This is one of my new favorite hiking spots. Private parking spot (small) but your car is safe away…read morefrom the road. They have four trails, blue, yellow, white and orange (which is the Conestoga Trail). We hiked the yellow and blue. Each is on either side of the creek. The trails follow the creek out to the Susquehanna. When you are nonspot hiking takes between 1-2 hours to finish the whole thing. It is so beautiful here. The path directly follows the river and it varies in difficulty from flat ground to stepping over rocks to boulder climbing. It is fantastic! You can cross various fallen trees to get to the other side of the creek (it is safe the trees are stable and huge). So peaceful and quiet, until you hear the many waterfalls and rapids! Definitely going back to cheek out more trails. Only downside is limited parking. Went on a cloudy day.

This is an amazing place! So very peaceful the trail is challenging enough not like you are…read moreshuffling down a mountain. Beautiful birds and the sound of rushing water early in the morning was awesome! I cant say enough about this place only downside is lack of parking but it's worth getting up bright and early to catch a spot I will definitely be back

I lived in York from 1964 to 1974. I lived in Farguhar Estates from about 1966 to 1974, and snuck…read moreoff to this park as a child all the time. I wasn't allowed to but fortunately I stayed safe each time I went. The reservoir was uncovered but surrounded by a wall and an iron gate that, at least to my little self, seemed pretty impossible to climb. The water was clean but dead calm, it kind of scared me. At the top of the reservoir was a little brick house. It had a black and white tiled floor and a beautiful, clean, fish tank. Anyone could walk into that house - I loved it. The little house and the park was always very quiet - I'd rarely see other people. In my childhood memories, it was a very special place, and it took years before I stopped dreaming about it. It almost had an Alice-in-Wonderland feel to it.

Reservoir Park is a quaint, forested park that is also the home of the York Water Co's water…read morefiltration plant. If you grew up in York, you may remember when the reservoir here was uncovered and it looked like a big, beautiful lake. The reservoir has been covered now for probably 20+ years but the park is still a nice place to visit, if you're nearby, for its walking trails and scenic views of York. Tip: pee before you go. There were no restrooms that I could find.

We loved our stay here. The site was quiet, clean, functional, and everyone was super friendly.read more

REVIEW FOR CABINS: Decided to rent out some of the cabins with friends during THE YEAR OF THE…read morePANDEMIC. We were really happy with the cabins - we stayed in the Chestnut cabin. Here are the pluses: Price - under $50 a night. Bargain! Inside cabin: Electricity - bring a long extension cord with multi plugs. Heat - Such a plus since we were in the fall. Fan - Very useful for the summer. Two bunkbeds with bottom bunks that are either a full or queen. Long table with seating Plenty of lighting Cleaning materials - they provide a broom to keep the floor clean. Outside cabin: Outdoor plug for electricity Two picnic tables - one under shelter (so so nice!) / also next to fire ring Overhang is excellent for keeping things dry and sheltered Fire ring Due to COVID, check in is not until 5 PM. Ugh, what a drag. They did let us get in finally at 4:00 PM - after all, it was a Sunday and hardly anyone was around. Check out is 9 AM. Stay for at least 2 nights. Firewood is $7 for a small bundle. Drive around - you might find better deals from locals. Bathrooms were toasty warm and cleaned daily. We didn't use showers, but other people said the hot water was plentiful and it was cleaned well. Utility sinks are behind the bathrooms and extremely useful for dishes and other cleaning.

Love love love this park! There are endless sceneries to enjoy--creekside, meadows, woods. We love…read morehiking the trails and they are very well-planned and marked. The pine tree alleyway is my favorite! The waterfall from the dam is a cool feature, and during the warmer months they allow people to kayak with multiple launches. They have a large pavilion, several parking lots, and bathrooms on site. Get your camera ready for some great shots of nature!

Eden Mill is one of our golden retriever's favorite places, the moment we turn onto Fawn Grove Rd…read morehe starts pacing and crying/barking, vocalizing his excitement, eagerly anticipating the swimming that's about to go down. We usually park at the small parking area at the end of the road where the bridge is being reconstructed then walk down the path to the water. Our golden loves leaping off the concrete stair at the bottom of the path then we take a short hike down the trail so he can dry off. There are several different trails you can hike and a lot of weekends they have "ranger encounters" where a ranger teaches you about the local wildlife, flora & fauna. The nature center has different animals and displays inside and there's also a working beehive and beautiful garden where you can observe the birds & butterflies and they have a pavilion with picnic tables. If you enjoy kayaking, this is the place for you, they have a couple of areas where you can launch and cruise Deer Creek at your own pace.

Not exactly the safest hike since I went down closer to bridge trekking through rocks LOTS before…read moregetting to platform then took steep steps up only to find trail closed Oops!

Definitely a hidden spot, but not quite a gem. The place needs upkeep. Steep downhill walk, you…read moredefinitely need shoes with traction; one wrong move and you could impale yourself in one of the rebars sticking out along the trail. The viewing platform is old and needs reinforcement. The site is pretty especially with the autumn colors, but desperately needs work. There are two viewing spots: one on the deck right near the falls, and one concrete path spanning the creek and you can view the whole falls.

Do you need to find a happy place or do you need to unwind from electronics?! Look no further. One…read moreof the nicest trails in MOCO ... its a very easy path. Not that many steep hills. Depending on time of year, you can rent boat..or canoe. You can see different types of birds here if your a bird watcher. You can plan a nice picnic here too. There are a few different entrances. The most convenient one for me is off Needwood Rd or you can enter from Avery Rd.

First, if you need an address to find this park, you can use either 15700 Needwood Lake Circle,…read moreRockville, MD or 15700 Needwood Lake Circle, Derwood, MD. This park has two entrances - one on Avery Road and the other on Needwood Road. The one on Avery Road is closer to Go Ape Adventures which is located within the park (at a cost). As you enter this part of the park, and go down a hill, the road will eventually end at a stop sign. It is here you will see a sign that says, "Rock Creek Regional Park, Lake Needwood". You then have to decide if you want to go right or go left. If you turn right, you will come across the Golf Course, Picnic Area, and Archery. If you turn left, you will come across the Boat Shop, Picnic Areas, and Hiker/Biker Trails. Going Right at the "Rock Creek Regional Park, Lake Needwood" sign If you turn right, you will go over a few speed bumps. After you pass this area (and you will see Go Ape to your right), you will also see part of the lake to your left and a little crossing bridge (not for cars). On this side, I have seen people have picnics, go fishing, and hiking as well. If you continue on the road, you will come across a playground to your left and a parking lot - I guess there are more trails back there (I have not gone in the area beyond the playground). To the right of that lot is a place for archery. If you continue on this road, you will exit the park onto Needwood Road. Going Left at the "Rock Creek Regional Park, Lake Needwood" sign If you turn left, you will see a parking lot on your immediate right. Next to this lot, is a volleyball court - I have seen folks play volleyball here. If you continue through a walking path in the trees, you will come across some covered picnic tables and more trails taking you closer to the lake. As you get back in your vehicle, past this parking lot and follow the road, it will steer you to the right and you go down towards the lake. In this area of the road, I have seen people park on the road whenever the park gets crowded (there are marked spaces). As you continue down, you will see a much smaller parking area which is next to the boat house. You can walk through the boat house to another part of the lake, but as far as renting boats, that is only available during the summer months. Most times, this lot is filled, but not to worry, because if you continue traveling just a few feet more, you will come across an even bigger parking lot. It is in this bigger lot, you will come across a map layout of the whole park - more of Lake Needwood. There are also a few porta-potties. Within the area is a huge grassy field that is perfect to just lay a blanket and chill, but you may have to complete with geese in the area. There are 2 trails on this side by the map - if you go to the left, the trail is on a very flat surface - be careful when walking as you will end up crossing a few roads like Southlawn Lane and Avery Road, to name a few. By that same map, if you take the trail to the right, you will go up a hill, cross over the lake and continue on even more trails in this park. I like coming to Lake Needwood. I have done walks here on a few of the different trails and have even gone off the beaten path. Had lunch on a picnic table or two and even did pedal boating, however you won't ever find me in a kayak. Overall, it is nice to come here to just chill and enjoy nature. To gather more info on your own, check out these links: Lake Needwood Trails: https://montgomeryparks.org/parks-and-trails/rock-creek-regional-park/rock-creek-trails/lake-needwood-trails Lake Needwood Boats: https://montgomeryparks.org/parks-and-trails/lake-needwood-boats

Let me tell you something. During this time of Covidiousness, we've certainly done our fair share…read moreof outdoorsy types of things. While coming to a state park like this in York County may not seem like an obvious choice, it's actually been the perfect place. I'm not going to go in to any history or backstory (I covered that in my initial musings several years ago) but what sets this park apart from most PA state parks is its size. While the park is only 85 acres (PA has 121 state parks and some of them clock in at north of 15K acres just for a sense of scope) it's layout allows for things to feel more spread out than you would assume. The main road that wraps around the park is great for walking but there are also two miles of trails which if done in a clockwise direction are actually somewhat challenging with how it'll be mostly uphill. There is also a disc gold course, a rock formation that kids will love to climb on, a few small swing sets placed at different spots and a large open field at the top of hill with one hell of a view towards the Susquehanna River, Wrightsville and Columbia. The best part about this place is that it's rural enough so that it's never too busy. We've made trips to some state parks closer to us (Jacobsburg-Nockamixon-Lehigh Gorge) recently and they have been consistently packed. Here, not so much. The drive here is easy. There is an amazing view. There is usually more than enough space for everyone to spread out and do whatever they want. Sounds perfect to me and we'll be back this weekend.

Samuel S. Lewis State Park does not offer you a bunch of amenities. There's no amazing new…read moreplayground for the kiddies (although there are some swings and such throughout). There's very few short trails around the park (but enough to satisfy my dogs and if you go the "right" way, you get quite a workout hiking uphill). However, what you DO get is gorgeous views of the river and landscape from atop Mt. Pisgah. You also get open space to roam and run around. And my son's favorite part are the rocks! He loves to climb and explore. It's almost possible for me to give any park less than five stars--especially one with such a beautiful view. You won't regret the trip to visit this park. I'm just lucky that it's only 15 minutes from home. P.S. Go read Christopher C.'s review--it's very thorough and well-written.

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.