High atop Laurel Ridge at close to 3,000 feet in elevation, Laurel Mountain State Park features a family-oriented downhill skiing area and beautiful views of the rolling countryside of the Ligonier Valley. The slopes and trails provide opportunities for skiers and snowboarders of all levels and the lodge is a cozy place to eat and enjoy the view.

The 13,625-acre Laurel Ridge State Park stretches along Laurel Mountain from the picturesque Youghiogheny River At Ohiopyle, PA to the Conemaugh Gorge near Johnstown, PA. This large park spans Cambria, Fayette, Somerset and Westmoreland counties. The main feature of the park is the 70-mile Laurel Highlands Hiking Trail, which features trail shelters for overnight camping.

This scenic picnic area is operated by the Bureau of State Parks. The 6-acre area offers picnic tables, a pavilion, water, and restroom. The area is 2,739 feet above sea level and several degrees cooler than surrounding towns. This area also provides trailhead parking for Spruce Flats bog and Wolf Rocks Trail. Laurel Summit is a carry in/carry out area. Please take all of your trash with you.

A deep, steep-walled gorge, thick vegetation, rock outcroppings and many waterfalls characterize Lehigh Gorge State Park. Covering 6,107 acres in Luzerne and Carbon Counties in eastern Pennsylvania, the park follows the Lehigh River from the outlet of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Francis E. Walter Dam at the northern end, to the town of Jim Thorpe at the southern end of the park. Whitewater boating and biking are popular activities.

On the east rim of the canyon, the 585-acre Leonard Harrison State Park has modern facilities, a visitor center and the most famous scenic views of the canyon. On the other side of the canyon is Colton Point State Park.

The varied topography and mixed hardwood and evergreen forest make the 612-acre Linn Run State Park a scenic place for picnicking, hiking and cabin rentals. Grove and Rock runs join to make Linn Run, an excellent trout stream that has a lovely waterfall, Adams Falls. Forbes State Forest borders Linn Run State Park and offers 50,000 acres of land for outdoor recreation.

Certain places just attract people. The cool, clear water of Little Buffalo Creek has been attracting people for centuries. American Indians frequented Little Buffalo Creek on hunting trips. Farmers and merchants used to gossip and pass news while the grain was ground at Shoaff’s Mill. Nearby, merchants, local people and travelers met at Blue Ball Tavern. Today, thousands of people meet at Little Buffalo State Park to picnic, swim, fish, hike and experience nature and history.

The 2,158-acre Little Pine State Park is in a beautiful mountain section of Tiadaghton State Forest in PA Wilds. The 94-acre Little Pine Lake, hiking trails and the campground are prime attractions to the park.

Known for its popular camping area, Locust Lake State Park nestles on the side of Locust Mountain. The 52-acre Locust Lake is located between two campgrounds and is surrounded by beautiful forests. Hiking and fishing are popular activities in the 1,772-acre park.

The 595-acre Lyman Run State Park is in scenic Potter County. Maples and cherries dominate a mixed northern hardwood forest that surrounds the 45-acre Lyman Run Lake, making a most scenic setting.

Marsh Creek State Park is in the rolling hills of northcentral Chester County. The 1,727-acre park contains the 535-acre Marsh Creek Lake, which is great for fishing, sailing and is a reststop for migrating waterfowl.

The 2,856-acre Maurice K. Goddard State Park features the 1,860-acre Lake Wilhelm, which is very popular with anglers. Many recreational activities attract visitors in all seasons. The large lake, abundant wetlands, old fields and mature forests provide a diversity of habitats for wildlife, especially waterfowl, eagles and ospreys.

The sound of White Deer Creek pervades the quiet, remote McCalls Dam Park. Majestic pines, hemlocks, maples and oaks reach for the sky around the small picnic area. Bald Eagle State Forest surrounds the 8-acre McCalls Dam State Park.

McConnells Mill State Park, in Lawrence County, encompasses 2,546 acres of the spectacular Slippery Rock Creek Gorge. Created by the draining of glacial lakes thousands of years ago, the gorge has steeps sides and the valley floor is littered with huge boulders and is a national natural landmark. A gristmill built in the 1800s is open for tours. The park is open from sunrise to sunset, year-round.

Memorial Lake State Park’s 230 acres is near the base of Blue Mountain in East Hanover Township, Lebanon County. The park is surrounded by Fort Indiantown Gap, the headquarters for the Pennsylvania Army and Air National Guard.

Milton State Park is an 82-acre island on the West Branch Susquehanna River, between the boroughs of Milton and West Milton. The northern half of the park has day use facilities and the southern half remains in a wooded state for hiking and nature study.

This quiet park features a unique pavilion, picnicking and trout fishing. Mont Alto is the oldest park still in the state park system.

The gently rolling hills, lush forests and sparkling waters disguise a land that has endured the effects of continental glaciers and massive mineral extraction.

Mount Pisgah State Park is in the scenic Endless Mountains region of Pennsylvania’s Northern Tier. Midway between Troy and Towanda in Bradford County, the 1,302-acre park is along Mill Creek, at the base of Mt. Pisgah, elevation 2,260 feet. The park is only two miles north of US 6, the major route through the northern tier. Secondary roads passing through the villages of East Troy and West Burlington travel over rolling farmland to the park.

Bordered on the south by steep Mount Yeager and on the north by Nescopeck Mountain, the 3,550-acre Nescopeck State Park encompasses wetlands, rich forests and many diverse habitats. Nescopeck Creek, a favorite of anglers, meanders through the park. Hiking trails follow the creek, climb mountains, pass through quiet forests and skirt wetlands. An environmental education center provides year-round educational programs on the park’s unique resources.

Neshaminy State Park is along the Delaware River in lower Bucks County. The park takes its name from Neshaminy Creek, which joins the Delaware at this point. The park measures 339 acres. The picnic areas and swimming pools are the most popular park attractions. Boating access to the Delaware River is provided at the marina.

The 5,286-acre Nockamixon State Park is in the rolling hills of scenic Bucks County, close enough to Philadelphia for a day trip, but far enough away for a vacation. Tohickon Creek, Three Mile Run and Haycock Run feed the 1,450-acre Lake Nockamixon, which is a rest stop for migrating waterfowl and a destination for boaters and anglers. Visitors can stay the night in a cabin or enjoy the many activities of the park for the day. Popular activities are picnicking, visiting the pool, hiking, biking and boating.

The Nolde Forest Environmental Education Center offers environmental education programs. Contact the center office for a listing of upcoming educational programs. The center covers more than 665 acres of beautiful deciduous woodlands and coniferous plantations.

One of the most unique parks in the Pennsylvania state park system, Norristown Farm Park is a working farm in continuous use since colonial times. The 690-acre park is home to 71 species of wildlife, fish, reptiles and amphibians; 173 species of birds; 89 species of trees; and 216 species of wildflowers. Here you will find hiking trails, a trout nursery, picnic areas, separate forest areas of mixed oak and other deciduous trees, flood plain, old farm fields, working fields, wetlands and two streams. There are 15 historic buildings on the property, the earliest dating from 1764.

Located at the southern reaches of the Laurel Ridge, Ohiopyle State Park encompasses approximately 20,500 acres of rugged natural beauty and serves as the southern gateway to the Laurel Highlands. Passing through the heart of the park, the rushing waters of the Youghiogheny [yaw-ki-gay-nee] River Gorge are the centerpiece for Ohiopyle. The “Yough” [yawk] provides some of the best whitewater boating in the eastern United States, as well as spectacular scenery.