We went in the midst of a 90 degree plus heat wave, the falls were more of a trickle…read more Reaching the falls requires a nice little walk through the woods on a paved path.

What a great place to visit!! A little over an hour from…read morePittsburgh and well worth the drive. I was surprised to learn there were several Buttermilk Falls in the area. Parking lot was spacious and there were restrooms too. There is a pathway down to the falls and also a long walkway around (Mister Rogers Pathway). We chose the long way around which was nice. I can only imagine how beautiful it would be during the fall months. When you arrive to the falls there is an overlook view which is really amazing. You then cross a little bridge and walk down a set of stairs to the waterfall. The stairs were fairly new and manageable- going down and back up. There is an area that you walk and stand under and behind the falls.. I loved that!!! It was so neat. We look forward to returning.

Mount Davis, PA is the highest point in the state at 3213 feet. Hiking it is easy as elevation gain…read moreis pretty negligible, and the shortest route is the high point trail about a mile in and a mile back out from the picnic area. BUT, if you want to make it a worthy trip, I suggest connecting some trails : High Point Trail, Tub Mill Run trail, Timberslide Trail, shelter Rock Road, Shelter Rock Trail, Mt. Davis Trail to Mt Davis tower for about 5 miles Then, the trip back to the car at the picnic area is via the High Point Trail for a mere mile. I found the best resource for connecting these trails was from the book "50 Hikes" in Western Pennsylvania" by Tom Thwaites. And, it pained me as a book lover, but I did tear out those pages to have with me on my trek. They were invaluable. All along every trail are Rhododendron. This would be a glorious hike when they are in bloom. As it was, my trek was late April under sunny skies and 80 degree weather. It was a very pretty hike with a bit of babbling streams and even a natural hot spring. I went on a Monday and didn't see a single soul. Solitude and nature at its best.

Y'all, ignore the address of this page. I have attempted, on several occasions, to have the…read moreaddress updated. The address listed is for a location that is about 45 miles away. If you are attempting to find your way here just type in Mount Davis, Elk Lick Township, PA, 15558. This will take your directly to the area, trust me. There is no higher ground in Pennsylvania than Mt. Davis, literally. It is the highest point in the state, and that is not very high compared to other states, 3,213 feet. The area is located in Forbes State Forest. Mt. Davis Observation Area is a nice area to visit. Listen to me when I say this, do NOT visit this place when there is snow on the ground. You will get stuck, and you will regret it. I definitely did, even with my all wheel drive vehicle. I got stuck and thankfully was helped out by other people that were stuck. When it is nicer out, this is a great place to visit. Once you park in the lot there are several different ways to approach the observation tower. All of this is marked by paths and plagues everywhere. If you are afraid of heights or tight spaces, the observation tower is not for your. It can be a bit dizzying and if someone is coming down, you need to wait for your turn. It is not a staircase that you can step to the side. Once you take in the view from atop the observation tower there is a nearby area that gives you some history of the area and some fun facts. It's a great natural area in Pennsylvania.

As if there wasn't enough parks in the Laurel Highlands, there is Laurel Hill State Park a 3,935…read moreacre natural area of beautiful forest, overlooks, ponds and streams. My recent visit was promising at first, but the rain just kept coming all day long and it "dampened" my spirits completely. I stopped by the main office and got directions to the Jones Mill Dam. Since it was raining so much I gave it some time to clear up, but to no avail. This park is certainly worth checking out and it will be super beautiful later on in the Spring. The wood frogs, spring peepers and other animals will be active. On the same road that this park lies on is two other parks: Kooser State Park and Laurel Ridge State Park, so it is possible to hit those up while in the area. I will certainly make the trip out here later on towards May.

I was staying at Hidden Valley recently and I was looking for a cool place to hike in the area that…read moreI hadn't been to before and I happen to discover this gem. What a great spot for a hike, but an even better place for a swim, relaxing, a picnic on the grass or some sun on the sand by the water. So after we arrived we hit the trail that ran along the water while taking in the small but beautiful lake. We then proceeded to head into the woods. It was a great little hike and the trails were very easy. After we were done hiking we got the huge blanket and the cooler with snacks and drinks in it out of the car and headed over to a shaded spot under the trees. We sat in the grass area in the left corner of the parking lot and listened to music, ate, drank and enjoyed each other's company for a good while. Then after that we packed up our stuff in the car and headed down to the water and enjoyed the lake which is very clean and refreshing and the scenery is absolutely beautiful. I love that they have sand and everyone looked so happy. They also have an area where you can purchase food and beverages but they also have many other great amenities which I am sure can be discovered on here or on their website. I am so glad I discovered this place. I will most definitely be stopping by again when I am in the area. Enjoy :)

This is a lovely area. We had a nice little drive around, and then stopped to do the hike out to…read moreAdam Falls. The small parking area by the trailhead also features an adjacent playground space, plus a nice picnic area. A stream ambles along, and signage indicates that it is stocked with fish. The hike takes you through the woods around to a nice little waterfall, very picturesque in the wood setting. They offer cabins too for those who want to stay onsite and extend their stay.

This is such a cool park that may be overlooked because it is in a secluded little spot in…read moreLigonier, P.A. It has a raging stream, waterfall, natural slides, some old ruins, beautiful trails and natural beauty. It is certainly a hidden gem of this area and should be visited for a joyful weekend excursion. It is especially beautiful in the Fall and Winter, but you can go there year round.

This lovely conservation area is 450 acres of beautiful forest with lots to see and a very shadowy…read morepast. The ruins of an old pipe factory are very visible and there are informative signs that tell the story. These occurrences took place in the 1800's. There is history of criminals murdered, accidental death(pipe factory), a hanging, an explosion, a drowning, a giant snake sighting, all taking place in the park. For this reason many people think that the sight is haunted by the people who met their fate here. I hate to burst the excitement, but I have never experienced ghosts, or any other paranormal activity while spending time there. In fact, despite it's dark past Dead Man's Hollow is a very tranquil place. If you have been there during May when Spring season really kicks off you will see tons of wildflowers that are spectacular. The pipe factory had a fire and the ground was burned. This happens to be very good for re-growth and as a result we get to experience a lot of beautiful flora. Also, the old pipe factory remains are covered with cool graffiti. The trails are at times narrow, but they are very clean. You are at some point going to climb up and down hills, so it is a very good workout. I would say that the hiking is a bit more challenging. To find it I would suggest searching via a trailhead name and not just the park name. One example would be "cat fish pond trail." There is a nice parking area near that trailhead. There is also another parking area on the other side of the park(more on that later). This other side is closer to the ruins.

We checked out the catfish pond today. It looked promising at first but soon discovered that there…read moreis very little accessibility to fish there. The spots that are open are at an incline sloped towards the pond and are very slippery and hazardous. I do not recommend taking young kids there. My daughter and I fished for an hour or so and only saw bluegill in the 3-4" range and smaller minnows. We used lures and worms and had many bites but the fish were too small to get hooked. We did see many water turtles and even a few babies whose shell was about 2-3" in diameter. We also saw one large snapping turtle appear for a few seconds. There are also a bunch of bullfrog minnows whose bodies were the size of golf balls (early June). It's a cool place to see but we won't be returning to fish.

We had a wonderful few days camping at Coopers Rock! The…read moresites are a good size and decently spaced apart so we have a good amount of privacy. The campsite bathroom was clean, well stocked and regularly maintained. All of the employees at the trading post were friendly as well! Park rangers drove around regularly (4-5 time through the campsite a day I'd say). My only wish would be adding closure information onto the website so people know ahead of time. During our visit the main overlook was under construction/maintenance so there was no access to it. Which was a little disappointing since it looks beautiful online! But it was a short 5 minute walk out to the overlook so it was easy to get back to a different trail. (It is clear the individuals who work and manage the park take great pride in it, and take care of the facilities wonderfully!).

Tony and I stopped at Cooper's Rock near Bruceton Mills to enjoy the beautiful weather and to enjoy…read morethe Almost Heaven Swing located there Its free to enjoy with tons of trails for hiking

Zen City!!!! It's an…read moreeasy little walk down to the falls. I've been here on days it is packed and the water flow is minimal and on days it's completely empty when the water is high. Either way, there are many ways to see the falls in all of its glory whether being above them or below them. I truly enjoy being close to the falls with the nice chill in the air by being under one of the many rock formations. It's a great place to cool off after a long day of hiking and/or biking at Ohiopyle. Check it out the next time you're in the area. Enjoy :D

Cucumber Falls, while it was a bit underwhelming due to low water levels, definitely tickled my…read morepickle and made me smile. The water, which resembled that of my tap water (except cleaner), proved to be a great hand cleanser as my fingers were filthy after searching for a worm to feed my little birdie. Several people visiting the falls were underdressed, but they paid for it by failing to put on sunscreen and ended up torching their torsos. Beautiful scenery.

Oooo, just visited this divine natural area and it is gorgeous! They have a very nice woodland…read morewith a beautiful stream, rock formations, well marked trails and pretty hemlock trees. It is owned by the Audubon Society and is in Sarver, P.A. We went at the end of February and some of the trails were extremely muddy. We had to back track and go different paths because we didn't want to be steeped in mud. You should for sure bring some good boots with lots of traction. It is definitely worth the visit!

A great place to hike not far off of route 28 that's quiet and scenic with lots to see. There's a…read morereally nice pond not far from the beginning of the trail. Great place to take the kids to see wildlife and explore nature plus it's Free.

The Coal & Coke Trail is a neat little biking and hiking trail in Westmoreland County connecting…read moreMount Pleasant with Scottdale. A mere 5 miles in length, it's one of the few Rails-to-Trails I hadn't covered yet. Really, I couldn't justify the time or gas money to do a 10 mile round trip bike ride. A 10 mile hike is of course another story! And that's just what I did as part of my employer's wellness program. I planned the whole thing and of course headed up the hardy group of hikers able to complete the entire 10 mile round trip. The trail begins and ends in city parks at both ends. We began at Willows Park in Mount Pleasant. The address I gave you above is the parking lot and it's based on information from www.traillink.com Drinking water and restrooms are available in the park, but the restrooms appear to be closed in winter. We began by working our way southbound. The trail was built on the roadbed of a Pennsylvania RR branch. As ts name implies, the railroad hauled coke ad coal over the line. The railroad was abandoned for many years, however after 8 years of planning, the trail opened in 2007. Upon leaving town, we hiked through some scenic wooded areas to the town of Bridgeport. At one point we noticed the trail paralleling an active rail line. The forest here is old growth and we crossed one of a few small streams. Beyond the town of Bridgeport, we again entered the woodlands while paralleling Jacobs Creek. Curving to the west as we approached Scottdale, we arrived at the scenic high point of the day. The sewage treatment plant. Yep! The trail even goes through plant's parking lot and is routed onto Sewage Treatment Lane! Well no worries--we crossed Old US 119 and then ducked under the new highway before entering our last stretch of woodlands. Part of the trail is incomplete at Scottdale, so we had to walk down Mildred Street , Bessemer Street, and Mt. Pleasant Road (they're actually all the same street) before reaching Kendi Park. The trail resumes briefly here but this was our rest stop and turnaround point. So this is a pleasant and relatively easy trail to hike or bike. Just remember, there aren't any places to obtain food or water along the path, so be sure to bring adequate supplies of each.

Great place to walk. You can choose to challenge yourself or take it easy. Got lots of great pics…read moreas well

DO NOT GO FULL SPEED ON THE SLIDES!!!!!!!! They are fun but…read moreREALLY fast and you WILL fly off if you don't drag your feet when sliding down. Especially for the curvier slide on the left. My glasses flew off of my face and I thought I was going to fly off of the edge, but instead landed on the ground with a nice bruise on my shin as a souvenir. The plastic "kids slide" is like going down a thin lobster tail and is bumpy on the way down. Anyway. Would come back. The slides are still fun even when moving at a reasonable speed. The rock scramble stairs and the cargo net to get back up are also fun. Yes, I am an adult.

I loved it here and my kids said they never wanted to leave…read moreAn the wild life is so beautiful And the surroundings there were all so peaceful and proper and wonderful and I wish I could live there