The 10 most popular state parks in Pennsylvania
Millions of people flock to these popular state parks in Pennsylvania every year.
According to the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, these ten state parks in Pennsylvania stood out as the most popular in the commonwealth in 2024. Each state park draws hundreds of thousands of visitors annually thanks to stunning scenery, miles of hiking trails, and easy access from major cities. These parks may not be off the beaten path, but read on to learn why so many people seek them out—and the hidden gems you might discover once you’re there.
10. Ohiopyle State Park – Ohiopyle
919,406 estimated visitors in 2024
Just an hour and a half from Pittsburgh, Fayette County’s Ohiopyle State Park is a gorgeous respite from the city and an outdoor adventurer’s playground with its kayaking, hiking, and biking opportunities.
The Youghiogheny River, colloquially known as “the Yough” and a favorite destination for white water rafting, winds through Ohiopyle and also gives rise to a handful of waterfalls in the park. Wide Ohiopyle Falls is located right next to the park visitor center and is a prime location for photos, while nearby Cucumber Falls—tall and stately within the Cucumber Gorge—is a great place to dip your toes in the water. For a little more solitude, check out the 2.5-mile hike to the park’s cascading Jonathan Run Falls.
9. Tyler State Park – Newtown
978,508 estimated visitors in 2024
A favorite state park of the Greater Philadelphia Region, the day-use Tyler State Park in Bucks County is located just under an hour from the city. Before the park was sold to Pennsylvania, Tyler State Park was farmland, and you can still see remnants of that history with the park’s open fields, trails that once operated as farm roads, and historic mill ruins. And some of the park is even still used as farmland, providing views of field crops like soybeans and hay.
Be sure to check out the park’s Schofield Ford Covered Bridge, which was originally built in 1873, destroyed by arson in 1991, and rebuilt by volunteers in 1997.
8. Marsh Creek State Park – Downingtown
1,004,604 estimated visitors in 2024
Chester County’s Marsh Creek State Park, just an hour from Philadelphia, is where suburban Philly can take to the water. The park’s main attraction is the 535-acre Marsh Creek Lake, where sailboats, rowboats, electric motorboats, canoes, kayaks, and paddleboats explore the park’s waters and fishers seek out warmwater fish like big bass. The lake is also an ideal spot for birdwatching, especially during the spring and fall when migrating waterfowl make pit stops at Marsh Creek State Park.
But farther from the lake’s crowds, you can traverse quiet hiking trails like the Blue Trail on the western side of the park, which treks through woods and historic ruins.
7. Nockamixon State Park – Quakertown
1,065,375 estimated visitors in 2024
Nockamixon State Park in Bucks County is another lake destination that offers boating, fishing, and hiking opportunities, drawing visitors particularly during the summer months.
About an hour from Philly, Nockamixon State Park is a great place for a weekend trip, especially for those who’d prefer to stay in a modern cabin than rough it at a campsite. The park is home to ten modern cabins on the south side of the lake, each complete with a kitchen and bathroom. The cabins are the perfect launching point for swimming or fishing in the lake, hiking the park’s more than 40 miles of trails, or even playing a game of disc golf at the park’s 18-hole course.
6. Moraine State Park – Portersville
1,095,672 estimated visitors in 2024
Roughly 45 minutes from Pittsburgh, Moraine State Park holds traces of Pennsylvania’s geological past. After all, its name comes from the park’s moraines—rocks and sediment left behind from glaciers that form the park’s rolling hills. Visitors enjoy the trails—like the Glacier Ridge Trail—that explore this landscape as well as 3,225-acre Lake Arthur, a man-made lake on the site of what used to be a much larger glacial lake! Lake Arthur attracts many people looking to kayak on its surface, fish in its waters, or swim along its two public beaches.
5. Codorus State Park – Hanover
1,348,808 estimated visitors in 2024
There’s so much to do in York County’s Codorus State Park. You can enjoy large Lake Marburg and its marina, or rebuff the natural lake waters and take a dip in the park’s swimming pool or splash pad. You can hike the trails or wander the disc golf course while attempting each hole. You can pack a picnic lunch to enjoy at one of the many scenic pavilions or purchase some snacks at the concession stand by the pool. And you can even scuba dive in Lake Marburg’s Sinsheim Cove!
Though the campground has space for nearly 200 families, you’re still bound to find some quiet time along the lake’s more than 26 miles of shoreline.
4. Point State Park – Pittsburgh
1,566,391 estimated visitors in 2024
Located at the confluence of the Ohio, Allegheny, and Monongahela Rivers in downtown Pittsburgh, Point State Park is quite different from the other parks on this list. The urban park is just as likely to attract joggers and cyclists as it is families out for riverside strolls or office workers enjoying their lunches in the open air. But it’s not merely the river views that attract people to the park—the state park is also an important historic site.
Known locally as “The Point,” the area was strategically valuable during the colonial era: control of the confluence meant control of access to the Ohio River and thus the interior of the fledgling nation. The site was once the home of the French Fort Duquesne, which was taken by the British during the French and Indian War and replaced with Fort Pitt. The city of Pittsburgh grew around Fort Pitt, making Point State Park the birthplace of the city. You can learn all about this history at the state park, and even visit the informative and engaging Fort Pitt Museum on the park grounds.
3. Prince Gallitzin State Park – Patton
1,892,386 estimated visitors in 2024
Cambria County’s Prince Gallitzin State Park has more than 6,000 acres of rugged hills and forest on the Allegheny Plateau in central Pennsylvania. The park’s scenic Glendale Lake offers boating, fishing, and swimming opportunities, while quieter areas are perfect for picnicking and hiking. Prince Gallitzin is even home to an orienteering course around the Muskrat Beach Area to challenge navigators working on their map and compass skills.
2. Presque Isle State Park – Erie
3,525,946 estimated visitors in 2024
Unique Presque Isle State Park saw more than three million visitors in 2024, and for good reason. The park—encompassing the entirety of the Presque Isle peninsula—boasts Pennsylvania’s only “seashore” with its Lake Erie shoreline.
You don’t need to travel to a different state to visit the beach—freshwater Lake Erie is home to expansive views and even waves, being the only place in the commonwealth where you can swim in surf. Presque Isle State Park has 13 sandy beaches open to the public, features exceptional kayaking routes, and is also a popular spot for hiking and birdwatching. In fact, the park sees some of the rarest migrating waterbirds during the spring and fall months, often visible along the remote Gull Point Trail. And to learn even more about Presque Isle’s rich ecology, you can visit the Tom Ridge Environmental Center, located within the park.
1. Pymatuning State Park – Jamestown
3,810,496 estimated visitors in 2024
The most-visited Pennsylvania state park in 2024, Pymatuning State Park in northwestern Pennsylvania’s Crawford County, is also the largest state park in the commonwealth. And within its 16,892 acres, you can find one of the state’s largest lakes, Pymatuning Reservoir. The park—and the lake—actually spans the border between Pennsylvania and Ohio.
Visitors to this park enjoy boating, hiking, birdwatching, and swimming at three public beaches. Plus, Pymatuning State Park is home to a quirky spot—the Pymatuning Spillway—where you can feed wriggling fish that are so abundant you may even see ducks waddling on top of them as they try to grab some of the food.
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