Beautiful area just a short walk to the falls. Easy access and walk. Additional trail, short,…read moreacross the parking lot. Take a rain coat!! Enjoy

We had a wonderful time at the falls and there wasn't a lot of people there nature was absolutely…read moregorgeous

This lovely conservation area is 450 acres of beautiful forest with lots to see and a very shadowy…read morepast. The ruins of an old pipe factory are very visible and there are informative signs that tell the story. These occurrences took place in the 1800's. There is history of criminals murdered, accidental death(pipe factory), a hanging, an explosion, a drowning, a giant snake sighting, all taking place in the park. For this reason many people think that the sight is haunted by the people who met their fate here. I hate to burst the excitement, but I have never experienced ghosts, or any other paranormal activity while spending time there. In fact, despite it's dark past Dead Man's Hollow is a very tranquil place. If you have been there during May when Spring season really kicks off you will see tons of wildflowers that are spectacular. The pipe factory had a fire and the ground was burned. This happens to be very good for re-growth and as a result we get to experience a lot of beautiful flora. Also, the old pipe factory remains are covered with cool graffiti. The trails are at times narrow, but they are very clean. You are at some point going to climb up and down hills, so it is a very good workout. I would say that the hiking is a bit more challenging. To find it I would suggest searching via a trailhead name and not just the park name. One example would be "cat fish pond trail." There is a nice parking area near that trailhead. There is also another parking area on the other side of the park(more on that later). This other side is closer to the ruins.

We checked out the catfish pond today. It looked promising at first but soon discovered that there…read moreis very little accessibility to fish there. The spots that are open are at an incline sloped towards the pond and are very slippery and hazardous. I do not recommend taking young kids there. My daughter and I fished for an hour or so and only saw bluegill in the 3-4" range and smaller minnows. We used lures and worms and had many bites but the fish were too small to get hooked. We did see many water turtles and even a few babies whose shell was about 2-3" in diameter. We also saw one large snapping turtle appear for a few seconds. There are also a bunch of bullfrog minnows whose bodies were the size of golf balls (early June). It's a cool place to see but we won't be returning to fish.

Crooked Creek Park is an excellent asset to those of us living nearby. Hiking, fishing, and…read moreswimming are available in a clean, well-maintained natural environment. I've lived here more than 40 years and still count my blessings to have this park available. It's also great to see a new generation being introduced to the park through the recently expanded disc golf course. Hard to believe something so nice is still free.

Could use some upgraded facilities. Nice beach area. Usually not too crowded. Water is regulated so…read moreit's safe.

Great park and campsites within an hour drive from PGH. We stayed in the Hillside campground which…read morewas pet friendly. The bathhouse was close by and well maintained. They had a large family bathroom which was great for the little one. However, I think our campsite may have had some poison oak/ivy plants so be cautious. The campsite was also a close hike to the entrance of Keystone state park and the lake. Beautiful views all around!!!

According to Keystone State Park's website, the park traces its history to the early 1900s. The…read moreKeystone Coal and Coke Company built a lake here and transported its water to a facility to wash coal. The executives used the lake also for recreational activities such as boating and fishing, and they built lodges for meetings, vacations, and hunting. In 1945, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania acquired the land. Today, the park is about 1,200 acres in size. Its amenities include the lake and sand beach, visitor center, picnic tables, lodging (i.e., cabins, cottages, and yurts), campground for tents, modern restrooms, hiking trails, ball field, boat rental, and fishing pier. Visitors may choose to go swimming, watch wildlife, attend educational programs, hunt in certain areas during hunting seasons, etcetera. This past weekend, a group of my friends and I visited Keystone State Park. I arrived around 11 AM on a Sunday, and I easily found a parking space in a lot. I explored a farmers market that had been set up in nearby tents. We found picnic tables under mature trees for shade. The lake and beach were within walking distance. In June, the water surprisingly felt cold. A friend went fishing. We enjoyed each others' company and the activities at this park, and we feel interested in returning again in the future.

I visited it twice this summer for a little swimming and hiking after just googling it. It far…read moreexceeded my expectations. I love open water swimming, so I was pleased to have an area dedicated to swimming. Ok, I wish we could swim in the whole lake, but I'll take what I can get. The man-made was well used by all and seems like a nice place for people that can't get to a real beach. It seemed very family friendly. Good place for picnics. Several good hikes ranging from 20 minutes upward. The staff in the station helped me pick one that was just perfect for what we would looking for. Enjoy our state parks!

Been to MANY state parks across the state and have definitely been to better. We arrived and the…read moreweather was not great in early June. (They were calling for a possible tornado and we left early in order to get to the park before the bad wether.) We got there an hour early before check in and our cabin wasn't ready. Fine! We drove around and explored the park. There were booked pavilions with kids birthdays and a couple of graduations. We saw one park ranger with a tactical vest on and couldnt figure out why. We've NEVER seen rangers with those types of vests on especially since he was only walking around checking in with the kids birthday parties and graduations. Seemed totally excessive for the tactile gear. We came back 15 minutes before check in to the office thinking they would give us the key since the horrible weather started and they still told us to come back at 3. It was a torrential downpour and calling for a tornado we were forced to wait in our car for the 15 minutes. Went back in at 3 and they finally gave us our keys. We stayed at a cabin and the bathrooms definitely need a HUGE remodel. Once the rain stopped the ranger in the tacticle gear made it a point to come by our cabin and creep around. We thought that was weird. We stayed 4 nights and every single night the cabin beside our played very loud church music. It started at 6pm and went on until about 10 pm. Every. Single. Night. The whole cabin colony heard it. Quiet hours were to start at 9 pm. No one from the park office ever told them to stop playing their church music. We had no peace and were forced to listen to it for our entire trip every night we were at our cabin. We will not be back to this park. There are plenty of other state parks that are WAY more welcoming than this one.

DO NOT GO FULL SPEED ON THE SLIDES!!!!!!!! They are fun but…read moreREALLY fast and you WILL fly off if you don't drag your feet when sliding down. Especially for the curvier slide on the left. My glasses flew off of my face and I thought I was going to fly off of the edge, but instead landed on the ground with a nice bruise on my shin as a souvenir. The plastic "kids slide" is like going down a thin lobster tail and is bumpy on the way down. Anyway. Would come back. The slides are still fun even when moving at a reasonable speed. The rock scramble stairs and the cargo net to get back up are also fun. Yes, I am an adult.

I loved it here and my kids said they never wanted to leave…read moreAn the wild life is so beautiful And the surroundings there were all so peaceful and proper and wonderful and I wish I could live there

Amazing Staff! Relaxing and an exciting trip from start to finish! Bus drivers and take out…read moreindividuals were fun, helpful, and great at their jobs!

After a couple of years of seeing it promoted, we decided to check out Tubapalooza for the first…read moretime. We attended Tubapalooza 2025! We're glad we did! The staff was welcoming and warm, even on this slightly chilly day. The music brought on the right atmosphere, the vibes were fantastic, and the food came when we needed it the most! We got the camping packet that let's you camp for 2 tonight/3 days, and includes the Tubapalooza, and other tubing options each day. There were a vast selection of campsite options. We were surprised that it wasn't packed (especially the night before Tubapalooza). Our campsite was next to the river, it couldn't have been more ideal. The location was calm and the sounds of the river and nature were soothing, even on the few times when the geese went wild. All in all, if we're still living in Pennsylvania, we plan to return next year!

A lovely park for most ages. There is a playground area for the little ones. An 1+mile path…read morecircling the lake. Corn hole for all. And there are lots of hills that are crew used to roll down. This was also just a small snapshot of the park too. There are lots of ball fields, hiking trails and even an airfield. There is plenty to explore here. The one drawback I would say is the accessibility. It's a far hike from any major highways/roads with lots of curvy roads leading there. It would be nice to have a more accessible with maybe even some bus routes.

Northmoreland is such a chill park. The lake is absolutely beautiful especially in the summer time…read more I wish they pumped the water more to get it moving. You can find people paddle boating during the summer months. The path around the lake is 1.1 miles. There are other parts of the park, but the lake, playground, boat house, and pavilion are part of the central park. The playground equipment is a little faded but still looks to be structurally sound. We rented the pavilion for a graduation party; it was perfect and inexpensive. We had the grilling area, grass, swings and beautiful view of the lake.

As if there wasn't enough parks in the Laurel Highlands, there is Laurel Hill State Park a 3,935…read moreacre natural area of beautiful forest, overlooks, ponds and streams. My recent visit was promising at first, but the rain just kept coming all day long and it "dampened" my spirits completely. I stopped by the main office and got directions to the Jones Mill Dam. Since it was raining so much I gave it some time to clear up, but to no avail. This park is certainly worth checking out and it will be super beautiful later on in the Spring. The wood frogs, spring peepers and other animals will be active. On the same road that this park lies on is two other parks: Kooser State Park and Laurel Ridge State Park, so it is possible to hit those up while in the area. I will certainly make the trip out here later on towards May.

I was staying at Hidden Valley recently and I was looking for a cool place to hike in the area that…read moreI hadn't been to before and I happen to discover this gem. What a great spot for a hike, but an even better place for a swim, relaxing, a picnic on the grass or some sun on the sand by the water. So after we arrived we hit the trail that ran along the water while taking in the small but beautiful lake. We then proceeded to head into the woods. It was a great little hike and the trails were very easy. After we were done hiking we got the huge blanket and the cooler with snacks and drinks in it out of the car and headed over to a shaded spot under the trees. We sat in the grass area in the left corner of the parking lot and listened to music, ate, drank and enjoyed each other's company for a good while. Then after that we packed up our stuff in the car and headed down to the water and enjoyed the lake which is very clean and refreshing and the scenery is absolutely beautiful. I love that they have sand and everyone looked so happy. They also have an area where you can purchase food and beverages but they also have many other great amenities which I am sure can be discovered on here or on their website. I am so glad I discovered this place. I will most definitely be stopping by again when I am in the area. Enjoy :)

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.