Bald Eagle State Park

Day 4 of the mc ride found us here. This state park has lovely mountain views! There is a small swimming beach, perfect for the hot day, and plenty of camping space and hiking the trails was perfect for the cramped legs. I think i love it here! We saw lots of wildlife, and loved just hanging out in the shade. It was the perfect respite from the road. I didn’t want to leave. Next time we spend a few days here.

Pennsylvania is full of Beautiful State Parks, and Bald Eagle State Park is one worth mentioning. Situated not far from the crazy busy US Interstate 80 is a pristine natural area with lots to offer the nature lover in any family.
Bald Eagle offers a large 1700 acre plus lake for boating as well as ample hiking trails that cross each other all throughout the park so you can make the perfect size hike or XC Ski.
Bald Eagle also offers a large campground with both electric, and non electric sites.
The one thing that makes this park much different than others in the state is the fairly new «Nature Inn at Bald Eagle» This is a Gold LEAD Certified hotel smack dab in the middle of nature overlooking the lake and mountains. If you happen to be traveling on Interstate 80, and are looking for lodging I would highly recommend taking a short detour to Bald Eagle, and stay at this beautiful Inn rather than the average highway roadside hotel.
Overall Bald Eagle has a lot to offer, and should not be missed if looking for great State Parks in Pennsylvania.

Went on a butterfly trail, which was beautiful, took about an hour to complete, easiet hike in the park. Keep in mind that it is an open field, with very little shade. The skyline trail and the oak trail are in the wooded area, great place to avoid the summer heat, got to see a forest mouse, spiders, chipmunks, but no bold eagles :(. All the trails were easy, without any strenuous uphill climbs, perfect for young kids. P. S. the trails have secretly stashed plastic boxes with park maps and stamps that the park rangers have hidden as a very nice touch for the kids. We were able to find 2 out of the 3 trails we went on. The park also has a beach area, boats are available for rent. The park is located within a 30 min drive from the state college.

I went back up Memorial Day and stayed for two days. My (adult) daughter and I stayed at the Nature Inn inside the park.
In the eight years I been going here, I found the park the most crowded. My daughter reminded it was Memorial Day.
It is so large. Tuesday it rained so it put limits n what we could do. Wednesday we checked out and stayed by the lake /​swimming area. The breezed coming off the lake help with the humid heat.
Would have liked to rent a bike and a kayak — things we were planning to do Tuesday when it rained.
A most beautiful place.

Located at the Nexus of PA. Travel time from Philly is about ³¹⁄₂ hours. This park is well maintained with many activities to choose from. Camping, Boating, Fishing, Hiking, Mtn Biking, and Nature/​Birding.
Camping — Three campsite loops. One is for primitive camping, the other two have electric and paved pads with picnic tables and fire/​grill rings. Water stations are located throughout. Clean modern bath house with hot water. Nice Volleyball court. One loop is doggie friendly with a doggie run area.
Boating/​Fishing — Marina, several boat ramps and a ton of parking.
Hiking/​Btn Biking — Tons of well maintained trails for all levels.
Nature/​Birding — We saw a ton of birds and butterflies including a Bald Eagle, Woodchucks, Deer and even a Momma Bear with her cub. There are several scenic view point.
Also, this year they built a brand new Eco-​Friendly Inn which is amazing. So amazing, we are going to stay there New Years.
Other opportunities: Penn State, City of Bellafonte and Scenic Elk Drive.
For additional info —

Enjoy, Eddie

The Bald Eagle State Park (AKA the Blanchard Dam) is located pretty much smack middle of PA. It is roughly 600 acres and has a large lake area as well that you can fish in, boat, and swim. They also provide pavillions to picnic as well as tables, They have modern bathrooms that are handicapped accessible as well. They have a butterfly trail in the summer that doubles as a cross country ski trail in the winter. Driving thru you are sure to see many deer, groundhogs, and may even be able to see a few nesting Bald Eagles in the Park.

Bald Eagle state park is located in Centre County, not far from State College Pa. It measures over 5900 acres, and has a lake thats over 1700 acres. This is one of the bigger lakes besides raystown in the state of pa. Hiking, camping, boating. all about 2 and a half hours northwest of harrisburg, great fora day trip or weekend getaway! We visited just for a day when we were in the area. It was a monday of course, and a lot of the attractions nearby were closed, so we had to just drive around and enjoy the views.