Pine Grove Furnace State Park

Had a great experience camping here with my family. A few key pointers, make sure you bring kindling or buy wood from locals. We had a hard time finding some around the camp and the host only sold logs so we had to use lighter fluid to really get it going. The weekends must be busy but on Monday everyone cleared out and it was soooo quiet! We heard owls at night and loved the wildlife. Some sites are close together but overall not too bad. The bathrooms were clean and the showers were clean as well. Saw many DNR officers roll through and everyone was friendly. We love the tent pads and we will be back here! Make sure to check out the camp office, you can check out backpacks for nature related activities and we were going to do the Appalachian trail museum but it was closed:(30 min drive to Gettysburg and the orchard stores along the way have amazing food! One thing to keep in mind, the cell service is super spotty and almost non existent data service. If you are looking to disconnect it is awesome.

Lake fuller is the most beautiful lake with an amazing story behind it! Being some bug spray and bathing suite!

This place had been a part of my life as long as I can remember. Hiking the Appalachian Trail is only one aspect. There are 2 lakes to swim in, one in which you can rent paddle boats and fish. There is plenty of history for the history bufgs as the Ironmaster’s Mansion is in the park. On those grounds are numerous other buildings, including a small Appalachian Trail museum and a general store. The general store provides the ice cream for the AT hikers. You can also see the old iron furnace. Nature is bountiful amd abundant. Watch for rattlesnakes and copperheads in the summer. The Polesteeple is an excellant, and somewhat challenging path but the views are worthwhile.

(This review is for the Fall Furnace Fest that takes place here annually at the end of October and by no means implies that this stuff is going on here daily.)
We’ve got a thing for National Parks but every now and then when perving the reviews of my Unilocal friends for ideas (Dan R. Holla!) I’ll remember that yes indeed in PA we also have an awesome state park system with a website that is super easy to navigate so I decided to hit it up.
When I did I found out about PGFSP and about the Fall Furnace Fest that happens there every October. Both sounded like Charlie Sheen type Winning! so we made the two hour trip to the badlands of Gardners Pennsylvania to see what the festival had to offer.
Upon entering the grounds and getting our map & guide the first thing I noticed is that damn, this place is big but also damn, this festival really brings out a lot of people.
Here’s a basic idea of what’s going on:
— Free Parking
— Free Shuttle Bus between different parts of the park on Saturday
— Free musical entertainment
— Free tours of the Ironmaster’s Mansion
— Free demonstrations pertaining to charcoal making, blacksmithing, antique tools, candle dipping, apple cider making, beekeeping, pumpkin carving, gourd painting, scarecrow making, hay rides and a Bird of Prey Program from a guy who works at Hershey Park with their Falconry Experience.
That doesn’t cover all of the craft and food vendors that are selling their wares or if you stick around until seven on Saturday night when you can take part in the Hairy Hand Pumpkin Float (that’s too much to explain-​Google it if you want more info).
This park looks beautiful even without all of the hubbub going on and would be a great place to visit year round with lakes, camping, a small sandy beach and part of the Appalachian Trail cutting right through the park.
We had a blast at the Fest and hopefully at the very least we’ll be back next year if not sooner to enjoy everything that PGFSP has to offer.

My mom told me about this lake because I was looking for a free place to swim during the summer. We packed for a day of swimming and headed there. The kids were excited about the beach front and enjoyed playing in the sand.
Then we ran for the water and stopped dead in our tracks. IT’S FREEZING COLD!!! It’s not like a cold pool where you get use to it and then take off swimming. We never got to fully dip ourselves into the water because it was just way too cold. Our teeth were chattering and we sat where the sand and water meet because since it was so shallow, the sun warmed it. It’s always packed and people run in and out of the water like it’s nothing. We tried it again more into the middle of summer thinking the water would be not as cold, but it was still freezing cold.
It looks like a very nice place to camp, have BBQ’s and even fish, but we just couldn’t deal with the freezing water. We’ll be heading to another state park this summer.

One of my favorite State Parks in Pennsylvania. Pine Grove Furnace is beautiful in all Seasons, and great for Family getaways. Pine Grove Furnace is also the Half Way Point on the Appalachian Trail that spans from Maine to Georgia. On Spring, and Summer Days the park is full of Hikers. The Park also plays host to the Appalachian Trail Museum which has a lot of information, and interesting exhibits on the trail. Iron Masters Mansion is another great place to check out while exploring the park. Along with a 70 site campground, The Paymasters Cabin, Picnicking, Hiking, and beautiful scenery Pine Grove Furnace is a unique, and great Pennsylvania State Park.

Clean. Close by. We had spot 31 across from the bathrooms which was great with our two kids. We could wash the dishes and take the dog. Nice general store when we needed stuff, like in our first 15 minutes trying to light a fire!

My brother and I went hiking here when I was visiting the area. This is a beautiful park in south central Pennsylvania.
The park features 2 lakes which allow swimming, fishing and kayaking. There are various picnic areas, and fields for makeshift volleyball games, soccer, etc.
But the best thing about this park is the trail system and that a portion of the Appalachian Trail runs through it. In fact, my brother said that the midpoint of the AT is nearby. Hard to believe that fact but when you consider that the trail goes from Georgia to Maine, this is probably correct.
Off of the AT portion is a stunning view called Pole Steeple. Here you can see trees for miles and one of the lakes below you. I can imagine this view is even more amazing in the fall.

Hiked this yesterday with my 6,5 and 2 year old kids (2 year old rode my shoulders most of the way). From the parking lot behind Lake Laurel, it is ¾ up and same on the return. At the steeper points, they have up/​backs to ease your ascent. We took these on the return. It was a fairly simple hike, with the reward of some amazing views. Though it was simple, we definitely felt as though we got a work-​out. There were many other hikers and many people brought dogs. The trail is well marked with blue blazes. All 3 of my kids loved it. We will go again.

I visited the park with my wife for a day just to hike a little bit and see the outdoors. We have both wanted to hike on the Appalachian Trail for a long time, and even though we only did a few miles, it was nice to see part of it. The park is very nice, well taken care of, and seems quite safe. If you’re looking for something to do outside, check it out!

I took a day trip from Carlisle out to the Pine Grove Furnace State Park. I am so sorry I didn’t discover this place sooner! Two cool lakes where you could rent canoes or fish — and there was a nice beach area for swimmers. the AT passes through the park. I visited the AT Museum where the volunteers told me how to get to the half-​way point on the trail. You also pass an old POW camp on the way up the road. It was a lovely place and I can only imagine how beautiful it must be in the fall. I’m sorry I did not have more time to explore. A MUST see if you are in the area.

I just returned from a weekend spent at Pine Grove with my fella, and we had a great time!
We wanted a campground halfway between Pittsburgh (where he lives) and Philadelphia (where I live) and this was it (found by the amazing website
).
Nice light hikes, cute lakes for swimming, great huge pine trees, interesting wild mushrooms (but don’t eat them), pleasant people and clean bathrooms. Perfect little weekend getaway!
We had the best tent site by far! For couples out there — if you want a site that’s large, wooded and much more ‘private’ then the others ask for #74 (and check out the amphitheater late at night!)
Have a great time and don’t step on any of the little frogs hopping around!

When it comes to campgrounds Pine Grove Furnace is my favorite in the area. Its clean, the camping lots are quite roomie and they have preserved the trees and beauty (aka no concrete). The bathrooms are out houses but its part of the charm.
Renting a row boat on the smaller lake is very romatic… aye that was a hint for the fellas and there are loads of group areas for activities.
What I love most is that its open all year round and autumn is a wonderful time to camp out (we did thanksgiving at the campground last year), just pack lots of blankets :)
The A. Trail is very gentle through Pine Grove Furnace as well if you are looking for a nice hike.

Yeah I was forced to come here one day because it’s the only park in a 25 mile radius of Harrisburg I havent visited. It turned out to be pretty cool. there are two lakes (named Laurel & Fuller) on either side of the park, and it has a paved road that does a loop around both of them, so you can drive /​bike or walk around. Be careful though, these are mostly back roads and are narrow and slope and could be bad in the winter.
They’ve got picnicking, boating, hiking fishing and a whole lot of other things to do. They do have some decent nature trails (Pole Steeple), the last time my wife and I went there we saw some exotic birds. its nearly 700 acres and is considered the «midway» point on the Appalachian Trail. For years, hikers would stop by and down a half-​gallon of ice cream.