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.

There's no cell signal in the park. The natural trail is flat, no elevation. The overlook trail has…read moresome elevation and can be a good workout for legs. There are multiple parking lots and some picnic tables here and there.

R. B. Winter is a really nice park in rural Union County. It covers nearly 700 acres in the…read moreAppalachian Mountains. Complete with a lake, beach, food concession area, miles of hiking trails (Rapid Run was our favorite)and dozens of camping (one cabin, 3 cottages, and 50 tent) sites. Our family had such a great time, we rented a cottage (36 bucks a night off season.) hiked for a few hours, borrowed a fishing rod from the park rangers office and fished for a bit. Our cottage simply had two twin bunk beds, electric baseboard heater, a table and a covered porch with picnic table. Worth a visit if you're in the area.

Easy to make reservations online and check in was automatic. RV parking was level and we had…read morefull-hookup and 50 amps. I got to take the dogs for their walks in the woods and see lots of birds, squirrels, and pollinators. I wish we could have spent more than one night here.

Absolutely gorgeous park with so much to do and see. They have a full campground with hookups and a…read morerustic one also. You can rent anything from a boat to a yurt or cabin. The rangers are amazing people. You can swim, fish and there is hunting lands nearby.

We stopped by to do some fossil hunting - nice place. There are also trails, boating, fishing, etc…read more& a small educational/visitor center with displays, etc. Spent a few hours looking for fossils which was enjoyable. Hard to knock anything that has to do with nature - a 5 star experience for me!

As nature, hiking lovers, found this place in a general search, for recommended places near…read moreKnoebels. We only checked out two sections of the preserve, first the Fossil pit, and the vistor center. The vistor center had a few exhibits that were interesting, the main part of the review was the fossil pit. Called ahead, prior to our visit this past Sunday August 20, 2023...knew what to expact utilize sun screen if needed, bug spray and a hat. Even though se were there for a short time, was able to locate some fossils, and we both had a unique, fun experience, despite the heat. Look forward to coming back and checking out trails for future.

The best playground we've ever taken our children too! He didn't want to leave! The soft ground…read morecoverings were peace of mind while he ran about with all the other children.

Lots of space to play and clean bathrooms. What more could you want?…read more I can't think of anything negative to say about this park. There is plenty of parking, is wheelchair- friendly, and is spread out, but small enough to let your little ones roam without worry. There is also a nice walking path that goes around the perimeter of the property that is good to get the wiggles out if the playground is not enough.

This is a beautiful all-season community park. Supported by the Conyngham Valley Civic…read moreOrganization (CVCO), this park has something for everyone. Sandbox and small children playground areas up to older child areas. Baseball field and dugouts. Swimming pool. Walking trails. Streams and pond. Tennis courts. Basketball courts. Free concerts, holiday festivities. Pretty fountain at walking entrance in honor of little Ryanne who passed from Earth too soon, plus playground equipment honoring her memory and celebrating children. Bicycles and walkers are welcome while drivers safely travel to a parking spot.

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!

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.

We spent 8 nights tent camping in the big loop (site 40) as a family with two elementary school…read moreaged children. Overall it was a wonderful experience and we highly recommend to anyone who loves camping. The great: I need to highlight the events that are organized by the rangers. They were really wonderful. The day we arrived there was a strawberry jam event (which we couldn't participate in because you had to pre-register). While we were there we participated in yoga on the beach, a sundial activity for children, nature story time, and a fireflies activity. These were all fantastic and interactive. Yoga and fireflies were both well attended talks. For the Sundial and Nature Story, it was only us or us and another family. I really liked how the leader was able to present in a way that hooked my 10 year old as well as younger children. The visitor center will also let you borrow fishing poles to try out fishing. The good: We booked our site about 10 months out and it was the last lake view site available to us for those dates. The view and size were wonderful. Other lake view sites were more private, if you can book them 11 months out when booking opens. We loved our site though and our neighbors, though close, were all very nice. There was a small trail leading down to the lake and an area that you could launch small boats. We brought our stand up paddle board and made sure it was registered. The ability to launch essentially from our campsite was fantastic! As a tent camper, I definitely prefer the Big Loop (where we were) to the Small Loop, where there are full hook up sites and lots of RVs. It was wonderful to walk around and we saw lots of wildlife, including ducks, geese, many birds, a bald eagle, and a young black bear. The not-so-good: Note, there is a young black bear that frequents the campground area and has, apparently, found that human food is easy to get. Please for your safety and the bear's safety lock up all your food, toiletries and trash in a locked vehicle. I'd also highly recommend not feeding ANY wildlife, including ducks and geese. The only other real problem was that the power was out in the big loop bathrooms for the duration of our stay and I didn't notice any urgency to fix that. The plumbing still works, but there is no hot water or lights. They've actually made it pretty workable, placing motion sensor battery lights in the stalls themselves. It definitely made grooming more complex. We had to drive to the small loop or the beach for showers. In addition, sometimes the dish washing sinks behind the bathrooms aren't draining properly. Next time I'll bring a dish pan to place into the utility sink so I have a bit more control of that, but if everyone scrapes their dishes and pots into the trash before washing it would help.

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!

A beautiful early afternoon Monday walk at Italian Lake. Today, the Canadian geese were out and…read moreabout around the lake; I could even see some turtles swimming in the lake. There are rules of engagement when enjoying the lake/park: no feeding the fowl, no biking or skateboarding, and dog walking is permitted, but clean up after your pooch.

4/30/26 Beautiful views all around--gorgeous lake w/fountain sculpture on 1 side & spray fountains…read moreon the other. Azaleas & flowering princess trees in bloom. Docile Canada Geese feeding lakeside. Picturesque neighborhood of lake-facing homes 1 street over w/many English style cottages w/stone or brick facades & shaker shingle roofs. Covered concert stage & uncovered bench seating is ready for summer concert season. Center bridge could use new paint on rails. Picnic tables would be nice addition, but then it might require more maintenance to keep area trash-free. Street parking is available on either side of lake.