Pennsylvania State Parks

Pennsylvania has 121 state parks — the system covers the state's diverse geography from the Delaware Water Gap to the Allegheny National Forest corridor.

Ricketts Glen State Park (Benton)
Pennsylvania's most spectacular waterfall park — the Falls Trail (7.2 miles, strenuous) passes 22 named waterfalls (the highest, Ganoga Falls, drops 94 feet). The trail descends Kitchen Creek through old-growth forest to the Lake Rose area and returns via the opposite side of the canyon. The old-growth hemlocks and mixed hardwoods are among the finest in Pennsylvania. The park's 13,000 acres also include Ricketts Lake for swimming and boating.

Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area (Stroudsburg)
Jointly managed by the National Park Service — 70,000 acres along the Delaware River where it cuts through the Kittatinny Ridge (Blue Mountain). The Appalachian Trail traverses the ridge for 25 miles through the recreation area; Dingmans Falls (130 feet) is the most accessible major waterfall. The Water Gap itself — where the Delaware cuts through Blue Mountain in a steep-sided gorge — is a geological landmark.

Ohiopyle State Park (Ohiopyle)
In the Laurel Highlands of southwestern Pennsylvania — the Youghiogheny River Gorge is the finest whitewater rafting river in the eastern US. Ohiopyle Falls (an 18-foot ledge drop) and the natural waterslides (Meadow Run Natural Waterslides) are accessible to non-rafters. The park is adjacent to Fallingwater and Kentuck Knob (another Wright house) — a full Laurel Highlands itinerary.

McConnells Mill State Park (Portersville)
In a glacially modified gorge — Slippery Rock Creek descends through a steep, boulder-filled gorge carved by glacial meltwater. McConnells Mill (1852, a restored grist mill) and the Kildoo Trail (2 miles, moderate) through boulders and hemlocks are the main attractions. Rock climbing on the gorge walls.

Presque Isle State Park (Erie)
A dynamic sand spit on Lake Erie — geologically Pennsylvania's most unique landscape. 11 beaches, a lighthouse, and exceptional birding make this Erie's premier attraction.