Tudek Park is our favorite place in State College! They have a gorgeous butterfly garden, a large…read moredog park with two areas for small/large dogs, lots of benches, beautiful views, tennis courts, playing fields, the works. The walking path going around the park always makes for a nice walk or jog. It's just a lively and happy place.

Pretty good space overall however just isn't the biggest dog park. Nice space and a few trees but…read morenot a lot of places to sit. Seems busy often though.

On the one hand, the park isn't what it used to be. On the other, it still provides valuable…read moreservices to the community. Plus, there are a lot of ducks and geese living there. The park lies along Kishacoquillas Creek and features a one-mile walking/running trail around the perimeter. A large portion of this trail fronts the creek, and it is a beautiful site for a stroll, or to sit on a bench and read. Another main feature are the picnic pavilions. Family reunions, scout groups, church groups, youth sports teams, and many others utilize the pavilions for events. They are simple but serviceable, with grills, water, and picnic tables. The park also houses the Stone Arch Players, a local theater troupe. I can't vouch, but they've been going strong for about twenty years, and people seem to like it. At least they're making an effort to bring some culture, no matter how amateur, to the area. Mini-golf: For $2.25, you can play a round on the boringly simple but surprisingly well maintained 18-hole course. This course was $1 when I was a kid, and aside from paint touchups and new carpets, only three holes have changed since then. Par on the back nine seems high (I shot -5 on the way in this afternoon) but whether you keep score or not, it's always fun. Plus, how can you beat $2.25?! Hundreds of ducks and geese call the park home. I always enjoy watching these birds for some reason. Hey, everybody likes ducks, right?

This is a dog friendly community park. It features a nice walking trail, a very small seasonal mini…read moregolf course, a batting cage, several athletic fields, great picnic areas, solid trout fishing, a playground, and a small camping area. There are spots with baggies for any of the little doggy messes your best friend may make. There are also public restrooms. My favorite feature of the park is the remains of what use to be a theme park. Here you will find the remains of an old bumper car house, an old stage, and some other remnants of the old Kish park. Growing up in the area, I have many fond summer memories at Kish park. From baseball and reunions to fishing and family walks. In the Christmas season, a local group decorates the park with lights. It makes for a fun walk in the brisk winter air. There are some things that are to be desired in the park. It would be nice to see a revitalized park with rides for the kids. This would be a great place to put one of those community classic style carousels. The park could use a little bit of a facelift as long as they preserve the historical aspect of the old rides. Maybe the mini golf could use an update. Also, maybe it is time to get the old closed up pool ripped out or turn it into a place for local skateboarders to play. All that said, it is a solid place to take the kids on a weekend or to just go and sit down to eat a pizza or subs with the family. I live fairly close to the park and probably don't spend enough time there.

We love to Circleville park! It's surrounded by forests and farmland, so it's easy to relax and…read morefeel connected to nature. Circleville park has a playground with two great play structures, plus a sandbox, swings, and lots of other amenities. There are 4 picnic pavilions (but no real bathroom facilities), 3 sand volleyball courts, 2 basketball courts, plus some tennis courts that aren't technically part of the park, but they look like they should be. There are other sports fields as well (soccer, softball, baseball...), a disc golf course, and a mile-long perimeter path around the whole thing. There are two entrances to Circleville Park: one is off of Circleville Rd, and the other via Valley Vista Dr. The play structures are closer to the Circleville Rd entrance. The only real downside to this park (apart from the portable toilets!) is that there's not much shade, so our favorite time to visit Circleville is in the evening. It's a great place to unwind from a busy day.

Great park! Very clean and well maintained. The farm side of the park (off Circleville) is used…read moreheavily for youth soccer and picnics. My kids loved the playgrounds when they were younger

Holmes-Foster is a fantastic park to enjoy nature, have a group event, or play with your kids. It…read moredoesn't have extensive adult sporting facilities, but there are tennis courts a block or two away at the highschool. What it does have are two huge pavilions that you can reserve or just claim as first come first serve, super clean bathrooms, a big playground, and abundant green space and trees. It's a beautiful place to walk around if you want to see some nature but don't have time to drive to a state park.

Holmes-Foster is a great park for several reasons…read more First, there's lots of shade - which is especially important in those summer months. Second, there's plenty of green space and a great big hill to run up and down for those who have extra energy. Third, there are two separate playgrounds. The one uphill is great for the bigger kids. It has a larger play structure, a climbing wall, a slide, and a basketball court. The one downhill is great for the littler ones. It has a small play structure, a great little "bus" for kids to play in, some ride-on toys, and some swings. What's more - there are bathrooms, 2 picnic pavilions, and a water fountain. You can get to the park two different ways: 600 S. Sparks St. (upper playground) & 901 Westerly Pkwy (lower playground). We usually park in the Westerly lot, which is right across the street from Our Lady of Victory Catholic Church.

There was nothing there my kids, disappointed, and the tower was too high people almost hurt my kidread more

My two kiddos loved this park! Suitable for toddlers and big kids. Bring your bikes, there's so…read moremuch space to play and ride.

Some pictures I've taken at this park over the years. It's really beautiful and calming and they…read morehave a small playground as well as 2 bridges that cross over the creek.

This is a beautiful park. Lots of trees. Spring Creek runs through it. Some ball fields for the…read morekids and adults who still think they are kids. There is even a covered wooden walking bridge across the creek along a walking trail. There is lots of parking. They also have indoor bathrooms that look to be in decent shape. This is a great place to take the kids after picking up a pizza. They can play on the playground after eating at the picnic tables. The playground equipment is modern. There is even a sandbox. The park is great because it doesn't get too busy. That allows for ducks and some of the wildlife to show up from time to time. Lots of shade for the hot Summertime. Also, the stream is nice and cool to put your feet in and cool off.

I've lived in bellefonte for 15 years now, and in the picture you see down below used to be open…read moreand well kept, and now it looks like a giant swamp that's been left to overgrow and take over. It's very unsightly, and quite frankly it makes the Park look very trashy, and I can only think of the reason why they would do this and try to claim that it's for environmental purposes, is because they don't have a groundskeeper that's willing to keep up with everything. It looks absolutely terrible.

Such a beautiful park with nice walking path and beautiful views. All flat. Lots of parking. Lots…read moreof ducks so beware of that.

When your Adventure Buddy makes one request..."Can we hike Mount Nittany?" The answer is obviously…read moreyes. Neither of us had ever hiked Mount Nittany before, but after a little research, a mid-July Sunday morning seemed like the perfect time to explore one of central Pennsylvania's most iconic mountains. About an hour and a half later, we pulled into the trailhead parking lot just before 8:00 a.m. Parking was plentiful, GPS brought us right to the trailhead and, before we even started hiking, I encountered what may have been the biggest surprise of the morning: the trailhead porta john. It was...spotless. Seriously. I've encountered plenty of questionable trailhead restrooms over the years, so finding one that clean in the middle of July honestly deserved its own shoutout. After getting ourselves organized, we hit the trail. During my pre-hike research, I'd read quite a few reviews recommending the short white-blazed trail to the famous Mike Lynch Overlook. The only problem? That route climbs roughly 600 feet in about half a mile. Since my Adventure Buddy was a brand-new hiker, I decided we'd take the one-mile blue-blazed trail to the Nittany Mall Overlook instead before completing most of the loop in a clockwise direction. Past me made an excellent decision! The blue trail was definitely a workout, but it was manageable and gave us a chance to ease into the climb instead of immediately tackling the steepest section of the mountain. Once we reached the top, the hike transformed into a beautiful walk through the woods with overlook after overlook waiting to be discovered. Some of the scenic overlooks were partially hidden behind the thick summer foliage. But, honestly...that's a pretty wonderful problem to have! The forest was lush, green and absolutely thriving. As we worked our way around the loop, I kept checking in with my Adventure Buddy, who was having an absolute blast! Watching someone discover a love of hiking is almost as rewarding as the hike itself. We intentionally saved the Mike Lynch Overlook for last. And I'm so glad we did! Standing there looking out over Happy Valley felt like the perfect grand finale to an already fantastic morning. Instead of retracing our steps, we took the shorter white-blazed trail back down to the parking lot. Now that we'd actually experienced both routes, I would absolutely make the same decision again. Descending that steep section was challenging enough. If we'd climbed it first thing in the morning, I don't think we would've had the energy to complete the nearly 5.9-mile adventure we enjoyed that day. One thing that really stood out throughout the entire hike was how well people care for Mount Nittany. The trails were remarkably clean. I saw virtually no trash, no graffiti and very little evidence of careless visitors. It's obvious this mountain means a lot to the community, and it shows. Timing also worked in our favor. We finished around 11:30am, just as the trails were becoming noticeably busier. By the time we returned to the parking lot, it had filled considerably compared to when we arrived. PRO TIP: Start early. You'll enjoy cooler temperatures, quieter trails and much better opportunities to soak in the overlooks without crowds. I'd also recommend downloading or printing a trail map before you go. While the trails are well-marked overall, there were a couple of intersections where we appreciated having the map to confirm we were headed the right direction. Mount Nittany turned out to be everything I'd hoped it would be! Beautiful views. Peaceful forests. A great workout. Wonderful memories with a friend. And, perhaps most importantly...proof that sometimes the best hiking decision you make happens before you ever take your first step.

This trail is very well marked and maintained. I'm a big hiker and love to explore trails when…read morevisiting new places. The white and blue trails are marked with signs noting stations, distance, and steepness (topography maps show lines close together for steep areas and farther away for more flat) I stuck to the white trail for the energy I had in me that day, but like that you could go in and out of each to see overlooks or get more exercise depending on what you want. Very 'choose your own adventure'! The beginning part is a big steep, but not long or unbearable. Overall great place!