Raccoon Creek State Park

Took a 20 mile drive Sunday morning. Ended up at raccoon state park to take some pictures. It was a beautiful day just after the rain. There's a boat launch, there's a beach. There's trails, there's hiking. And there's a website to check it all out on a telephone number. Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful. Is park hours sun up to sunset.

What an absolute paradise in the woods. Very well taken care of parks and amenities. Tons of camping and cabin options to boot and plenty of trails to get lost and enjoy the silence.

Another nice State Park with kayaking, hiking trails, history and more. Definitely worth the visit. And the wildflower reserve is nice too.

Very pleasant and convenient State Park near Pittsburgh. Miles and miles of wooded hiking trails, a campground and a big lake with boat rentals and a family friendly swimming beach with restrooms and concessions. No lifeguards but the swimming area is roped off, the bottom is mostly sandy and doesn't get much more than 5' deep inside the ropes. Shady spots for blankets and picnic tables. OK to grill. No dogs on the beach or in the water.

We wanted to find the Frankfort Mineral Springs because we learned there was a mineral spa built there in the 1790s, and you could still see some of the original foundation. There's a gorgeous waterfall there that is worth the hike alone. The place had such a peaceful vibe that we explored it for about an hour before we hiked the loop trail. The road was marked closed, so Google Maps tried to take me on a 20-minute detour, but stay straight on route 18, and you can drive through the signs to get to the parking lot.
The lake is further up in the park, about 17 minutes away. You can rent boats, kayaks, and water bikes if you want to spend the day on the water. We found a pull off spot that led us down to the perfect spot to fish 🎣. Right on a drop-off ad where a ton of crappie were hanging out. It was our 1st time at this park, but we definitely will go back!

Beautiful park with lots of trail options. Gorgeous lake with a beach. Camping available. Park is very well kept. I took a couple trails. I'll definitely return to hit some more. Highly recommend checking this park out.

I absolutely love camping at Raccoon creek! it’s clean, friendly and has all the amenities you would need. The bathhouses have warm showers, a dishes sink & there’s plenty of spots! The spaces are spread out a good amount to allow for privacy and most of the spots have shade. For the most part they are level but if that’s super important I’d have levelers. it’s very tranquil and beautiful here. We stay in loop A which has the best Verizon cell coverage.

Amazing park, I have been going here since a little kid. Very serene in many areas.

This was our first experience here! It was a holiday weekend and the campground was full! Yet it was peaceful and pleasantly relaxing! The site was a good size, semi-shaded, with electric hook-ups. Views all around were nice, and we had plenty space! Very beautiful park, many visible park personnel that were so friendly! We will definitely be back. There is so much to do and see!

Stayed here for concert. We stayed 6 days. The park was nice and enjoyable. Bathroom was clean when we arrived. We arrived on a Friday, concert on Saturday and we departed on Tuesday. Honest review here. Bathrooms were destroyed by Sunday morning. Woman's bathroom had feces on every toilet/ stall except the handicap. (Felt bad for cleaning guy. That was short lived. He didn't do anything. Monday morning the guy finally cleaned it up.) Thank God for that. People up late till 2 am or later. That didn't bother me but lady yelling at her young toddler DID. She never stopped. Most cut out Sunday morning. Monday was more peaceful even saw 2 deer come up to our campsite. Note to self.....don't stay after a concert in state park.
The park itself is amazing.

Good campground. Space between most of the campsites. This place was full Memorial Day Weekend.
No road noise(except for cars and trucks circling the campground roads) and no railroad noise. BUT the campground sets under the landing path of Pittsburgh International Airport. Plenty of jet noise.

Took a short loop trail...not difficult at all... Did not hike up to the spring. Saw a nice little waterfall. There were other trails that were longer that you could take. Dogs on leashes were allowed.

There is an independent boat rental there where you can rent canoes, kayaks, paddleboards, etc. By the hour to go out on Raccoon Lake. Great campgrounds! Check out the Wildflower Reserve too.

Absolutely beautiful state park! We hiked the Mineral Speings Loop Trail, Valley Trail and Beach Trail this day. The waterfall area with the mineral springs running down the walls was gorgeous on the Mineral Trail. The Valley Trail had beautiful views and fun terrain leading you over to a beach area where the kids enjoyed playing by the water before the hike back. The picnic areas near these two trails were very nice as well. Such lovely nature just a short drive out of Pittsburgh. We had no cell service while in the park which was nice too.

*I just recently made my 2nd visit to Raccoon Creek State Park in Beaver County, PA. I also discovered it is one of the largest state parks in Pennsylvania.

The park is home to many miles of hiking trails, a beautiful reservoir with a swimming beach and boat rental, a very large wildflower reserve and numerous waterfalls. I discovered one of my new favorite spots on this trip - Frankfort Mineral Springs Falls.

Frankfort Mineral Springs Falls is about 10 feet in height. While not the tallest you'll find in the area, it is quite serene and we loved to watch the water plunge from the stone chute above, onto the rocks below... With the rain pattering off the forest leaves and the waterfall cascading off the rocks below, it was rather majestic and very soothing. We equated the sound to the reality of a setting on a noise machine! The area around the falls is wide open, and while it can be slippery, it’s possible to walk up to and even around the falls.

Just to the right of the falls is the clear, cold Mineral Springs. The high iron content in the water has left orange streaks along the stone walls from where the spring erupts forth and runs down to some carved stones beneath. While some do drink this water, it does not appear to be monitored for cleanliness. I love some fresh spring water, so I had to sample some for myself! It was very cold and initially refreshing, but the high iron content was very evident in the taste. Maybe that's what made it so effective, back in the day?

After finishing at the falls and the spring, continue to follow the trail back out of the grotto and up the hill away from the creek.Once you reach the top, the ruins of one of the resort’s buildings is located directly ahead.

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Decided to take a drive south from Pittsburgh and this park seemed interesting, so that's where we ended up.
The drive was scenic and offered glimpses of life away from the city. This park, however, is incredibly beautiful! The river, lake and surroundings are filled with wildlife and activity but also so quiet - you can hear yourself breathe.
There's swimming at the lake, so many amazing hiking trails, a wildflower reserve and even a few waterfalls... one with a natural spring flowing beside it!
I look forward to coming back to do some kayaking and also enjoy the beach, during summer.

Large state park with large number of different attractions for everyone. Campgrounds, picnic spots, boat ramps, lake, large number of trails, natural attractions and plenty of wildlife. The wildflower reserve is an absolute must see. Highly recommend.

The very best time to visit is when the wildflowers are in bloom. The park is very beautiful any time of year but I really enjoyed the wildflowers more than I thought I would. One of the main reasons I really don't care about flowers much is because I can't identify them like I can trees. The park did a really nice job of periodically labeling some really stunning flowers. Thank you for that! Also don't miss the mineral springs. We were able to make a nice big loop from several trails. We tried to hit at least part, if not all, of every trail.

This park is as little as 30 minutes outside Pittsburgh depending on which side of the city you're starting from. It has a nice beach as well as several small watercraft and electric boat launch areas. You can rent a kayak and other small crafts including hydro-bikes.
There's a large number of fish types in the waters and there's an ADA handicap accessible peninsula at the west end of the beach (see picture).
There's camping at 136 campsites, with sections marked off as pet friendly and tent camping only. There are also 10 modern cabins near the recreation hall and a special Lakeside Lodge.
There's over 200 picnic tables in the park, many in day use areas East and West.
17 trails are listed for hiking totaling 27 miles, a number of which are in the Wildflower Reserve.
The reserve has over 700 species of plants and in the late summer the tall plants at the entrance resembles a corn maze. An interpretive education center is also located here.
The northwest part of the park is available for horseback riding and mountain biking.
Come back in winter for rustic camping at the Sioux Campground. You'll be able to go cross country skiing, sledding, ice skating, ice fishing, and snowmobiling.
For events at this park visit: events dcnr pa
For more information: pa parks and forests
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Very nice park. Stayed in the modern cabins. Best grocery shopping is in WV at Kroger 15mins away. Also better firewood then sold in the park. Nice hiking and trail running. If biking be aware of hills. Beach is a good 10min drive from the cabins. DCNR staff was great helping with a few minor problems at the cabin.
Mineral springs are nice but don't drink.
Took a few day trips to Pittsburgh too.

Excellent place to venture into the woods or rent a canoe/ boat . Many exciting photo opportunities! 📸 😊