A true jewel of an outdoor spot for boating, camping, fishing and swimming. Raystown lake is…read morehuge...28 miles and over 120 miles of shoreline between Huntington and Saxton, Pa, not far from Altoona in central PA. Clean water - you can swim care free and eat the fish you catch. Public launches and two nice marinas. Lake Raystown resort is terrific for family fun, especially if you're a boat owner! This is a wonderful gem in PA for family fun! We've been coming for years...and love it!

Quiet, peaceful, friendly guest. I can't wait to bring my family and friends next summerread more

When my adventure buddy casually asked, "Hey...do you want to ride The Pride of the Susquehanna on…read moreSunday?" my first response, surprisingly, wasn't "YES!" like it usually is. It was..."WAIT...THAT THING STILL FLOATS?!" I distinctly remember riding The Pride of the Susquehanna probably 30 years ago on a school field trip, but somewhere along the way I guess I just assumed it had quietly retired into the history books. Nope. She's still cruising the Susquehanna! And I was WAY more excited about that than a 40-something-year-old probably should have been! My adventure buddy grabbed our tickets ahead of time through the website for $20 per adult and we picked the 2:00 p.m. sightseeing cruise. The Pride offers a variety of cruises throughout the season, from narrated sightseeing trips to specialty cruises and private charters, making it a pretty unique ways to experience the Susquehanna River. We arrived a few minutes before departure, checked in quickly, and walked aboard. Instant nostalgia! It was exactly how I remembered it! Downstairs featured the same warm, dark wood interior with a bar, while upstairs offered the open-air deck where you can sit back, relax and enjoy some beautiful views as the only authentic stern-driven paddlewheel riverboat operating on the Susquehanna makes its way upriver before turning around for the return trip. Naturally, we made a quick stop at the bar before heading upstairs. Two beers and a bottle of water came to around $12, and with drinks in hand we settled in to enjoy the sunshine. Was this the most thrilling boat excursion you'll ever take? No. Absolutely not. You're not racing through rapids or spotting whales. You're simply enjoying a peaceful 45-minute cruise along one of Central Pennsylvania's most recognizable rivers. And honestly...that's kind of the point. The breeze coming off the water, the sunshine, the familiar skyline of Harrisburg and the gentle rhythm of the paddlewheel made for a wonderfully relaxing Sunday afternoon. Sometimes slowing down for 45 minutes is exactly what you need. Parking on City Island is plentiful and free, and the dock is conveniently located near the baseball stadium, exactly where I remembered it from all those years ago! One bonus tip...if you're looking to stretch your afternoon into an even bigger adventure, the Harrisburg Beach Club is just a short walk down City Island after your cruise. It makes the perfect follow-up stop for food, drinks, live music and soaking up a little more sunshine. The Pride of the Susquehanna may not be the flashiest attraction around, but it's one of those classic Central PA experiences that somehow manages to stay charming decade after decade. I'm really glad it's still floating. And I'm even happier that I finally climbed back aboard!

Great evening on the Pride of the Susquehanna! We listened to music provided by Lil Brother Band…read more They are great musicians and fun to listen to as they bring energy and joy to the stage. The ride on the riverboat is amazing as you pass under the bridges and by many sites and buildings of our wonderful city. Highly recommend doing the music events in the Pride !

We had a wonderful stay at Gifford Pinchot State Park!…read more The camping area at GP is separated into A loop and B loops with approximately 300 sites. All sites had a paved pad, varying in size depending on the location, with tent site being smaller. Most sites have electric and there are 22 full hookup sites in the camping area. Both loops are peninsulas into the lake, which is convenient to launching boats directly from many sites. Loop A is closer to the designated swimming area with a sandy beach and playground. B loop is closer to many of the hiking trails and also several boat launch areas. It is nice that the camping area and amenities are separated from the public day use area. At the entrance to the camping area there are three dump stations. During our stay we were at a full hookup site which was very spacious and often hard to find in PA State Parks. Our site was #299 and for some reason the entire site was paved/blacktop, which was different than all the other sites where the pad was paved and the picnic table area was gravel/grass. While this site made it easy to level our camper, it became quite hot in the afternoon/evening after the sun had baked it all day. Overall, we thoroughly enjoyed GP and couldn't believe we hadn't visited before because it is a great state park. Wood is available for purchase at the campground hosts' sites and ice at the park office. As with most PA state parks, quiet hours are at 9:00PM, which is a bit early, and there is no alcohol allowed in the park. We look forward to returning to GP in the future.

First stay here while traveling and it is a fine spot to stay while passing through. They did have…read morea camp host in our area, A, though we never saw them even when we went looking b/c of a question we had. Never saw them the entire time we were there. The park is fine, needs a little TLC which the volunteers are doing a great job taking care of.

Great selection of paddleboards and excellent service. Also have kayaks, leasing, lessons, and…read moretrips. Store is cute and personnel wonderful and informative.

I rent kayaks from here. The current price for a single-person kayak is $26 for 2 hours (which…read moreincludes kayak, paddle & life-jacket), then $8 for every hour after that. The kayaks are already lined up at the launch point until the day is over. Go play, then after you return your rental gear, go pay. The Susquehanna River is a gentle river...the water is more like that of a bay or a lake. There are beaches and islands to explore. There are marinas and and docks so there is some traffic areas with boaters and jet-skiers, but it isn't daunting...just stick to the river bank until you're comfortable...you will be paddling in the middle of the river, soaking up the view like a pro before you even realize it! The staff is really, really nice, friendly and helpful. I highly recommend spending the day on the Susquehanna and Shank's Mare. note: the launch point is directly across the shop where there is public parking, picnic tables, docks, fishing, duck feeding, etc.

I was here in the winter time so I am guessing that this place is even better in the warmer…read moreseasons. There's a great trail around the lake, the furnaces are there with some nice information about the history of the area, so well constructed shelters to reserve for your group, and even more trails to explore that go across the hill and across the road. I feel like I barely saw a fraction of the area on my 4 mile hike, so I'll be back.

Pennsylvania is home to some of the best Parks! Greenwood Furnace Park is one of them!…read more They have over 10 different hikes all in a variety of difficulties. For example, part of The Standing Stone Trail is in the Greenwood Furnace Park! The trails go past areas including beaches, dams, forests, historic buildings and more! At times the hiking trails became overgrown. If hiking is not your thing they also have boating and fishing options. Obviously, the lakes in the park are usually packed with canoes and kayaks. When it comes to fishing, trout is sought after! After day-time activities you can cool of at the sand beach located on the lake. Around that area they have pagodas and barbecues that are great for picnicking! They also have a playground with multiple slides for the kids! During the winter time, they also have plenty of activities including snowmobiling, sledding and ice skating! The bathrooms here are new and clean so you can change into your bathing suit at the park! I would highly recommend this Park!

So happy we purchased new kayaks from Blue Mountain Outfitters! Sarah was so helpful, friendly and…read moreknowledgeable! Being new to this, she even illustrated how to secure the kayaks to the roof rack! Many high quality kayaks and canoes to choose from and reasonably priced! I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS PLACE!

Very nice place to visit and see exactly what you are looking for or interested in buying…read more The Young Lady that owns the Outfitters is knowledgeable of all the different types of kayaks, canoes and boats she sells! The experience made me buy one of the Hammer Kayaks. If you're looking for something affordable or expensive, this is the place you should check out! Huge selection of options available and tons of accessories for every age! I'm also very happy with the prices for everything and would recommend to visit and try spending time there! After spending 3 hours looking at multiple options I found exactly what I wanted. This is also no pressure and you can check out the boats for your experience buying! Thanks for your advice and experience helping me understand what I wanted!

This year, we tried Hummel Run. It was a lot of fun. My kids and I loved it. We saw deer and a…read moremuskrat and a lot of birds. In previous years, we have twice done the three-hour Bald Eagle Run. I really want to do the midnight moon kayak, and also the historic Union Canal tour; however, we have not had good luck with the timing of these two tours. Cocoa Kayaks is always a highlight on our trips to Hershey! I highly recommend them!

Had a great trip with Cocoa Kayaking this afternoon. We did the Bald Eagle Run today and half way…read morethough the run we had a Bald Eagle fry right over us. The equipment and staff were great and Mike who took us to the drop of point gave us some great knowledge about the Swatara Creek and the creek biosystems on the way. I highly recommend the company if you want a great creek Kayaking adventure!

Through a series of unfortunate circumstances my lovely outboard ended up underwater. I brought it…read morehere hoping to revive it. The owner "pickled" my engine, bringing it back to life. The turnaround was amazing, he had it done the next day! I am infinitely appreciative of his talent and skill with 2 stroke outboards, and look forward to getting back on the water soon! I would recommend this place to anybody looking for honest work from a solid dude.

Helpful and knowledgeable with reasonable turnaround times and prices. Compare that to the other…read morelocal boat repair shop and the guys at Riverside are a no brainer. Like most new boat owners I had some questions and the guys at riverside actually took the time to listen and answer. If you are looking for flashy this isn't your place but if you are looking to get back on the water quickly and with confidence then Riverside is where I will tell people to go