The model plane field at Benjamin Rush was a surprise. Now drones can be flown too, but only at Beltzville, Benjamin Rush, Hillman, Lackawanna, Prompton, and Tuscarora state parks. Rules such as registration with the FFA must be followed. I had a nice time just watching, especially the big model planes.

Little Pine had both a shooting range and an archery range. A partnership with the Pennsylvania game commission provides state parks with all they need to offer an Explore Archery program. Keep an eye on the Calendar of Events for classes near you.

Class 4 white water rafting is a big draw at Ohiopyle but there’s also the natural water slide here at Meadow Run.

All terrain vehicles are allowed on some state forest land. If you have one, you might want to find the obscure Prouty Place State Park in the Susquehannock State Forest. If an ATV is too expensive, you can still get a rush on the many mountain bike trails. A highly rated one is in Yellow Creek State Park.

Need a smoother trail to bike? The Lehigh Gorge trail is 24 miles but you can break it up in sections. And while the Delaware Canal trail is 59 miles, it too has many parking areas along the way and several great local eating places to take a break.

I don’t like to travel in the snow so I’ll just say there’s plenty of winter activities to do. Things like sledding, ice skating, ice fishing, cross country skiing and Blue Knob, Laurel Mountain, and Big Pocono offer a full skiing experience. Of course there’s seasonal hunting too in many parks and nearby state forest land.

Boating is popular at the state parks but each park has its own motor restrictions so check first. Beltzville has a beautiful lake and it has a section for water skiing. Many state parks have water craft rentals, so get out in a canoe, kayak, or paddleboat.

Codorus has a large boat rental vendor and Nockamixon has a lot of space for sailboat mooring, but it was at French Creek where I was pleasantly surprised I could rent one.

Two times a year the quieter Ralph Stover park comes alive when a water release turns a tranquil stream into a white water torrent.

I like a trip to the ocean, but I especially like the lakes, and there’s so many beautiful lakes at our state parks. Shot from the dam, I picked the beach at Raymond Winter as a nice example.

When there’s no beach, the larger parks have pools. At 4 o’clock on a hot July day, I was drawn to the pool at Little Buffalo.

Ready to stay the night?  There’s so much great camping at the state parks. For now I’ll mention the camping spots along the Kettle Creek Lake. Imagine catching dinner right out the camper door. For convenience, some camps have stores and it’s also nice when you have a campground host.

Well that’s a broad overview of the park activities. I hope I’ve energized you so you’ll get to a park and do something fun outdoors.

Some people have asked what Pennsylvania State Park I first visited. It was only recently that I found a picture of me, just out of college, going canoeing. It was at Memorial Lake State Park.