NOTE: THE YELP TEAM HAS MIS-POSTED MY REVIEW. THEY ATTACHED IT TO THE INCORRECT BUSINESS AND I CANNOT FIGURE OUT HOW TO CONTACT THEM TO ASK THEM TO CORRECT IT. THIS REVIEW IS SPECIFICALLY FOR THE "RUSTIC" CABINS INSIDE THE PARK AND OWNED/OPERATED BY THE PA STATE PARK SYSTEM. THERE IS ANOTHER PRIVATE CABIN BUSINESS OUTSIDE THE PARK WITH A SIMILAR/IDENTICAL NAME We stayed in the rustic river cabins (R1 and R6) They are classic log cabins almost 100 years old built from American chestnut. We are not actually campers so two nights was probably enough for us. There are large front porches on each cabin of varying design. Some porches had roofs while others did not. There are multiple beds and bunkbeds in each bedroom. The kitchens are equipped with full refrigerators and full gas ranges and a microwave. You have to bring your own coffee pot. There is no internal plumbing at all. Water was accessible at a spigot outside of the cabin next to the porch, but I do not know if it was safe or drinkable. I recommend bringing along a few gallons of bottled water. There was no sort of a sink or drain either. So tasks like washing dishes, brushing teeth, etc were awkward even if you had water. I suppose it's because they don't have any sort of drainage system. ‍You really need to bring dishpans or buckets. We used paper products for pretty much everything. River cabin 6 had an outhouse a few feet away across a small parking lot. There was a larger running-water shower facility downhill from us (a five minute walk). Again, we were not experienced campers so the lack of running water was definitely something we couldn't get used to. Each porch and cabin came with internal and external picnic tables and benches, but you might want to bring your own folding/camping chairs. There weren't even logs to sit on around the fire ring. Firewood was readily available on site within the cabin area. Also highly recommend bringing along a fan as cabins can get quite warm on hot days. Did lose electric one day so as many rechargeable things as possible would be very advantageous. The park itself is beautifully maintained and really a great place to enjoy the Clarion river and hike in the hills of the surrounding Cook Forest with well-marked, well-established easy/moderate trails. We took the Longfellow trail into the forest area known as "The Cathedral" to see some of the oldest growth/uncut trees on the east coast, if not the entire US. Pale Whale activity rentals was a short walk/drive away where you could rent kayaks, canoes or floats. The river was very low when we were there, but we did the 2 mile float trip which was just about 2 1/2 hours and perfect for our group. ($15 pp) One of the units (R6) had a bat inside one night and the other unit's (R1) front porch was besieged by some kind of bee or yellow jacket which prohibited us from eating outdoors at that unit. That said we still managed to have a great time and ate very casually on site. We had intended to go out to eat at least one night at a local establishment, but that never panned out. Alcohol is strictly prohibited on site. I found little or no information or reviews about these cabins online prior to booking so felt we were really going in blind but still happy that we did it. To check availability or make a reservation click on the https://pennsylvaniastateparks.reserveamerica.com/ website. Choose Cook Forest State Park then choose "Rustic cabins" under the campsite type pull down. It's a very user UNfriendly website IMHO The cost was approximately $250 total per cabin for a two night weekend stay in August. As far as I could tell, none of the River cabins actually had a view of the river, although it was nearby brush and trees prohibited the view. read more

Tip #1: Try your best to arrive before dark. Because when it's dark in Cook Forrest, it's DARK... Tip #2: Don't even THINK that you're going to have any cell service. You won't. Zero. For miles. Tip #3: Don't over-pack. Riverside gives you almost everything you could possibly need and it's awesome - firewood, dishes, etc. DO pack dish soap, a dish sponge/scrubber, paper towels, bathroom soap and trash bags. We forgot. It was sad. Tip #4: Bring lots of grill-able food, s'mores ingredients and beer. We did and it was glorious. Tip #5: Plan to go tubing. Forget canoeing; the water is just too shallow for the most part. Tubing is AMAZING. The signs say "no alcohol," but I'll let you decide whether or not to obey that one... We took the 2.5 miles journey (approx. 2.5 hours), but could've stayed in the water for days, it was THAT wonderful. Bring as many beverages as you can possibly handle and maybe a snack or two. Tip #6: Don't plan on a great shower. The water pressure is, well, not great. But who cares? Don't shower at all and go primal. Tip #7: Bring great company. I went with 6 other friends and we had a totally memorable weekend. Have a dog? Bring it! The cabins are pet-friendly for a very nominal ($20 charge). Cashier Cindy from the Dry Goods Store gets 5 stars all by herself. We had a brief emergency situation during our stay and she could not possibly have been any more helpful. The staff is so welcoming, we can't wait to see them again next year! read more

We visited here in a group of 6 people and stayed in an 8 sleeper cabin for one weekend. It was quaint, cozy and an overall very pleasant experience. We received heavy snowfall so didn't get out much. That being said, this reviewer rates ONLY the cabin five stars. Having remotely booked the place without any prior experience with it, we expected a cabin beside a river surrounded by wilderness. The river wasn't beside the cabin and there was wilderness. But there were also other cabins around. Around 15 of them, but at a suitable distance away to give your group enough privacy. The staff is amazingly friendly - 1. Never hesitated in giving us directions and recommendations. 2. The owner herself came to drop off a towel we requested since one of us forgot to get it. She also taught us amateurs to start a blazing fire without chemicals. A+! 3. I received an envelope from them 3 weeks later with a pair of earrings that housekeeping found while cleaning. My friend didnt even realize where she misplaced them. Nonetheless, she was super psyched to get them back. That was a sweet thing to do on their part. Okay, maybe this review is slightly biased, but hey, go check it or for yourself and you won't be disappointed. read more

Been coming here for years. Great cabins and service. Just rustic enough. Wood is supplied for your firepit or fire place. Owners are friendly and helpful despite all the rules posted in the cabin which we always joke about. Pretty decent space between cabins. You can walk to the state forest visitor center and a number of trails including a walk to Seneca Point and the fire tower. Canoe rentals are available. A fantastic place to be in the Fall. read more

The staff are thieves! I've been there twice now and I liked the place but, both times when we left to go out, when we returned, if our fire wood was replenished the stuff on my porch would be gone! So I knew staff was there and my stuff was gone!! My bug spray and my new cook forest coffee mug this time. I went to the office and they basically said "oh well" both times!!! Be careful read more

My husband and I just got back from a week at Cook Riverside Cabins and we had a fantastic time! We stayed in Cabin 2 which was plenty of space for us and our two dogs. The cabin was cozy and we had a great private view of the woods from our side yard and back of the cabin. The cabin was cozy, nothing fancy by any means. The bed and sofa were pretty uncomfortable but we were moving around most of the day anyway. We were very glad to be able to bring our dogs with us for a small fee and we enjoyed hiking through Cook Forest every day. We thoroughly enjoyed the Fire Tower and Seneca Point, the Forest Cathedral Trails and the Clarion River Lands Trails. We went canoeing at Pale Whale one day, Cook Riverside offers a fantastic discount! We also went horseback riding at Cook Forest Scenic Trail Rides and Dude Ranch and had a great time. We thoroughly enjoyed being "off the grid," no cell service, no internet and no tv. We rented DVD's at the Dry Goods Store each night but other than that we were outside and the weather was beautiful! We brought most of our food with us to save money but did splurge one night at Gateway Lodge up the street for our anniversary. The food is to die for! Also, if you like craft beer head into Clarion to the Clarion River Brewing Co. on main street! We had a great anniversary trip with our dogs and look forward to coming back sometime in the future when we are able to make the trek from Philly again! read more

My husband and I enjoyed our stay very much. Rustic cabin experience with lots of thoughtful extras. Had brewed coffee and breakfast on porch, hiked and craft shopped during the day, then relaxed around the fire pit in the evening. Really glad to have the shop and cafe nearby. Quiet and private spot to visit with friends. Easily walked across road for river view. Staff was super friendly and helpful. Pet friendly, too. Cozy, relaxing time away from suburban life. Highly recommend. Will be back for certain! read more

Based on the 20 year of my wife operating her restaurant I found 3 things matter. 1. Establishment Cleanliness, Food Consistency, and A trained Server Staff. And 4 if you want to be ahead of the rest offer food that creates an experience. The Spirit end they have a great selection and it is a nice niche to draw customers in. The facility could be cleaner. AC and Return air vents are way to dirty to be cleaned on a regular basis. Air/Heat unit should be changed every 2 months with a good filter and a carbon foam sheet also. Can lights WOW!! the dirt on the bulbs should be embarrassing. Bath Rooms were passable. Glad I did not see the kitchen. The food I can not say about consistency since it was my first time but it will be my last so I never will find out. I had the salmon salsa appetizer. I received more chips than salsa. And the salmon in it may or may not have been salmon from a packet. I could not tell since there was so little of it on my plate. My wife's chicken was a nice cut and had good taste. My children's steaks were good normal cuts nothing special but for the price should not have had 30% fat waste. All in all the meal sucked for the cost to pleasure scale. Their philosophy for 5 star dining reminded me of the commercials where your food is brought to you table and uncovered and the plates food coverage is less than 25% of the plate surface. What a joke. These owners need to go to at the least Saint Mar-teen on the French side to Grand Cas and eat at some of those restaurants so as to give them an Idea of what experience food is about. And, when the customer leaves they pay their $ 200.00 bill and feel they where not charged enough. The serving staff was horrible. When they did show up to do something they did part of the job. Like taking 2 of the 5 empty plates before the main course. No they were not slammed. I checked the dining areas. Based on what I saw one good trained server could have done it but 2 was the best coverage. I believe I counted 4 servers that night. People training staff is what makes you look good in your customers eyes since they represent you out three. And training them and setting up a work area that eliminates steps and creates efficiency will allow your servers to make great money and want to stay. Thus you do not have a high server turnover. WAY over the top on pricing for the run of the mill not exceptional at all food experience. Not one item we ate caused me or my taste buds enough pleasure to get me to come back. And, 3 different meals had the chance to do it and not a one did. The chicken did come close. read more