One of my favorite trails in the Harrisburg area! Riverfront Park is a beautiful, well-kept place…read moreto get outside and enjoy some time along the river. The trail is paved and easy to walk or bike A great way to bike uptown or downtown while enjoying the river views A great spot to watch the sunset Plenty of benches along the way to sit and relax The park and trail are well maintained It's a great place for a walk, bike ride, a relaxing evening, or simply enjoying the views. Definitely one of my favorite places in the area to get some fresh air.

Nice park with some benches along the way. There's a path you can walk alongside the river. Haven't…read moregotten to explore it yet but the bridge in the background connects Harrisburg downtown to City Island.

Fisher Park is a fantastic family park tucked away in a Mechanicsburg neighborhood, and it's…read moreabsolutely worth a visit. The rubber surface throughout the park is a nice touch, though it can get quite warm on hot days thankfully, the park has misting machines to help cool things down (a few were out of order during our visit, maybe 2-3 out of 4 working, but still appreciated). There are also nice pockets of shade scattered around. The playground is well-designed with separate sections for toddlers (2 and under) and older kids (5-12), so everyone has their space. Right across from the park is a soccer field, giving kids even more room to run. A walking path wraps around the area, making it great for adults too. The pavilion is a standout feature ,it's the first thing you see when you arrive, and it's beautiful. The bathrooms are attached to it and were impressively clean, spacious, and a welcome cool-down spot on a warm day. There are water fountains on site, though they didn't appear to be working during our visit. Parking is ample, and on certain days, especially in summer a vendor or food truck sets up nearby, which is a fun bonus. The park isn't heavily bee-infested, just the occasional one here and there, nothing to worry about. Bonus: Fisher Park is conveniently located near two other great spots, a park with a dedicated splash pad just across and down the street, and Winding Hill Park not far away either. A perfect trio for a full day of outdoor family fun! Highly recommend this park for families. We'll definitely be back!

Love love love this park!! Super cute toddler area, then a…read morebig playground for older kiddos. The sprinklers are also a big fav and always a fun time!

Lovely quiet early afternoon walk on City Island, not too hot or humid. I usually walk around the…read moreisland's 1.5 mile path for at least three miles. During the week and early the best time to get space to park. The Carousel ride is open today Fridays for the weekend during the summer. Miniature golf always seems to be open and busy but I do see Mom's with their kids on the City Island playground.

It had been years since I last walked around City Island, but I have vivid memories of what it used…read moreto feel like -- beautiful, lively, full of people walking, biking, walking their dogs, and enjoying a well-maintained playground and open spaces. Returning recently felt less like revisiting an old favorite and more like realizing how much something you care about has changed... and not for the better. The disappointment started as soon as I pulled into the parking lot. Deep potholes, chunks of scraped-up blacktop piled near the stairs, and metal crowd-control barriers scattered throughout the lot gave an immediate sense that things weren't quite right. I fully understand that it's winter in Central PA -- snow, salt, and weather take their toll -- so I wasn't expecting perfection. But this felt like more than seasonal wear and tear. It felt like neglect. Aside from the stadium -- which stands tall, clean, and well-maintained even in the middle of winter -- much of the rest of the island looks forgotten. And this isn't just a "winter off-season" issue. The more I walked, the more signs of long-term neglect became clear: peeling paint, rusting structures, broken or deteriorating features that appear to have been left untouched for years. What started as mild disappointment turned into genuine sadness as I compared what I was seeing to photos I have from visits many years ago, when the island felt welcoming, cared for, and full of pride. As a Central PA native, it's difficult to see such a beautiful and potentially vibrant space in this condition -- especially one that represents our state's capital to visitors. City Island should be a showcase destination, and right now it feels like a missed opportunity. There seem to be so many possibilities for community involvement -- volunteer projects, partnerships with local organizations, youth programs -- to help restore and maintain the island. For whatever reason, it doesn't appear that those efforts are happening, and that's disappointing. The views of the river and the city skyline remain beautiful, as always -- as long as you keep your focus outward rather than on the island itself. I truly hope to see City Island revived and restored to the welcoming, vibrant place I remember.

This park is very close to my house my dog and I walk there frequently. New Pickle ball courts are…read moreused a lot as well as the two playground areas and basketball courts. It is also a good place to spot bluebirds as the park has several bluebird houses.

The park is big and quite. The park have 2 playgrounds. 1 on the top and 1 on the bottom…read more They also have basketball court and also the trail for people to walk. if you don't like the crowd, this is definitely the place. In the summer time, they have a movie night that start first week after the school start and last until the week before school start. They also have a free ruffles with prices. there are also 2 different pavilion, great for picnic or small outdoor party.

Detweiler is one of our favorite places to visit and offers so much. The trails can be as…read morechallenging or as mild and casual as you'd like depending who you're with and what you want to do. In our minds, the real attraction is the close proximity to Harrisburg and the magnificent, tall trees and pine needle-carpeted wooded areas. It's a treat walking down the long, tree-lined trails and, especially, listening to the trees "talking" as they rub against each other in the wind. When visiting in warmer months, it's always delightful to stop at 3B's for ice cream or other treats after hiking.

What a fantastic park! So many great walking paths to pick from for a nice light stroll. Well…read moremaintained walking paths with minimal effort. Lots of wildlife, foliage and flowers. The parking lot is split into multiple sections so there is plenty of parking. Dog friendly, just keep them on a leash and pick up after your 4-legged family member. The visitor center is nice with very clean bathrooms. Lots of pollinator gardens spread along the visitor center. Multiple locations to sit and enjoy nature. Downside, they have a lot of poison ivy and poison oak and a lot of introduced invasive plants like the rosa multiflora. Pretty, but shouldn't be in the US. Overall, definitely recommend this park for a nice relaxing walk.

Let me tell you something. During this time of Covidiousness, we've certainly done our fair share…read moreof outdoorsy types of things. While coming to a state park like this in York County may not seem like an obvious choice, it's actually been the perfect place. I'm not going to go in to any history or backstory (I covered that in my initial musings several years ago) but what sets this park apart from most PA state parks is its size. While the park is only 85 acres (PA has 121 state parks and some of them clock in at north of 15K acres just for a sense of scope) it's layout allows for things to feel more spread out than you would assume. The main road that wraps around the park is great for walking but there are also two miles of trails which if done in a clockwise direction are actually somewhat challenging with how it'll be mostly uphill. There is also a disc gold course, a rock formation that kids will love to climb on, a few small swing sets placed at different spots and a large open field at the top of hill with one hell of a view towards the Susquehanna River, Wrightsville and Columbia. The best part about this place is that it's rural enough so that it's never too busy. We've made trips to some state parks closer to us (Jacobsburg-Nockamixon-Lehigh Gorge) recently and they have been consistently packed. Here, not so much. The drive here is easy. There is an amazing view. There is usually more than enough space for everyone to spread out and do whatever they want. Sounds perfect to me and we'll be back this weekend.

Samuel S. Lewis State Park does not offer you a bunch of amenities. There's no amazing new…read moreplayground for the kiddies (although there are some swings and such throughout). There's very few short trails around the park (but enough to satisfy my dogs and if you go the "right" way, you get quite a workout hiking uphill). However, what you DO get is gorgeous views of the river and landscape from atop Mt. Pisgah. You also get open space to roam and run around. And my son's favorite part are the rocks! He loves to climb and explore. It's almost possible for me to give any park less than five stars--especially one with such a beautiful view. You won't regret the trip to visit this park. I'm just lucky that it's only 15 minutes from home. P.S. Go read Christopher C.'s review--it's very thorough and well-written.

This small park on the west side of the Susquehanna River has a small amount of street parking. I…read morewould imagine that this is probably a great spot to see fireworks, but not at this time of year. A nice view of the river and the Harrisburg skyline. If you want to be near open water in Central Pennsylvania, this is a good place. There is a path along the river, a couple of docks (I assume privately owned) and some benches if you'd like to sit. Look for the flagpole. [Review 12131 overall, 1915 of 2019.]

I've now hiked Pine Grove Furnace twice -- once on a warm February Saturday morning just to get out…read moreand move, and once specifically to check out the Appalachian Trail Midway Point marker. Both visits delivered exactly what I was looking for: quiet, well-maintained woods and a chance to disappear for a bit. Parking was easy both times. I found spots right near the trailheads without circling or waiting, which immediately set the tone for a low-stress hike. Even better? Across both visits, I saw a grand total of three other people. Three. If you're looking for seclusion and space to think, this is a solid choice. The trails themselves are clearly cared for. They were well-maintained, free of trash and debris, and the recent tree work was evident in the best way -- cleaned up, safe, and thoughtfully handled. Blazes were easy to follow and intersections were clearly marked, so navigation on the ground wasn't an issue at all. One important heads-up: I had zero cell service with Verizon either time I was there. None. Plan ahead. Download your maps, save your trail info offline, and don't rely on pulling anything up once you're in the woods. It's peaceful... but it's disconnected. Beyond the trails themselves, there's a lot to appreciate in the area -- from Appalachian Trail landmarks like the Midway Point marker to the surrounding natural beauty that makes this part of Pennsylvania so special. It's one of those places that feels quietly significant without being overrun. If you're looking for a quiet hike, a reset, or just some time in well-kept woods without crowds, Pine Grove Furnace is an excellent option. Peaceful, scenic, and exactly what it should be.

Charged us $34 for Pine Grove group camping even though I said twice we didn't stay in the group…read morecamping area and that it was a Michaux site, the worker didn't believe me I guess. The physical sign next to my site said $10 per night for PA residents, $15 out of state, the employee told me "No none of our sites would be that cheap". No intentions on returning which is unfortunate because the site was very nice and spacious and had a small fire pit. Don't charge us for Pine Grove Furnace State Park Organized Group Camping when we stayed in the Michaux State Forest campground just a tad further down the exact same camping road.