills with lots of trails.

Greatest place to hike, fish, boat, hang out and enjoy nature! Safe, clean, many different areas to see wild flowers, trees, animals, wade in the water and relax.... Mmmm Yeah! read more

This park is simply incredible! The scenery is beautiful, the camp ground spacious, and the activities abundant! Even the boat rental prices left me wowed! I wish we had more than just the night to explore and enjoy everything this park has to offer. We will be making sure to add multiple days at this park on our next venture through the area. There are so many positives about this park I would have to get super nit-picky. So here are the minuscule issues I thought of. It is quite the haul to get firewood. It might benefit the park to allow purchases of firewood at the check-in station. It also wouldn't hurt to have the restrooms and showers updated a smidge. Other than that it's proximity to Pittsburgh is a great plus! I can't wait to return! read more

Seems like a nice large park with lots of amenities, but I arrived late and left early, so this is just a review of the campground. I have been traveling a lot this summer, and staying at a lot of SP campgrounds, and while this was not the worst, it left a lot to be desired. There were tons of campsites in five loops, two of which permit dogs. I stayed in one of those (C Loop), and the sites had old picnic tables. What was more annoying was the apparent lack of flat tent spots on every one of the ~40 sites on that loop. I was also awakened early the next morning by loud and repeated large aircraft taking off from the nearby Pittsburg airport. This was followed by a shower that was barely warm at all, and had no curtain, resulting in anything I left on the seat/shelf getting wet. Like I said before, the park itself seems really nice, and maybe the other campsite loops are better, but I wouldn't camp here again, especially at $23 (out-of-state, non-electric, with pet). read more

Update: I went for a three day camping trip back to Raccoon this year too and couldn't of had a better experience. I cannot say enough good things about this park, I cried when it was time to leave. We camped with a tent in loop A, only this time we were on the end so we had a much bigger spot. It was also less crowded this time as we camped during the week. There was a lot more animal activity this visit, I think it's because we were in a less crowded area. We visited the lake and I learned to kayak. The boat rental place is super awesome, we also went swimming and fishing in the lake which is clean and we visited the wildflower reserve, which has a lot of beautiful hiking trails. I can't wait until my next trip. A few tips to keep in mind, not all campsites are treated equally, some are larger and more spacious and others seem more crammed together. I would advise to look at the maps and each campsite prior to booking a reservation. Also, a complaint and the only complaint of mine would be the restrooms. The restrooms inside the campgrounds could use an upgrade as they are read more

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We camp here when we visit our son in Pittsburgh. Very quiet, especially in September. A bit off the beaten path but close to both Pittsburgh and Weirton WV. Sites are mostly smaller with few that would allow large motor homes. Sites are paved and some have electric, no water or sewer. Bathrooms are modern and clean. read more

Great place to spend your day off. Fishing, boating, hiking, there's something for everyone. Dogs are welcome too which is always a plus in my opinion! read more

Great state park about an hour away from downtown. Major complaints: lots of airline traffic over head... it will keep you up at night for sure. But, still a nice park with lots of wildlife and things to do. Just come prepared, the park office did not have firewood so we had too drive 4 miles up the road to find "far wood." read more

This is one of my favorite area state parks. I like the park office and am grateful for the excellent restrooms there. The trails are always well groomed, well blazed and interesting. I like the change in altitudes and with it species of plants that keeps it interesting as you move through the seasons year round. read more

Very nice park. Camping is a little expensive (especially since you can go about 20 minuets away to Tomlinson Run and save yourself some cash). The park is really beautiful and the trails are nice. Fishing is good but the lake is pretty crowded. They don't allow motors on the water though so that's a plus. Especially if you want to have kids learn about paddling. FYI if you have a dog be aware there's some places they aren't allowed (camping areas and trails) so make sure you find pet friendly sections of the park. read more

Big sandy beach to swim, kayak,beach volleyball, fish etc. Gets crowded on weekends during summer. Dogs allowed. BBQ/TABLES. KAYAK RENTALS. Down the road a bit is the wildflower preserve which is really pretty, its has alot of hiking trails and the creek at the bottom of the hill is deep enough to swim in a couple places. Very secluded, almost deserted i rarely see other people here except maybe a lone jogger or a couple hiking. DOG NOT ALLOWED AT THIS AREA. Bring ur own food cuz there isnt many places to eat except pizza in HOOKSTOWN. The bathrooms are clean. read more

Quiet semi-maintained set of interconnecting trails. You can hike for a few miles or a few days! Just off the beaten path with copious parking in various spots. read more