While most parks in Central Pennsylvania are nowhere near as good as either Raystown Lake or…read moreFurnace State Park this one gives it a run for their money. Trough Creek Stare Park is a Park with a great combination of nature, history and fun! First, this place is absolutely historic. It was originally inhabited by Native Americans, but later settled by settlers. There they built a town that relied on the iron. At one point it produced 100 pounds of iron a day. In the 1940's part of Roosevelt's New Deal took place inter park. The Civilian Conservation Corps constructed roads, trails and planted trees! It is even rumored that Edgar Allen Poe wrote the poem "The Raven" based upon his time at Trough Creek Park. When it comes to hiking they have a nice amount of trails here with some very rocky and difficult. Along the hikes you can see the Balanced Rock, a boulder perched on a peak. Other natural attractions include the Copperas Rocks and wildlife including bald eagles, snakes and bears. Altogether, this is a beautiful park!

Wonderful State Park to take your kids hiking, wish I lived closer I'd go more often!read more

Beautiful, clean, respite from the world! This is a less populated park with NO cell service in…read moremost parts (WOO!). Great nearby hiking, swimming & fishing lake, picnic spots, and camping. I personally LOVE the campground -it has drinking water, clean bath houses, and hot showers, but none of the other hubbub of the modern world. Just you and nature. Turn off your phone, grab your lantern, and enjoy a night in the wilderness.

I was here in the winter time so I am guessing that this place is even better in the warmer…read moreseasons. There's a great trail around the lake, the furnaces are there with some nice information about the history of the area, so well constructed shelters to reserve for your group, and even more trails to explore that go across the hill and across the road. I feel like I barely saw a fraction of the area on my 4 mile hike, so I'll be back.

This makes an absolutely beautiful unspoiled walk along the Little Juniata River. Go to the end of…read moreMountain Road, park your car and walk as far as you feel like. I usually do about a 45 minute to one hour walk one way. This is a favorite with fly fishermen which can often be seen in the river here.

I've been going to Cowan's Gap since I was a kid, going with my mom, dad and sister. I loved it…read morethen, and I still love it now. But now I go with my dad and son. We do a trip every November for a weekend. The cabins are pretty much the same as they were when I was 12 years old, but that doesn't matter. They have what you need for a nice boys weekend in the woods. In the winter, the place is pretty sparse and not many people staying at the campground, but that's what we like. Great hiking trails, walking around the lake, making campfires and doing nothing, if that's what we feel like. I do remember the summers being more crowded and that's the time when the cabins and the tent sites get filled up. They have a great beach on the lake for swimming, snack bar, canoe's and paddle boat rentals, and activities for kids as well. We are from SE Lancaster County, and it's only about 1 1/2 hour drive to get there, so it's very do-able for a weekend in the Fall. I would highly recommend it. I'd also recommend making sure you have everything you need before you get there (i.e. food, dishes, cookware, batteries etc), since there aren't really any places convenient to pick up forgotten items. But then again you are in the mountains, so that's what you get.

No cell service and wonderful hiking trails. Boat rental and swimming available as wellread more

There was nothing there my kids, disappointed, and the tower was too high people almost hurt my kidread more

My two kiddos loved this park! Suitable for toddlers and big kids. Bring your bikes, there's so…read moremuch space to play and ride.

We visited Chimney Rocks Park after Boyer Candy and it was such a cool experience. There's a…read moreparking lot next to the restrooms which made it easy to start exploring. We checked out the lower lookout first and grabbed a photo with the beautiful scenery. Then we made the climb up the steep hill to the upper lookout and the view over the whole city was amazing. Off to the side in the woods there was a sign that looked like it lights up at night which added a fun touch. The mix of nature and views made it a memorable stop during our trip.

A worthy park with views of the surrounding borough, restrooms (locked on this visit in February…read moreand could not find online any dates of operation), picnic tables, paved parking lots, short trekking paths to the top of a hill either by an easier gravel path or steep dirt hill, interesting rock formations.

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.

Tudek Park is our favorite place in State College! They have a gorgeous butterfly garden, a large…read moredog park with two areas for small/large dogs, lots of benches, beautiful views, tennis courts, playing fields, the works. The walking path going around the park always makes for a nice walk or jog. It's just a lively and happy place.

Pretty good space overall however just isn't the biggest dog park. Nice space and a few trees but…read morenot a lot of places to sit. Seems busy often though.

This is a park with a little something for everyone. You pass tennis courts as you make your way…read moreinto the park which is nice. There's also a baseball field, pavilion with lots of tables, and plenty of open grass/ field. There are also two separate playground areas, one for ages 2-5 and then another for 6-12. If you're there during peak times on a Saturday the amount of children/ tweens and parents there can feel a bit overwhelming. So I would advise trying to avoid peak times on a Saturday. Sundays seem a little more calm. There are so many cool features at this playground your child will definitely have fun and wear themselves out! There's also a waterway/ creek that has ducks in it frequently and what appears to be a path/walkway/ walking trail. This park has everything you need for a day or afternoon at the park!

Nice place to have lunch, nature trail and lots of wildlife. Quiet and restful Come here to relaxread more

I'm not a fisher but I sure do love this place. First of all it's a free park and very pet, kid,…read morefamily, and COVID-safe facility. I've gone here several times to get out of the house during COVID pandemic. What I love so much about it is that the trail is as wide as a road so there's plenty of room to walk your dogs and pass people keeping a nice social distance. The trail is really well paved and follows the river. I've taken my parents here to walk around and they loved it. No steep inclines or strenuous parts- just mostly flat. Highly recommend for an easy walk to get out of the house. There were three port-a-potties last time I was there and one of them was a large family/handicapped one. They're only located at the beginning of the trail though.

One of my absolute favorite places to visit. The creek is so beautiful and it's a nice trail!read more