Pennsylvania is home to many outdoor locations that feature nice trails, viewpoints and landmarks. Summer is approaching, so visiting one of these places could be a great experience for the whole family. 

Whether it’s the trees, water, shade, weather, rocks or distance there is certainly a fitting place to meet hikers’ needs. Many wouldn’t think it, but Pennsylvania’s beautiful parks and landmarks continue to draw visitors year after year to enjoy the outdoors. 

English teacher and hiker Ms. Rachel Grove said York County has several parks worth exploring, including Pinchot State Park, Lake Redman, Lake Williams, the Heritage Rail Trail and Rocky Ridge. 

Not only do some of these places have trails but also great bodies of water that would make for an excellent picture and cooling off on a hot day. 

“Ricketts Glen State Park [near Bloomsburg] has a ton of waterfalls and it’s an awesome place to hike. Pincho also has a 8 ½ trail loop that goes around the entire water,” said Grove

Hiking is one of the more popular activities to do but there are many other activities to engage in when outside and visiting parks. There’s a variety of locations that also offer great disc golf courses which is a fun sport to get into whether it’s just for fun or  competitively. 

“The first is a course at the Red Land High School [20 minutes from Central]. This is an excellent beginner’s course with wide open fairways and generous pars,” said English teacher Mr. Alexander Strickler, who got into disc golf a few years ago.

There are plenty of places for players to have a good time and compete; Some courses are built for newbies while others offer obstacles for those with more experience. 

 “Bould Woods at Pinchot is another excellent course and is my personal favorite. This is a challenging course as it winds through dense woods. It is right next to the lake too,” said Strickler. 

Visiting any of these places can be a great time spent; however, the time of the day and week plays a huge role in the difference of these places being packed and empty. 

“Boulder Woods and Klines Run can get a bit busy on the weekends, but during the week, it is usually wide open,” explained Strickler

Anybody looking to enjoy the outdoors and get some fresh air should consider these ideas. These places offer guests the opportunity to have fun with friends and family or time to enjoy nature alone doing whatever they desire- whether it be hiking, disc golfing or getting out of the house.