This is a great off-the-beaten-path scenic park with views available free of charge! Kinzua Bridge…read morehas been on our must-see list for a few years & we added it to a vacation visit to NW PA - & we were treated to a day with awesome weather. The views from the bridge as well as nearby observation decks were awesome. We made use of some of the trails to get views of the underside of the bridge & the valley below. Trail to the bottom of the valley is a bit difficult for a casual hiker, but worth it if you have the stamina & are so inclined;) Views from the observation deck are impressive - affording a display of the power of the tornado that caused the destruction of the opposite half of the bridge. The park includes a small but very nice visitor center with gift shop & museum containing history of the bridge/area. The park also has handicap-accessible access to the bridge. I'd highly recommend this park to outdoor & history enthusiasts!

Kinzua Bridge State Park…read more Finally got to visit this place. The previous reviews said there are no bathrooms but as of 2026, there are bathrooms in the visitor building. Great bridge. Old. Rusty. I'm told they will make future renovations. Inside the visitor center there is a small museum and shop. Highly recommended

The Rim Rock Overlook and Picnic Area offer spectacular views of the Kinzua Valley, the Allegheny…read moreReservoir, and the dam. It's comprised of a mountaintop series of huge sandstone boulders. The huge rocks are a lot of fun to climb about but beware of rattlesnakes. I was born in the Town of Kinzua which, despite the objections of the Seneca Indian Nation, which had a treaty signed by George Washington covering their sections of land for as long as the grass grew and the sun shined, was broken, and flooded. So, as striking as the view may be, you're looking at yet another despicable act of a broken treaty with an Indian Nation. For the view, 5 Yelp Stars, for its appalling background of perfidy, I'll let you decide. By the way, the lake is commonly known as Lake Perfidy by the indigenous Seneca people.

This is a beautiful area that overlooks the Allegheny Reservoir. You can park near Kinzua Beach and…read morehike up to the Rim Rock Overlook or you can drive up and park at the top and take a short walk to the overlook. There are a lot of large rocks and boulders that make for interesting exploration opportunities. There's a narrow staircase that cuts right through the rocks as part of the trail between the beach and the overlook. Whichever option you choose, the overlook is gorgeous and worth checking out the view!

This is an amusement park, small ,but takes you back to simple times. The park is mainly geared…read moretoward families with smaller children. Free parking and admission. They do have a few adult rides train, gokarts, bumper cars ferris wheeel, and giant slide. Smaller style arcade, clean bathrooms, gift shop, little museum , golf course and food. Reasonable ticket pricing for rides. I remember coming here both as a young child , and adult. I stopped in, honestly after the Beamus 6k, over at Long State Park. The main reason was to just check out park, neat mini golf and get pizza. Yes, I get they were not even quite open an hour when I arrived a little after noon. My reasoning for the 4 star review, no menu or anything listed on pricing for what was sold, or in my case if it was cheese or pepperoni. The young employee, when asked regarding Do you sell pizza, yes, cheese, pepperoni and I asked how much he said $5. A menu of items offered with pricing, would have been helpful.

Perfect if you have any small children, ideally ages six or under. This wouldn't be a good spot if…read moreyou were going with teens or just adults. I had never been here before in in spite of frequenting the Chautauqua area, my whole life. But, I finally had an occasion because my tiny niece was the perfect age for this place. There were a ton of rides that were perfect for her as a three year-old. Also, they had rides that were good for ages 4 to 6 as well. She really enjoyed the little roller coaster. Watch out that it is actually a little rough for the adults to ride on because it does jerk a little. Also, there were some really cute little boat rides, including one that took took the children around in a circle. There was very little that she was too small to ride on, so it was completely fantastic. Also, we were able to get her a wristband that gave her all inclusive access to rides. For a few rides that do require adult accompaniment for littles, the adult gets to ride free. There's a food spot towards the bottom of the hill and I highly recommend it. I was able to get platters of fries and corn, dogs and pizza, for not too much money. This is a clutch when it came to reducing the chance of overstimulated little kid meltdowns. Also, it was very sunny, and there was very little shade, so bring the sunscreen. Also, they have free boat parking. So, boating over and walking in is a great option if you happen to have or be renting a boat.

Whether you know it or not, PA is home to the largest free roaming elk herd in the northeast. The…read moreelk that currently call PA home are not indigenous to the area. The original herds of elk were hunted to the point of extinction in the early 19th century. At the beginning of the 20th century the PA Game Commission imported elk from states like Colorado and the descendants of that group are what you mostly have today. We were glamping over at Parker Dam State Park and figured that while our chances of seeing any elk were very low (wrong time of day and wrong time of year - ideally you want sunrise or sunset in late summer or early fall not late morning in late spring) but it was close enough that is seemed worth a shot. We drove through all of the supposed hot spots: Benezette Dents Run Caledonia Weedville Woodring Farm Viewing Area Winslow Hill Viewing Area and saw a total of zero regarding anything that had antlers, hooves or fur which is no biggie because that's what was expected. The one side bonus was a lot of beautiful scenery, vistas and overlooks. According to the PA Game Commission their #1 place to see elk is the Winslow Hill Viewing Area. Compared to somewhere like Woodring Farm which is no more than a stone lot with room for a few cars and a small plastic sign pointing to a trail, the set up at Winslow Hill is deluxe. Huge parking lot, maps and placards all over the place, a ranger station during the busier times of the year (of which mid-May is not as we only saw three other people during our 45 minutes here) which leads out to the viewing area, and damn, it is a hell of a view even without any elk in the area. The below map is the best one that I could find that shows where Winslow Hill is located and also many other places on a sort of elk driving tour that lists all of the possible places you could get to view one of these beasts. www.docs.dcnr.pa.gov/cs/groups/public/documents/document/dcnr_20032194.pdf

I've been to a lot of nature centers around the country but this was one of the nicest. It's a…read morelittle walk to the center from the parking lot but there's lots of things to read along the way. The center was free with a gift shop but it was $5 for a inside tour. Outside there were elk viewing areas the best time is dusk and dawn to see the elk. Nice clean indoor restrooms

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.

It's a great place to take the family, there are things for all ages from just sitting on the sand…read morewhile soaking up the sun, to swimming to renting a paddleboard or canoe to walking around the dam. There are pavillions, playgrounds, a learing center with educational events (not during Covid-19), a small store to buy hot prepared food (hotdogs, french fries, etc...), cold drinks and other items. The beach area is finally smoke free for those of us who are allergic to cigarettes, it's a true relief. We can enjoy the day without worrying about our eyes swelling shut because the people next to use wont stop smoking and just throwing the butts on the sand. There are designated smoking areas for those who must smoke. Pets are welcome.

Another great visit to cook forest in the books!!! I grew up, coming to cook forest and fall in…read morelove again every time I visit. The fire tower is an absolute must, and although there are trails to take to reach the fire tower, I love the drive through the forest, the best. Since many are visiting the fire tower along with Seneca point I always try and visit earlier in the mornings when there's not a lot of people. I also am a fan of the lodging in the area. The cabins (River & McBeth) are very affordable & comfortable and sometimes we even stay nearby in Brookville. A lot to book up fast but they do have availability from time to time so even if its last minute, still check their websites. The sawmill is so fun to shop at as well as Parkers Indian trading Post. We love Cook Forest & will always return!!

I love visiting Cook Forest State Park! If you enjoy being outdoors, this is a place you should add…read moreto your bucket list. There is truly something here for everyone. If you're the hiking type, there are 52 miles of trails to explore. If you're a birder, you'll definitely want to grab your binoculars and check out different parts of the park, as numerous birds inhabit the forest. If you prefer spending a day on the water, you can go swimming in the Clarion River, as well as rent kayaks, canoes, and river tubes. It's not hard to find a good spot to fish, and in the winter you can also enjoy cross-country skiing, snowmobiling, sledding, and ice-skating. In my case, Cook Forest is just a couple of hours away - a day trip isn't out of the question. Still, it's so much nicer to spend an entire weekend in this beautiful place. Fortunately, that's pretty easy to do! Campgrounds and log cabins alike are available within the park. The cabins are very popular, but have no fear: there are hotels within driving distance of the park as well. Do keep in mind that cell service is not guaranteed here; this is totally OK in my book, but it does mean that having a rough idea of where you'll be driving is essential. Grab a map or write down some directions from Google Maps - then go forth and enjoy your time in this beautiful place!

This beautiful recreational area keeps improving. There are fields for baseball and soccer and now…read morea dog po park. There are pavilions and playgrounds in several areas around the sprawling park. Walking, jogging, fishing, wading in the water, bird watching or just enjoying the outdoors. There is even internet access. There's something for everyone here.

Rock City Park is a hidden gem in Western NY. It is absolutely worth the visit! The park is…read morestunning--huge rock formations rise out of a dense, peaceful forest, creating a magical hiking experience that feels like something out of a fantasy novel. The trail takes you down into the heart of these ancient boulders, where you can explore narrow crevices, quirky formations, and mossy paths. Then, you make your way back up the Indian Staircase for a panoramic view from the top--totally worth the climb. The gift shop is delightfully eclectic, with a great selection of rocks, crystals, and local souvenirs. It's the kind of place where you'll definitely find something unexpected. This is a perfect spot for families--easy to navigate, fun to explore, and memorable for all ages. Everyone we saw there was smiling, and our group left talking about when we'd come back again. Highly recommend!

A great place for respite from the heat. The trail takes about 45 minutes round-trip, and it might…read morebe closed if it's recently rained: The stones and mosses get very slippery. This is a great place for birders: Thrushes, vireos and wrens are found here

Bendigo State Park was an unexpectedly fun visit. It was suggested to us by the friendly staff…read moreperson at Kinzua Bridge State Park. It has a gorgeous setting right on the Clarion River surrounded by trees and hills. There are several overlooks along the river, and you can walk right alongside in several sections, as well as do some fishing. There are a number of picnic areas to enjoy, plus sports fields and courts. There is a very nice playground near a staffed swimming pool that offers free entry. The bathhouse is open air and pretty basic, but the pool is in good condition with chairs and umbrella tables around deck. There is a nice large parking lot available.

Beautiful space on top of the mountains overlooking the beautiful mountains, truly the "top of the…read moreworld." Parking lot was clean but could use a trash can as there were some random items of trash littered all around. Also so many cigarette butts!!!!! Ew. There are a few small benches around and an information kiosk. The road to get here is 2 miles up the mountain on a narrow, very steep road. I probably wouldn't advise driving up here in a car, you need an suv atleast. There is also no signage on 555 for this. You have to know where to look. A hidden gem in the PA Wilds.