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    Susquehanna State Park

    3.9 (38 reviews)

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    Water mill
    John B.

    [Coronavirus review] Anyone seeking a place for "approved recreational activities" during the stay at home order could do a lot worse than Susquehanna. It's got miles of trails, outdoor picnic tables, and frankly there isn't enough parking to support the kind of crowds that we're all trying to avoid; most of it is fairly spread out with a few spaces here and there off the side of the road. The roads leading into this park were not wide enough for my liking, but perhaps that was just a preview of the dramatic changes in elevation to come. The place seems to be Baltimore's answer to the C&O Canal and great falls; it has that same mix of faded industry and natural majesty, albeit on a smaller scale. There were, however, plenty of Virginia bluebells in season (including some non-blue variants). Many people were fishing, and a few running or biking. The trail that runs closest to the river is in part an old railway line, which looks unlikely to support trains at this point (signs at the entrance note that trail is unmaintained). One could walk all the way to the dam upriver, but I chose not to, and circled back on an inland route. I skipped the "difficult" trail, but even the non-difficult Susquehanna Ridge was enough to work up a sweat through significant changes in elevation. Wildlife, including woodpeckers and what I think was a bald eagle, was prevalent. I spent a couple of hours there and could certainly have spent more on a better weather day. There was an inland creek that one crosses over multiple times, while the river was quite powerful, with an audible current on the shore. It isn't hard to see why the dam upriver was built. There was an entrance fee (currently on an honor system of self-pay envelopes) only for the picnic pavilion, which frankly is the one place I didn't see any reason to go. The view wasn't that impressive and congregating at a picnic site is not an "approved recreation activity" anyway (I ate on a bench next to a defunct watermill). The rest of the park will I hope remain a viable hiking site for the foreseeable future.

    Campsite #18 Nice, large site with privacy and some shade and short trail to the bathroom
    Tracey B.

    Love this park! So many great trails...easy and hard. We love camping here too and brought our dogs...stayed on the Beechnut loop site #18. There is firewood and ice available at the entrance of the campground at the ranger's station...need to bring cash. At our campsite we enjoyed the beautiful surroundings, appreciated the sweet smells of honeysuckle and campfire, the singing of the variety of birds and star gazing. The bathrooms are clean and nice hot showers too and are a short trail from each campsite. We hiked along the Deer Creek Trail Loop, which is right off of the Acorn Loop of the campground. The trail is fairly easy and ends up at the picnic area if you're in need of a little break and can enjoy your packed lunch and use restroom, if open. I highly recommend visiting this park!

    One of the cabins you can book for overnight stays. This one is "the oriole."
    Samantha G.

    Warning: This review is coming from a very "indoor girl" My boyfriend rented this cabin in his excitement about the 'supermoon.' For $55, we rented "The Oriole" which he chose based solely on the name. If you have children, this cabin could be a good choice for you because it turned out to be back-to-back with the playground. You could easily keep an eye on them from your camp site (it's that close). If you'd rather be away from kiddies, opt for another cabin. Check-in was easy- you just pull up to the ranger station and give your name. They give you a little map and the key is already in your cabin. I liked that we could pull the car right up to the campsite. It is a little weird that you are camping right on the road (the loop around the cabins and campsites) but there weren't too many cars driving by (just other people staying on the loop). My boyfriend, who is more outdoorsy, would have preferred to be more in the deep woods. I did notice that The Oriole was one of the few cabins facing the road, where our neighboring cabins, like the Blue Jay, faced sideways. I will admit that I was terrified of what the cabin would be like. It was definitely small and bare bones, but it was very clean, which is what was important to me. It has electricity so you can charge your phones, cameras, whatever. Here's what's in the cabin: (see pictures) -A double bed -A set of twin bunk beds -A ceiling fan/light combo -A broom That's it folks! But it was good. These beds do not come with sheets, so you should either bring your own or just do what we did and use your sleeping bag on top of the mattress (they were clean). Since it was just the two of us and we had no one to occupy the twin bunks, we put those mattresses under our double for extra cushion (they are only a few inches thick). There were no bugs in the cabin throughout the night and although it was a bit stuffy, the fan definitely helped. I agree with Mitch R; Lynn E is definitely tripping. There are no trains nearby and there is nothing but dead silence at night (minus a few hoots from owls). It was so hot in our cabin that at one point we decided to set up the tent in case we wanted to sleep in there instead of the cabin, to get more air. Oops- not allowed. The ranger came around and yelled at us that we were not allowed to set up a tent. The "grill" is really more like a fire pit with a grill grate. It was clean when we got there and it worked fine; we used it to make kabobs, corn, and late-night grilled cheeses. You have to bring your own wood (we bought it at the Weis in town) because you are not allowed to take from the park. The trails were nice (we went on the easiest one). Then we had an adventure. We took the green trail from our cabin, walked through the picnic area and out of the park onto the road which went along the creek. When we saw a way down to the creek, we cut through the woods and jumped in our tube and floated down Deer Creek. This is the best way to see wildlife, in my opinion, and we saw a lot of it. My favorite was two baby deer drinking with their heads all the way under water. We were able to get really close because we were floating so slowly and quietly towards them. The next day, we decided to start our tubing adventure at the pump-cleaning station. We made our way into the woods (no real trail- just a tiny path with lots of thorns) and we walked about a mile upstream. Once again, when we saw a way down to the creek that seemed not too dangerous, we made our way down the hill and floated back down. There were more frequent stronger currents at this section of the creek (I like to call them rapids, though they were far from it) and it was really fun (but still relaxing at some points) to tube down. Note: There is no place to rent tubes before hand and no 'guide' to help you. This is no "official" tubing place. We just hiked up the trail and jumped in. Got the tubes at Wal Mart the day before for $19 each. Overall- mission accomplished. We had a great view of the Supermoon- I can't believe how bright the sky was when it was rising. I would call these cabins the perfect 'compromise' camping trip if traveling with someone who is not very outdoorsy. My boyfriend praised me for not complaining at all, I didn't get any bug bites, and it was actually really nice. I would have liked it to be a bit more private, and you can't drink alcohol on site (what's a camp out without a beer?!), but I guess it's a tradeoff for the nicer amenities. I definitely recommend picking up a few tubes and checking out Deer Creek-- that was the best part for me. Hiking is more fun when you know you get to float back.

    Kate S.

    Great place for an easy hike! The trail we were on was by the water so it was flat but very scenic!

    Foxy and me
    Lisa T.

    If you are a nature lover this spot is for you. Whether it's fishing or birdwatching! I enjoyed talking to the very friendly and talented photographers out there and they even took pictures of me and my friend, son and Foxy! Check out Willspics to see what type of quality wildlife there is right here on the beautiful Susquehanna River. I used to live in the quaint little town across the river of Port Deposit as I am quite familiar. While there I saw at least 30 eagles along with the immature ones playing on the tree branches. No.. they are just called that because their heads are dark until they reach the mature age of 5 years old and then the head feathers turn white. It's also a pretty drive no matter what area you are coming from. Enjoy the great outdoors!

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    4 months ago

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    2 years ago

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    7 months ago

    Extensive nature trails, historic buildings, and wonderful river vistas. A wonderful place to spend a weekend afternoon.

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    6 years ago

    Our family loves it here! There is so much to see and it is so peaceful and beautiful.

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    12 years ago

    The park is a great morning or afternoon outing. You can walk along the Susquehanna River, fish, camp, etc.

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    Ask the Community - Susquehanna State Park

    Is there a store to buy firewood at?

    Yes. At the ranger station where you check in for your site. $5.00 per bundle

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    Review Highlights - Susquehanna State Park

    There is firewood and ice available at the entrance of the campground at the ranger's station...

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    The Serpentine Barrens

    The Serpentine Barrens

    4.0
    (2 reviews)
    9.7 mi

    Half decent scenic route. 4/10 in terms of difficulty-…read moretrail is pretty good workout for uphill and downhill 2/10 for trail management. The trails at certain points were extremely overgrown and poorly marked. Lucky there is cell reception and I could use it to navigate correctly. But certain areas are way too overgrown resulting prime tick habitats to the point where certain grass areas I can physically SEE ticks sitting on grass overlapping the trail.

    Here's the official description: "Located along a 20-mile stretch of the Maryland-Pennsylvania…read moreborder, the State Line Serpentine Barrens, the largest occurrence of Serpentine Barrens in the eastern United States, contains some of the last major remnants of serpentine grassland and savanna in eastern North America. " But what this means to you and me is that its just a fantastic; eerie; unearthly natural environment to go seek out and hike in. Of especial interest to horticulturalists and wildlife biologists; students; geologists, arborists, sylviculturalists, ecologists--sure. It is all that. But just in general --a fun and free place to roam around if you're simply an outdoors enthusiast. There is no one here; its deserted; and filled with all sorts of strange trees, shrubs, flowers, grasses, and lichens. You can really get your nature on; a really 1-on-1 experience.

    Photos
    Everything growing here is stunted in height to approx 3/4 scale
    Everything growing here is stunted in height to approx 3/4 scale
    The State Line Serpentine Barrens -- from one of their websites
    The State Line Serpentine Barrens -- from one of their websites
    May not immediately be apparent to the naked eye but all the vegetation is geared for arid desert conditions

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    May not immediately be apparent to the naked eye but all the vegetation is geared for arid desert conditions
    PPL Holtwood Environmental Preserve

    PPL Holtwood Environmental Preserve

    4.0
    (2 reviews)
    18.2 mi

    Wow, How do I review this... We wanted to go and hike around…read morepinnacle overlook, so we found some info and went. Boy some parts were great, others....well.. THE VIEW: Spectacular. At the peak, you can look out over a bend in the river and see the whole valley. Its really a cool summit. Its something that you need to see as there arent very many places like it in Lancaster county. HIKING: These are some of the poorest marked trails Ive ever been on. It would be pretty easy to get lost but they are well defined trails. They have 2 separate trails that have red marks, if you can find the mark that is, then you can guess at which one your on. They were faded, hidden behind a bush or non existent. And they have no starting point. Some places put up a sign. They could at least clearly mark a tree to show where it starts. Oh and the map! Talk about a doodling! The trails had forks that werent even on it. We just pick one and hoped for the best. The hike itself was nice tho. Anyway.... Id give it 1.5 stars for hiking trail issues. The view is pretty awesome tho. Check it out just for that!

    Wow, I visited here yesterday with a Meetup hiking group. This place was fantastic. There were…read moreseveral stream crossings since our leader took us off the beaten path a few times. Eventually, we followed the orange trail markers to the pinnacle. You will notice as well there is a parking area as well if you just want to drive up there. However, it's more satisfying trekking up to the top. The view is spectacular and you get a great view of the Susquehanna River. Plenty of wonderful boulders and small waterfalls to see here and photograph.

    Photos
    PPL Holtwood Environmental Preserve
    PPL Holtwood Environmental Preserve
    PPL Holtwood Environmental Preserve

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    Appalachian Trail

    Appalachian Trail

    3.9
    (9 reviews)
    46.7 mi

    Awesome trails that are well marked and we'll maintained. Don't get confused with Annapolis Rock…read morebeing down near Annapolis, MD and don't get confused over the Washington Monument that's out here too - we're in Myersville haha. Seriously my current favorite stretch of trails in the state of Maryland, you have the option of going to either vista(we did both when we were out there and added a few miles on another trail) and both views are awesome. Be prepared for some good elevation climb, I clocked our highest gain of being 1800 feet - felt hard core. Just doing either one of the trails will be a good trek and not overwhelming for any novice hiker. Doing both might be a bit much for those not well versed in walking for really long periods of time. Dog friendly, but please leash your creatures. All it takes is one friendly unleashed dog to run up to a not friendly leashed dog and then everyone's trail experience is ruined. We finished just shy of 15 miles for our day, and felt great! Annapolis Rock is the steeper climb albeit shorter at around 2.2 miles out then 2.2 miles back(4.4 mile hike). Washington Monument is an easier trail though it's a bit longer and around 3.5 miles out then 3.5 back. Highly recommend, super easy to find with the parking strip right off the road!

    I'm so glad to finally be able to write a review on this place. It was so hard to find for me. But…read moreit was totally worth the trouble. It was an amazing hike. The right amount of hard work and great view The actual address for the trail head to Annapolis Rock from Maryland is 11142-11150 Baltimore National Pike Myersville MD 21773

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    Appalachian Trail
    Appalachian Trail
    Appalachian Trail

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    Chrome Serpentine Barrens

    Chrome Serpentine Barrens

    4.0
    (1 review)
    14.6 mi

    VALUABLE LESSON: Never make assumptions! Always do your research, ask questions, make contact, do…read morethe work to find out what's up! (more on this below) I was FASCINATED to explore the various State-Line Serpentine Barrens in Southeastern PA. This is a rare area of genuine savanna habitat, right here in Penna! This habitat came about b/c Native Americans used fires to clear vegetation, so that only grass would grow, which would attract grazing animals to hunt. They practiced this fire setting from NY to MD & on down to AL. With nothing to retain moisture, a savanna habitat formed & Cactaceae vegetation grew. When Europeans settled the area, the desert was cultivated for farm & settlement use, so the habitat changed once again. The few areas of serpentine barrens that remain (60 sq mi), have been protected by The Nature Conservancy since 1979. They maintain the land with controlled fires, just as Native Americans did. Thin soil lies on a bedrock of serpentine stone (light-green in tone). It has high levels of nickel, chromium, etc. that are toxic to most plants/animals. Living here, are rare & endangered species, that evolved over thousands of years in adaptation to the unique habitat. The serpentine aster here does not exist anywhere else in the world. Other rare plants are: the round-leaved fameflower, & hairy chickweed. The serpentine barren ecosystem relies on periodic fire to destroy forest & certain plants that begin to invade. Fire opens the land to prairie grasses, wildflower meadows, pitch pines, & diverse types of ferns. This attracts a number of moths & butterflies (cobsew skipper, red-banded hairstreak, mottled duskywing, barrens buckmoth & dusted skipper), as well as birds (barred owl, declining whippoorwill, several warblers, bobwhite quail, etc.). There are various pockets of serpentine barrens in the SE PA area, but not all are public. Also, each site has different hours / accessibility requirements, but among the public ones, there is access for hiking, horseback riding, & bird watching. - Goat Hill (602 acres co-owned with Pennsylvania's Bureau of Forestry) - Chrome (390 acres co-owned with Elk Township) - Nottingham (630 acres owned by Chester County) - Rock Springs (170 acres owned by Lancaster County Conservancy and private owner) - Texas (210 acres privately owned) - Pilot (92 acres co-owned with a private owner) Chrome looked the most promising public option from what I read on the Nature Conservancy website. I did contact another Yelper who had reviewed another barren, but he was unsure where to go b/c he visited through his U-Penn Geology Grad program. So I planned for Chrome, expecting to have to hike a ways to get to a savanna clearing, but that it would be pretty straightforward. Why it's important to COMMUNICATE: First, it is easy to drive past the trail b/c there is no street signage. (I posted a pic of the entrance to help others.) Gravel lot, not super big. It's very wooded all over. There was no trail map, just a sign stating you were at the Chrome Serpentine Barrens. The trails were marked clearly, but were a mix of dirt & grass (up to 10" high) that needed mowing. The area, ironically, was extremely wet / muddy, with mosquitoes so bad I could barely keep my eyes open. I had my son on my back, & he suffered the bugs as well. We hiked for 15 minutes down the most promising trail, but came nowhere near a clearing. I was expecting to rise a little in elevation to escape the stagnate puddles & mud, but that didn't happen. I studied the tree canopy for clearings, but the canopy, & ground-level visibility gave no hint of a clearing anywhere along the approx 0.6mi I hiked into this barren. Unfortunately, the bugs were just too prolific to bear, so we retreated & left. I always give trails or greenspaces at least 4 stars on Yelp, so I will do the same for this place, however, MUCH better communication is needed to disclose what is going on here. Where are these charming plains with frolicking birds & Cactaceae? If they're a 2mi hike in, could someone explain that? Could you show me which trail will lead me there? I made wrong assumptions about the info that would be presented at the trailhead, & about the feel of the trails themselves. I definitely need to contact The Nature Conservancy directly, & I will shoot an email to an admin at Penn's Geo program as well. I'll update if/when I have more info. For now, if you're headed there, be prepared to SLATHER yourself in bug repellent, wear high socks to guard against ticks on the unmowed trail, hiking boots to wade through mud, stamina to hike a while, & low expectations, b/c it's very unclear where/when you will ever discover these elusive mythical plains! I have a feeling that if I had communicated with people in the know, I'd have been led to AMAZING sights, like the pics the other Yelper took, instead of fumbling around in the miserable haze of mosquitoes & mud, only to reatreat home, unsatisfied, & annoyed!

    Photos
    Chrome Serpentine Barrens -- trails well marked, just no map of the park to show where you're going, or distance!
    Chrome Serpentine Barrens -- trails well marked, just no map of the park to show where you're going, or distance!
    Chrome Serpentine Barrens -- lots of mud and mosquitoes (be prepared)
    Chrome Serpentine Barrens -- lots of mud and mosquitoes (be prepared)
    Chrome Serpentine Barrens -- sign INSIDE parking lot at trailhead

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    Chrome Serpentine Barrens -- sign INSIDE parking lot at trailhead

    Susquehanna State Park - hiking - Updated June 2026

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