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.

A great neighborhood park with a basketball court, tennis court, volleyball court, and sledding…read morehill. It's also a nice place to watch the 4th of July Fireworks Show.

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.

This park is so nice, clean, and inviting. I wish you didn't have to pay to unlock the soccer…read more(football) goals.

This park has gotten a recent face-lift, as it gained a new play structure in the summer of 2013…read more It was the result of a joint venture between a non-profit (KaBoom!), the Pennsylvania Municipal League, and State College - built with the help of 175 volunteers, and with the inspiration from kids' drawings! This is a great place to visit if you have active kids, especially if they love to climb. There are all sorts of ladders & tunnels to climb, plus some of the longest slides in State College. The play structures for the younger & older kids are right next to each other, so the kids were mostly running back & forth between them, rather than staying on the structure that was designated for their age group. The other cool thing in this park is an updated merry-go-round. Kids either climb inside and ride that way, or they hang from the ropes/bars, but regardless of how they ride - it seems like fun! The original play equipment is still there, so there are still a few swings just across the field from the new park. Orchard Park is huge - it covers nearly 20 acres, and includes a walking/bike path, basketball & tennis courts, soccer fields, an amphitheater, picnic areas, ... and bathrooms (right next to the older playground.) To reach the new play area, just drive a ways down Bayberry Dr. (from Blue Course), and the playground is right behind the parking area. The official address is: (1060-1106 Bayberry Dr. State College, PA)

Super cool boardwalk on the marsh, kinda disappointed that half of it is blocked off and it's…read moretaking forever to get fixed but I still love it

Beautiful wetlands park with miles of boardwalk trails in state college pa. This park offers a…read morelarge wetlands area with numerous streams cutting through it. The park is very well kept and a great place to take a short hike or get a little exercise. The park also offers a viewing blind for birdwatching or scoping out animals. Overall a really cool nature preserve in State College Pa.

Was visiting state college for the week and this place came highly recommended. It was a little…read morefurther from the main campus area but so worth it! Everything is pristinely maintained, with something different and beautiful around each corner. Lots of signage labelling each plant and seating to enjoy the peaceful atmosphere. I brought out my drawing pad and even had a few people approach asking if I was part of a drawing group -- it meets every Tuesday (I believe at 10 or 10:30am?) so I happily joined the group as they use the grounds for inspiration of whatever the weeks prompt and reconvene for a group review.

Literally a wonderful and calming space. Love coming and walking around when in the area. The…read moregrounds are beautifully kept and I love that they have so many labels for the various plants. The children's garden is wonderful and whimsical with lots of interactive things for the kids to play with/on, including musical instruments. There is a paid parking lot nearby.

Only went once but it looks nice for sledding, I was jealous of the kids that were sledding down…read morethe hill

This park is mostly known for sledding in the winter, but it's also heavily used by runners and has…read morea nice connection (across a covered bridge) to a bike path. There's a small picnic pavilion, a beautiful stream, and a small playground area at the top of the hill.

I don't really think of Pennsylvania as swamp land but this Natural Area has a 320 acre bog high up…read morein the mountains of Rothrock State Forest. It's popular with bears who like the wild blueberries that grow here and with birders. It's fairly remote; surrounded by ridges so the lights from State College and other smaller towns are mostly blocked out and there are open areas where the trees don't get in the way. You can see the milky way on any clear night.

This is a great remote spot to hike, camp, fish, and generally just get away from everything. It…read moreis located within the Rothrock State Forest, adjacent to Greenwood Furnace State Park, and near the site of an old CCC camp. There are 18 rustic campsites, with water fountains/spigots, non-flush toilets, picnic tables, and grills available for campers and day use visitors. There are garbage cans available, but it is advised that you pack out your trash if possible. The roads leading into and out of the park are unpaved and are not plowed in the winter. Four wheel drive is not necessary to get there, but if you drive a car that is low to the ground be aware that the trip up will not be the smoothest. We spent a long weekend here in mid October, and while there were a few other couples and families camping on Fri/Sat night, on Sunday we were completely alone. It was isolated and a little creepy, but ultimately it was really nice to be away from civilization! Rangers drive through a couple times of day. There are some nice trails, lots of wildlife (keep your food in your car, if you don't want to be visited by foxes and coyotes in the middle of the night) streams, and a pond that is stocked for fishing. It is a nice, quiet place to kick back & enjoy the outdoors. I am really looking forward to visiting again!

Used to take Leo here to stare at the stars. Wow! There's a crapload of them here. Was always glad…read moreLeo was along because there's remnants of the famous Seven Mountains black wolf pack still around. Maybe they were just huge black coyotes but they certainly sounded like the wolves from a Dracula movie howling.