State Parks: PA

INTRODUCTION

Pennsylvania has about 120 State Parks scattered through the state.  I've been making it a project to visit them, get to know their core attractions, their range of recreational opportunities, and capture a few scenic highlights.  I also provide an  overall rating for each park, from one star (pretty sad little parks; bottom ten percent) to five stars (outstanding; top ten percent of parks in the state).  Two stars means subpar, the bottom 10 to 30 percent; four stars means above average (top 70 to 90 percent), and three stars means "nice," a solid average park which covers the middle 40 percent of parks.  In my rating system, I start with an average rating, then add or subtract points to determine my final score.

Here's my system:

Parks should have a main recreational attraction (a lake, a mountain, a river), recreational opportunities (hiking, paddling, biking), and camping or other overnight accommodations.  I add credit for places of historical or cultural significance, spectacular scenery, exceptional geology, plant or animal life, abundant recreational opportunities, and access to adjacent recreational or wilderness spaces.  Parks lose credit if they are closed (yes, that happens!), tiny, have no overnight accommodations, no central attraction, or have extremely limited recreational opportunities.  The ratings are still a bit subjective, but I do try to be explicit and consistent about how I think about our parks. 

I create a google photo page for each park, and on each page, I summarize what I have learned about the park during my visit(s).  I included pictures, other online resources, and recommendations about sights or activities, if I have them.

On the next page is the list of parks I've visited, with links to google photoblogs for each park.  This is an ongoing project, so check back if you are interested updates.  And if  you have pictures or content you'd like to add, please contact me: johnguetter@gmail.com; I'd love feedback or more input.  

Happy Parking!  

John