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

Kilgore is a lovely place for an easy to moderate hiking trail. It's open daily but you need a…read morepermit on the weekends from Memorial day to Labor Day I believe. To get to the waterfall you have to walk a path that's about 10-15 minutes. You will have to climb over some rocks in the water in your travels, but once you get to the waterfall you will absolutely love it. *Please note* Wear comfortable shoes because there are some areas that could be potentially dangerous if you don't take your time.

[Coronavirus review] This is a small site auxiliary to Rocks…read moreState Park. Notably, the parking lot requires an advance reservation on peak dates, and this policy has been expanded to cover more dates due to the pandemic lockdown pushing people to spend their days outdoors. The trail is a short loop to the falls. Great Falls this isn't, but it's significant enough to generate a nice spray. A rather upset-looking fish flopped down shallow water as I approached. Upstream of the falls was a challenge. Few fords were viable, perhaps owing to heavy rain, and signs suggesting the area was blocked off were ignored by expeditions looking for better crossings. I made it across the stream and back, but I did get a little wet. The scenery isn't worth a long drive on its own, but paired with the other local park sites, it makes for good viewing, and in particular this space with its parking limitations can't get too crowded.

I like this park. It is peaceful and there is plenty of parking. There is a monster hill. So beware…read moreif you are not in shape. My only issue with this park is that it prohibits dogs. It isn't just dogs not on leashes. I was so sad to read the signs for no dogs at all. I also read that there have been some geese that are very territorial at this park. That is a more recent situation.

This place is a hidden gem. Birding, Hiking and Fishing is great here…read more Have nothing negative to say.

Came here on Sat 10/25 to hike with a couple gf's and brought my doggo, Linc, since it's a dog…read morefriendly trail. I work out but I wasn't ready for this trail as a first time hiker lol! I wore sneakers but would have greatly benefited from hiking boots for more ankle support after slipping and tripping my way along the dense leaf covered dirt trail that continued to get more rocky on the ascent. Also, you will need to climb some legit large rocks/boulders to reach the Pulpit Rock overlook but the challenge was well worth it for the views! My gf's & I chose the easy way down which was to take the gravel road alongside the observatory that eventually transitions to pavement. Even the decline of this road was steep in itself. No easy way up or down haha! I saw people of all ages and fitness levels along my hike and plenty of cute dogs! Bring snacks and water to re-energize during a rest break. My one friend packed some TP and I thought it was a great idea cuz you just never know when you might have to go! Parking lot is a joke with ~20-25 spots but many ppl, including us, parked along Reservoir Rd so make sure to get here early in the morning or expect to walk a couple extra miles just to reach the start of the trail.

Great spot for a day hike, with beautiful views at the two main lookouts - Pulpit Rock and the…read morePinnacle. The hardest part of the hike is getting to Pulpit Rock, as it starts with a fairly steep road to get to the trail, and then some more elevation climb as you get up to the lookout. From there, it's probably another 2.5 miles or so to get to the Pinnacle, but the elevation gain is minimal. Both of these stops provide great views, with lots of raptors flying around if you're lucky! Bring snacks and water, especially on a hot day, and cameras to take pictures!

This is a straightforward hiking path - pretty much straight and up to be rewarded with a beautiful…read moreview of the Susquehanna River. If you are lucky, like we were, you will see a low flying plane from the nearby military base. We stopped during the week, but I could imagine the parking at this area could get filled and you may have to wait for a spot. I'm seeing from other reviews that there are other parking spots and entrances, but the one we were at seemed fairly direct to the overlook. It was a beautiful quick hike to see some impressive views.

This was stop #2 on a beautiful late-September Sunday adventure. I'd done my homework ahead of time…read moreand planned to tackle the Chickie's Rock Overlook Trail first, then swing by the nearby Breezyview Overlook (just a 4-minute drive away). Chickie's Rock Overlook Trail: Parking was plentiful, and I appreciated the history sign at the trailhead--it turns out this path was once a trolley line leading to an amusement park near Chickie's Rock. So you're not just walking, you're walking through history. The trail itself is wide, relatively flat, and about a 20-minute walk to the overlook if you're taking your time (we were chatting the whole way--it was Sunday morning, not a cardio day). Pro Tip: Not far from the parking lot, the trail forks. Go LEFT for the easy stroll. Go RIGHT if you want a steeper climb and some cardio. Either way, the two trails meet up again before the overlook. When you arrive, the payoff is worth it: a panoramic view of the Susquehanna River and classic Central PA scenery--rolling hills, farmland, distant ridges, train tracks running at the base, and acorns plinking down around you. Pure magic. Just note: the overlook itself requires scrambling over some big rocks to get to the railing. Sneakers or boots are a must, and it's not super friendly for little kids or anyone with mobility challenges. Bonus history fact: Chickie's Rock was actually used as a Union lookout post during the Civil War in 1863, when Confederate troops invaded PA. That blew my mind. Breezyview Overlook: From Chickie's Rock, it's a quick 4-minute drive to Breezyview Overlook. This one's a lot easier--park, take a few steps on grass, and you're there. You even get the fun perspective of looking back at Chickie's Rock and seeing where you'd just been. Parking was easy, and they had a port-a-john if needed. The view is nice, but not nearly as epic as Chickie's Rock. Then again, the best things usually require a little extra effort. Overall, this was the perfect low-impact Sunday adventure. Bring water, pack out your trash, and don't forget to smile and say hi to fellow hikers along the way. If you're looking for an accessible trail with a stunning payoff, Chickie's Rock is a must.

After my Yelp friend David H. posted about this small gem last month, I had to take a look myself…read moreas I have been in the area numerous times but had honestly never heard about this place. Just to keep the history lesson short, it was built by York County in 2007 and it is one of a series of ten overlooks that are at different points in the county all of which give views of the Susquehanna River. susquehannariverlands.com/the-great-outdoors/scenic-overlooks/highpoint-scenic-vista-rec-area/ The set up is fairly simple. There is a small parking lot at the base of the overlook on Hilt Road. At the base there is a picnic bench and a port-a-blaster along with some literature about York County parks/area trails. From there it's up and around the trail which is a 1/2 mile loop with five way point stops that I guess are made to have you appreciate the view from different angles? At the top the view is very nice. It's literally the same as if you were over at Samuel S. Lewis State Park except that now you're two-ish miles closer to the river. The overlook from Samuel S. Lewis is higher and is visible from here and the top of the vista here is very visible from Sam Lewis. We were here around 35 minutes and the parking lot was packed but people were at different point of the incline and on other trails nearby so things never felt cramped or rushed. While I'm not necessarily sure that this place needs a return visit, I'm glad we came and I appreciate David putting this one on my/everyone's Yelp radar as it is a unique spot worth a brief stop.

it was very nice and peaceful, I just thought I'd be seeing more & that there would be a longer…read moretrail or something to walk on , other wise no complaints.

The Conewago trail is 5 miles long and connects directly to the Lebanon Valley Rail-Trail. The…read moretrail is a crushed stone trail; however, it's apparently old enough that gravels beneath begin to be exposed, making it rough to ride on. Furthermore, not only is the trail narrower than a typical rail trail, sections of it have a surface which is rounded or convex with ditches on both sides. This may make beginning bikers uncomfortable. As well, it could cause a bit of a congestion on a crowded day like today, when a family with a stroller is in the way. Scenery-wise it's also ranked low in my book. It's mostly a wooded scene without much of anything else; making the ride very monotonous and boring.  The trail has to cross Rt. 743 (Hershey Rd) which has heavy traffic but without any light or sign, making it dangerous to cross.  I do appreciate all the trails created by volunteers, but I also want to provide relative ratings based on my experience.  Regretfully, this is one of the lower ranking trails for me.

Very nice trail, my wife and I rode Thursday morning (31 AUG). We did it out and back 10 miles…read moretotal. Was in town to ride some of the other rail trails as well. While nicely maintained and great environment overall, this trail is not absolutely perfect for bikes. The crown is rather high (smart for water management), so you have to stick to the lanes or disaster would await. There is a mixture of surface, small loose gravel, and some crushed limestone. But with a gravel bike, we were on our Cannondale Topstone's or a hybrid with wider tires (28mm +) it's just fine. There is very slight grade in either direction. It is indeed beautiful. Beware there is a crossing for a Mill road, very steep on both sides, blind curves for cars. Do honor the caution and walk across. Also there are a lot of older & middle aged walkers especially lady dog walkers. Honor the speed limits for you own safety, and don't ride like a jerk and give us all a bad name. We got some tolerant smiles, but we were the only cyclists (did see one woman the day before when we walked a couple miles to check it out.

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.

We biked from Koser Park to the Decatur Street Access in Marietta. It's a very well maintained and…read morepaved trail.  Great condition good enough for skates though we only saw mostly bikers and one skateboarder during our visit.  The trail must be relatively new because the donated benches are still in mint condition.  There are placards along the trail providing background on various subjects.  The trail offers many nice amenities. Among others, Porta-Johns are available at 4 locations and bike repairing stations at 2. The 6.5 mile trail offers good variety in terms of views and terrains. Though mostly flat and straight, there are short sections that are windy or sloppy.  There are open fields and woody areas. The trail is near the Susquehanna River and you can see the water in many sections of the trail which is great. There are even a few spots where you can gain access to the river. We crossed 2-3 small bridges and had a great view of the Shocks Mills Bridge. Around the midpoint is the River Front Park which offers a great view of the river and well maintained picnic area for large groups, and 2 vending machines! We were surprised to see a sign to Columbia when we reached Decatur Street access, our destination.  Per Google Maps the trail ended right there.  We asked a couple who just came from that direction and they said the trail doesn't go all the way and riding on public roads would be required to make the connections.   So we stuck with our plan and did not continue. Overall I'm absolutely impressed with how well the trail is maintained, all the amenities it offers, and its vicinity to the river. UPDATE: Google Maps is not to be trusted! I have since found out the trail continues 3 miles north of Koser Park access, and 4.5 miles south of the Decatur Street access. From the Decatur Street access, you can continue 2 miles of nice windy trail before having to venture out onto S Bank St in Marietta. At this point you can either cross the railroad and turn right to eventually get to Furnace Rd where the off-road trail resumes, or if you're adventurous, you can continue with the unpaved trail which will end up in the parking lot of the Chickies Rock County Park and when you come out through the tunnel you will end up with the same Furnace Rd connection to the River Trail. This gap is well worth it because the next 1.5 mile towards Columbia is such a delight to ride through. Once in Columbia, you can head back, unless you want to visit the Columbia Crossings Trails Center, in which case, you'll have to ride the sidewalks and cross busy Rt 441 twice.

Nice long river trail that goes on for miles - perfect for a long bike ride, but as a runner - I…read morereally miss when it was unpaved or just crushed stone. The good news is that they're good about trimming the grass, so you can go just a bit to the right of the paved section and run in the grass to save your knees. The annoying part is going around the marietta boat club - the trail ends abruptly when you reach the club grounds and picks up on the other side. Proceed at your own risk, but be ready for club members to yell (or worse) at you if you keep going. Still a great way to see the river and get your blood pumping

Want to learn about raptors and see them in person? Located along the Appalachian flyway, Hawk…read moreMountain straddles the Kittatinny Ridge, or Blue Mountain, a 300-mile-long, prominent ridge extending from 60 miles north of New York City to 20 miles west of Chambersburg, PA. It is here where every autumn, more than 20,000 birds of prey pass over, making their way from northern states and Canada to warmer climates. Hawk Mountain Sanctuary is the oldest and largest wild bird sanctuary in nearby Kempton, PA, where trails and lookouts offered beautiful scenery and access to nature where my partner, his family and I came today. From the Visitors Center, which had some interesting exhibits and a gift shop where the admission fee was collected at $10 per person, the Lookout Trail was the easiest and most popular, covering a one-mile route to several lookout points along the ridge. Friendly staff members were positioned here to answer questions and point out birds. The trails were very well marked, and the trail map explained each so that one knows what you're getting into. We walked to North Lookout. It was the pinnacle of Hawk Mountain perching on top of the mountain at an elevation of 1,500 feet and offering a 200-degree view that stretches 70 miles on a clear day. This was a perfect place to work on photography and binocular skills, as well as a popular destination for hikers and nature enthusiasts that we can recommend.

One of the best day trips my son's Boy Scout group (29 in Bucks County) made was to Hawk Mountain,…read morenorthwest of Allentown, south of Tamaqua and southeast of Pottsville, Pennsylvania, part of Blue Mountain Ridge. In mid October it was ablaze in autumn colors, even on a drizzling day. We were able to see the migration of Red Tailed Hawks, Peregrine Falcons and even a few Bald Eagles. The view from the North Lookout was spectacular, and the mile long hike along the ridge line was not overly strenuous with strong walking shoes. Our guys were working on several merit badges that required effort, study and attention. The natural beauty of the terrain and majesty of these amazing raptors, made it easy to want to explore as much as possible and bond closely with the wildlife. The staff were excellent teachers and guides. Even with all the extra information available on site, this dad found the most joy just walking out to the promontory overlooking the valley below, quieting my inner dialogue and simply allowing myself to drift as I communed with the Universe. Highly recommend Hawk Mountain for that day you need to get away and would enjoy a road trip either solo or with those you love. This is the oldest wildlife sanctuary in the world dedicated exclusively to the protection and observation of birds of prey. The 1,400 acres maintained by the non-profit Hawk Mountain Sanctuary Association is designated a U. S. National Landmark. If you have a weekend, there are several excellent inns and lodges to place your head after a long hike and good meal. Admission: $10 Adults. $5 Kids