Playground, splash pad, and cure of the river. A great time for the kids. There are picnic tables…read morefor the adults and the stage is near by where they host bands and concerts.

Great view of the Mon River with boat ramps and a kayak launch. The park hosts free concerts all…read moresummer with great area talent. They also have a farmers market with plenty of parking. The splash pad is very nice.

We booked a shelter here for our family meeting point. We had never been here before and none of us…read morelive in this area. Since we had little kids we wanted near a playground. This park did not disappoint. As a matter of fact, there is a swimming pool here as well. I will say that every shelter was rented and it was a Saturday so I'd recommend booking ahead. Well kept, clean, with restrooms nearby. We were very satisfied!

What a hidden gem of a neat park. Playgrounds, beach, walking path oh my!…read more Broadford, if I understand correctly, is an Oakland city park where the water is part of the city's water supply. The park is exceptionally well-maintained. There is ample parking, the grounds are well-kept, the beach is clean, and the bathrooms are very usable. There are at least three playgrounds here for kids to use, including an unbelievable playground if you follow the path for a bit from the main parking ground. Seriously. Where was this kind of playground when I was a kid? There is also a small but cute little beach with nice sand and ample space to swim or do water activities. The only downside to reviewing this park is that it's almost a well-kept secret among locals for when places like Herrington Manor are packed.

Very nice place, the paved walkway is great for biking as well. I like to walk here on my lunch…read morebreaks. The lake is a nice view and the playground is great for little kids. I'm excited to come back in the summer time. It's $5 per car that enters and there is a little wooden drop box to place the cash in.

Nice paths, old-growth trees, waterfalls, slow waters, wild birds, dragonflies!…read more Swallow Falls State Park near Deep Creek Lake, MD, is a nice park with well-marked paths and plenty of parking. We hiked half-a-day (Jun 2026) from the parking lot to scenic waterfalls in forests where Thomas Edison, Henry Ford, and Harvey Firestone camped-in 1921. We saw some of the 37-acres of 360-year-old eastern hemlock and white pine trees, the largest of the few areas in Maryland that have never been logged, bypassed during the eastern-US logging boom of the the late 1800s and early 1900s. They tended to look a little scraggly around the base, i suppose from living an un-trimmed life in the un-tamed weather and climate. We were thrilled to read that, on June 16, 2026, the removal of old-growth forests that were threatened by bridge construction on Swallow Falls Road was blocked by the courts. Thank-you to the folks of Garrett County and the Chesapeake Legal Alliance!!! We love these old trees :-) We heard twittering birds, possibly blackburnian warblers, chickadees, nuthatches, and kinglets. We followed a rising rumbling sound, and found ourselves at a tall waterfall that roars and mists. We were careful to avoid rushing waters, and found that wading and crossing were pleasantly refreshing and not too slippery. We saw kayakers, and one paused to explain they liked these calmer waters for beginners and for staying in condition in less challenging settings. We loved the gold and black "black-shouldered spinylegs" dragonflies, we and may have glimpsed a rare all-black "sable clubtail" dragonfly, who flitted about but didnt wait for a photo or an entomology app. Let's say we saw one :-). It was a lovely cooler half-day deep in nature in a not-too-challenging environment in rare-these-days old-growth forests.

This is an easy hike with a lot of great water views. The trail is in good shape and easy to…read morenavigate. The area had over 2 inches of rain so the water was flowing quickly during our hike. If you take kids on this hike you will need to keep a close eye on them.

I've been to so many parts of this forest that it's mind boggling. It's beautiful in ways that…read morewords could never describe. There is so much to see and so many cool places to explore. One of my favorite parts is Bickle Knob because the views from the fire tower are beyond spectacular. Bowden Cave is also a great place to explore as well. There is a ton of great places to camp, mountain bike, and hike. If you are ever able to stop in any part of the Monongahela National Forest please do yourself a favor and do it. Have fun and be safe!

Driving through WV, Monongahela National Forest is a must do. It's absolutely beautiful with tons…read moreof hiking trails. Many of the trails have adequate parking spots and restrooms. We went through the Cranberry Glades and also found a random trail that led to waterfalls. This forest is GIANT. We want to come back again and find a camping ground because this national forest is truly stunning.

Beautiful scenic views of the water falls and canyons! Nice hikes with good signage and ample…read moretrailhead parking.

The views were breathtaking. Not handicapped accessible though. If you have trouble walking or…read morecan't walk it's not a place for you which is extremely unfortunate because the waterfall I was able to walk to was beautiful.

I love visiting Cass. It's quite the trek out to this part of WV, but it's worth it!…read more Cass Scenic Railroad State Park, as the name indicates, is both a state park and a heritage railroad. The park also includes the former company town of Cass, but for this review I'll focus on the railroading experience. Historically this railroad was used for logging, which is why the locomotives you see here will look a little different than the typical steam train. Most of the engines that pull and push trains here today are Shays, which are geared steam locomotives. To keep it simple: these engines are designed to slowly and steadily climb steep grades without slipping and sliding on the track (while standard locomotives are made to steadily zip along relatively level tracks). These unique engines are why the drive to Cass is worth it: because you'll get to ride in a train being pushed or pulled up and down the mountains of West Virginia. There's nothing quite like it! That said, I definitely have tips for first timers. One: earplugs. The coaches used for these trains are not 100% enclosed; they're actually historic converted log cars. That means there is absolutely nothing to muffle the sound of your train's whistle. (I can't believe I have to say this, but: trains are loud!) And two: layers. The weather as you climb the mountain is not going to be the same as the weather in the railroad parking lot. At a minimum it's going to be chillier. During one of my visits it was actually rain pouring at the summit that the engine took us too, but it stayed clear and sunny down below - so much so that I came back to a completely dry car. Don't forget to go into the museum to read about the town of Cass during your visit; it adds so much historical context and makes the whole experience that much more special. Just be sure that you don't miss your train!

I have to say a 4.5 hour train ride in an open rail car was a long trip. This trip teaches you what…read morea difficult job getting logs out of the mountains by train was. If you enjoy trains and coal powered steam engines this could be a trip for you. The best part of the trip was getting to the Bald Knob overlook. View is very nice. Also on the way down the mountain you stop at a logging camp to take a look at how the workers lived - you had to be a hardy and tough individual to have worked in the logging business. This trip is "not" something I would do again but it was a way to experience how difficult working in the outdoor resource business really was! If you enjoy trains this might be for you. It was 4.5 hours of smoke, whistle's and clanking track,

My wife wanted camping on a river for her birthday. We found Audra in our search for State Parks…read morewithin about four hours of Columbus Ohio. We chose a site that was not riverside. Being that we had never been to Audra we were not sure of the lay out but were not too keen on folks possibly traipsing through our campsite to access the river. I am glad that we chose an electric site across from the Middle Fork because it meant that we had a view of the river from the camper. (We have a Sol Dawn made by Intech that has a massive picture window just off the dinette/bed area.) We camped in mid May for three nights at site 11. There was a great view of the full moon through the tree tops. Would definitely come back to this site but there's so many other WV State Parks to visit. There's no cell service within 20 minutes or so of the campground/sate park. (We have Google Fi, which uses various towers.) However the wifi from the camp store/office was great. It reached out campsite so that we still felt a little connected (as in we could make a wifi call if we needed) or if we wanted to check the weather (without turning on the weather radio). The folks in the camp store were pleasant & helpful. Always shared treats with our doggo. This is a compact campground but with the trees and majestic azaleas it felt like there was still a lot of privacy. Our travel trailer is on the small side, it's about 16 feet including the length of the tongue. If you have a 'standard'/full size camper you should probably consider other state parks. Look at the site size when you're booking if you have a larger unit. Only a few of the sites seemed large enough for a big camper. There's a potable water fill up across from the camp store. Enough space to stop and fill up on the way to your site. Unfortunately we didn't know prior to coming so we traveled from Ohio with a full fresh water tank. The dump station is tucked off the road to the right on the way out. Quick in and out to dump the waste tank. The road into and out of the campground, much like the roads just outside the state park, are quite narrow. If your unit is wide, proceed with caution on the way into Audra State Park. We hiked the 2.7/3 mile Alum Creek & Cave trail (which is referred to as a loop, but personally I would avoid walking down or up that quite steep gravel hill connecting the top and lower trails.) The trail was wide at the start/end but fairly narrow and full of rocks and roots near the middle. We passed no one on the hike but it's fairly nicely blazed with old paint marks and tacked on trail markers. We hiked lower to upper and I am glad that we went that direction. Started out along the river, went up in several short but at times severe inclines. Be sure to bring water and wear proper footwear. This trail is marked as easy, I would not consider this an easy trail. I would say moderate at best. If it was indeed easy I think I'll stick to easy trails at West Virginia State Parks.

I absolutely loved this park and boardwalk. If you are in the mood to get out and about, check…read moreAudra State Park out. The Boardwalk and scenery is definitely worth the trip! Check Them Out!

It was a rather rainy day on our vacation and I had seen a sign for the Discovery center so we…read moredecided to check it out. We have 6 children with us from 2-10 years old and they all had a good time. There was a lot of different things to check out. I especially liked the microscope and the slides you could choose from and also the different stages of a frog and turtle growing. My kids had a good time just looking at all the animals (real and stuffed). My boys love turtles so that was fun! We also walked over to their aviary area and that was also a good time. There were more things to do there that we would like to come back when it isn't raining. Also, it's free! Yes they have boxes out for donations but it's not an individual fee for everyone which is always a bonus with the kids. I highly recommend stopping here if you are looking for something different to do.

We visited the discovery center today because we thought it would be a good rainy day activity. To…read moreour surprise it was really awesome and free! There were some live animals on their first floor including snakes, salamanders and turtles. Their basement level had kids activities to play with including puzzles, furs to touch, fossils to look at and place in sand. On the other end they have a small aviary with about 6 birds to look at. That part is outside. It also looked like their was a playground, so should it not be raining it would be great to go to. Definitely recommend for little ones to visit if you are passing through.