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    Keystone State Park

    4.2 (27 reviews)

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    Building with restrooms
    Tiffany Y.

    According to Keystone State Park's website, the park traces its history to the early 1900s. The Keystone Coal and Coke Company built a lake here and transported its water to a facility to wash coal. The executives used the lake also for recreational activities such as boating and fishing, and they built lodges for meetings, vacations, and hunting. In 1945, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania acquired the land. Today, the park is about 1,200 acres in size. Its amenities include the lake and sand beach, visitor center, picnic tables, lodging (i.e., cabins, cottages, and yurts), campground for tents, modern restrooms, hiking trails, ball field, boat rental, and fishing pier. Visitors may choose to go swimming, watch wildlife, attend educational programs, hunt in certain areas during hunting seasons, etcetera. This past weekend, a group of my friends and I visited Keystone State Park. I arrived around 11 AM on a Sunday, and I easily found a parking space in a lot. I explored a farmers market that had been set up in nearby tents. We found picnic tables under mature trees for shade. The lake and beach were within walking distance. In June, the water surprisingly felt cold. A friend went fishing. We enjoyed each others' company and the activities at this park, and we feel interested in returning again in the future.

    chicory flower in the park.
    Burt G.

    This is a great spot for hiking trails, wild life peeping, or just to enjoy the great outdoors. Many species of wild birds and animals can be seen as well as a great deal of wild mushroom species. I highly recommend getting out here to enjoy this park!

    October in Keystone State Park. Only a couple fisherman on the other side of the lake, so it's amazingly peaceful and quiet.
    Ann R.

    Sunday in August, but Keystone Lake State Park is large and open enough that it never feels crowded. There are kayak/canoe rentals, bike trails, fishing areas, bathrooms, a snack bar, and plenty of picnic tables and/or covered pavilions for everyone. We've camped here too. The sites were private and the facilities were clean. The only thing that would make this five stars is if there were more sandy beach areas, but I'm getting used to not having those in PA.

    Boys on the hiking trail
    Kalie M.

    Went for a hike in the state park this afternoon. We hiked about 4.5 miles with our dog. The paths were well marked, easy to follow and overall an enjoyable experience. I must say we will be taking our dog back again- I'm excited to hike the trails in different seasons.

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    Beautiful scenic park, calm and tranquil. Quiet little park with a place to swim, can kayak or fish, hike or camp. Serenity at its finest.

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    McConnells Mill State Park

    McConnells Mill State Park

    4.6(51 reviews)
    57.4 mi

    This beautifully maintained park is a must-visit just 30-40 mins north of Pittsburgh. We planned to…read morevisit the old grist mill and walk the 3 mile out-and-back Kildoo trail over the weekend. It seemed like everyone else had the same plan! Get there early to secure a close parking slot, otherwise, you'll be circling for a while or parking down towards the picnic area. The trail entrance to head down to the mill by the picnic area is currently closed off for stair repairs. They had staff down at the mill sharing a bit of the history to go along with all of the photos and signs with information throughout. The trail was perfectly shaded, mossy, and cool right along the river. I can't wait for my next visit.

    If you live in Pittsburgh or are just visiting the area, McConnells Mill is one of the best day…read moretrips around. It's only about 40 miles north up I-79, so it's an easy drive from the city, but it feels like a completely different world once you get down into the gorge. I've been going there for years with friends and family, and it became my go-to spot to take people when they would visit from out of town. Everyone always loves checking out the historic old gristmill and the red covered bridge right next to it. It's a great, classic view, and if you go during the summer, they usually open up the mill for tours so you can see how it all used to work. The hiking there is fantastic, too, with a good mix of trails depending on what you're up for. You can take a pretty easy walk back to Hell's Hollow Falls, or you can tackle the rougher, rockier trails that run right along Slippery Rock Creek. You definitely want to wear sturdy shoes because the terrain gets steep and the rocks get slick, but the scenery with the rushing whitewater and massive boulders is totally worth it. It's just a beautiful, simple place to get outdoors for a few hours. Whether you want a challenging hike or just want to sit by the water and look at the old bridge, it never disappoints.

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    McConnells Mill State Park
    McConnells Mill State Park
    McConnells Mill State Park

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    Dead Man's Hollow - The first early signs of Spring!  It looks like it will be a good one.  Beautiful crocus flower near the catfish pond area.

    Dead Man's Hollow

    4.1(9 reviews)
    25.2 mi

    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.

    Photos
    Dead Man's Hollow - Beautiful crocus flowers near the catfish pond area.

    Beautiful crocus flowers near the catfish pond area.

    Dead Man's Hollow - The "cloth of gold" crocus flower.

    The "cloth of gold" crocus flower.

    Dead Man's Hollow - Just two dudes hiking the trail.

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    Just two dudes hiking the trail.

    Keystone State Park - parks - Updated September 2026

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