It's a great place to take the family, there are things for all ages from just sitting on the sand…read morewhile soaking up the sun, to swimming to renting a paddleboard or canoe to walking around the dam. There are pavillions, playgrounds, a learing center with educational events (not during Covid-19), a small store to buy hot prepared food (hotdogs, french fries, etc...), cold drinks and other items. The beach area is finally smoke free for those of us who are allergic to cigarettes, it's a true relief. We can enjoy the day without worrying about our eyes swelling shut because the people next to use wont stop smoking and just throwing the butts on the sand. There are designated smoking areas for those who must smoke. Pets are welcome.

We stopped here on our drive home to look around and stretch our legs. This was really a lot better…read morethan we expected. First, the dam is really cool, built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930's post-Depression. The original was damaged in a storm but it has been rebuilt. Some of the old cabins and equipment still lingers around the park. We saw lots of people fishing and walking their dogs. (Not at the same time!) On our way in we had spied a beaver dam at the bottom of a power line cut through. We parked and hiked down the hill to try to see a beaver. No luck, beavers are very shy. On the way back up the hill I literally stumbled upon an American Woodcock mom sitting on a nest of chicks. She ran into the woods and we snapped a pic of her adorable brood of five baby woodcocks! (Some call them timberdoodles...) This was such a cool experience. Thanks, Parker Dam State Park in New York for some much needed nature time!

My husband & I hiked here for the first time last week. Hopefully, it won't be the last time as we…read morereally enjoyed it & plan to come back to the area soon. We chose to hike the "Phyllis" trail which was deemed difficult. It was challenging & gave us a great workout which is exactly what we were looking for. We thoroughly enjoyed the scenery...beautiful park.

Clear Creek was an ideal getaway. The drive was through beautiful farm country. We did it in…read moreOctober so the fall colors were still abundant. The park is very well maintained. The trails range from flat family friendly to leg burning uphills.you can hike a tremendous variety but the most scenic seem to be near the creek or Clarion River. We loved it.

No dogs I needed to…read moredrive a dog from Indianapolis to Pennsylvania to get her to her home. The dog owner was coming from Connecticut. (That's a story of its own). Anyway, I found a middle ground of Walter Duck Memorial Park that was listed as a dog friendly park by many online resources. (It isn't dog friendly - No Dogs Allowed). It's a tucked away down some roads. After the dog drop off was complete, my son and I explored a bit. It was a nice little oasis. It was cold and I imagine more enjoyable during the warmer months. Check out the pictures to see more.

I was only here to stretch during a long trip. It's not far from I-80. But wow. Swimming pool, 3…read moreplaygrounds, baseball fields, batting cages, tennis courts, pavilion, amphitheater, volleyball areas, and more. What a resources this must be for the community. Very clean.

My 3-year old granddaughter needed to run off some energy while her mother was at the doctor and we…read morenoticed the park. She absolutely adored her time there. The climbing wall was her favorite part. She tried all the equipment there, but kept going back to the wall. Great place to visit.

Another great visit to cook forest in the books!!! I grew up, coming to cook forest and fall in…read morelove again every time I visit. The fire tower is an absolute must, and although there are trails to take to reach the fire tower, I love the drive through the forest, the best. Since many are visiting the fire tower along with Seneca point I always try and visit earlier in the mornings when there's not a lot of people. I also am a fan of the lodging in the area. The cabins (River & McBeth) are very affordable & comfortable and sometimes we even stay nearby in Brookville. A lot to book up fast but they do have availability from time to time so even if its last minute, still check their websites. The sawmill is so fun to shop at as well as Parkers Indian trading Post. We love Cook Forest & will always return!!

I love visiting Cook Forest State Park! If you enjoy being outdoors, this is a place you should add…read moreto your bucket list. There is truly something here for everyone. If you're the hiking type, there are 52 miles of trails to explore. If you're a birder, you'll definitely want to grab your binoculars and check out different parts of the park, as numerous birds inhabit the forest. If you prefer spending a day on the water, you can go swimming in the Clarion River, as well as rent kayaks, canoes, and river tubes. It's not hard to find a good spot to fish, and in the winter you can also enjoy cross-country skiing, snowmobiling, sledding, and ice-skating. In my case, Cook Forest is just a couple of hours away - a day trip isn't out of the question. Still, it's so much nicer to spend an entire weekend in this beautiful place. Fortunately, that's pretty easy to do! Campgrounds and log cabins alike are available within the park. The cabins are very popular, but have no fear: there are hotels within driving distance of the park as well. Do keep in mind that cell service is not guaranteed here; this is totally OK in my book, but it does mean that having a rough idea of where you'll be driving is essential. Grab a map or write down some directions from Google Maps - then go forth and enjoy your time in this beautiful place!

Amazing park with a lot to offer. There are playgrounds and places to picnic and fish…read more It's also home to many unusual species of birds. Besides the obvious places along the creek and lakes, there is also a nice system trails for hiking and birding. There's a Frisbee golf course which is prized by that community.

Very nice park, kids had many different options for activities at the park, love that there is a…read morelittle spray park, just wish there was some canopies since the slides and stuff get very hot

Whether you know it or not, PA is home to the largest free roaming elk herd in the northeast. The…read moreelk that currently call PA home are not indigenous to the area. The original herds of elk were hunted to the point of extinction in the early 19th century. At the beginning of the 20th century the PA Game Commission imported elk from states like Colorado and the descendants of that group are what you mostly have today. We were glamping over at Parker Dam State Park and figured that while our chances of seeing any elk were very low (wrong time of day and wrong time of year - ideally you want sunrise or sunset in late summer or early fall not late morning in late spring) but it was close enough that is seemed worth a shot. We drove through all of the supposed hot spots: Benezette Dents Run Caledonia Weedville Woodring Farm Viewing Area Winslow Hill Viewing Area and saw a total of zero regarding anything that had antlers, hooves or fur which is no biggie because that's what was expected. The one side bonus was a lot of beautiful scenery, vistas and overlooks. According to the PA Game Commission their #1 place to see elk is the Winslow Hill Viewing Area. Compared to somewhere like Woodring Farm which is no more than a stone lot with room for a few cars and a small plastic sign pointing to a trail, the set up at Winslow Hill is deluxe. Huge parking lot, maps and placards all over the place, a ranger station during the busier times of the year (of which mid-May is not as we only saw three other people during our 45 minutes here) which leads out to the viewing area, and damn, it is a hell of a view even without any elk in the area. The below map is the best one that I could find that shows where Winslow Hill is located and also many other places on a sort of elk driving tour that lists all of the possible places you could get to view one of these beasts. www.docs.dcnr.pa.gov/cs/groups/public/documents/document/dcnr_20032194.pdf

I've been to a lot of nature centers around the country but this was one of the nicest. It's a…read morelittle walk to the center from the parking lot but there's lots of things to read along the way. The center was free with a gift shop but it was $5 for a inside tour. Outside there were elk viewing areas the best time is dusk and dawn to see the elk. Nice clean indoor restrooms

Been going here for 50 years . All the garbage has been cleaned up . Railing has been fixed , it's…read moretruly a beautiful place . It won't be long though when the view is gone , you can only see a very little bit of the river now because the trees are getting too tall . It needs cut all the way to the dirt road below like the old days when the whole river could be seen . Nice trails below , watch for snakes .

I saw this on the Uncovered Pennsylvania facebook page as a place to see…read more It is a lovely drive through rolling hills and fields. When I arrived, mid September, the air was crisp, cool and the leaves just giving a hint of changing. There are several park signs explaining the rivers and scenery. I'm glad I stopped.

Oooo, just visited this divine natural area and it is gorgeous! They have a very nice woodland…read morewith a beautiful stream, rock formations, well marked trails and pretty hemlock trees. It is owned by the Audubon Society and is in Sarver, P.A. We went at the end of February and some of the trails were extremely muddy. We had to back track and go different paths because we didn't want to be steeped in mud. You should for sure bring some good boots with lots of traction. It is definitely worth the visit!

A great place to hike not far off of route 28 that's quiet and scenic with lots to see. There's a…read morereally nice pond not far from the beginning of the trail. Great place to take the kids to see wildlife and explore nature plus it's Free.

It's a nice place to hike and ski in the winter they also have snowmobile trails if your daring you…read morecan stay at the many campsites with no facility's I wouldn't in the winter time but summer would be fun

This smaller state park was a welcome respite for a short walk while driving along I-80. The…read moretrails were well marked and restrooms in good order. We appreciated the close proximity to the Interstate highway.