The extensive Pennsylvania state park system offers many opportunities to get outside and enjoy the beauty to be found throughout the state. Having grown up in Pennsylvania, I didn’t realize that not every state had so many state parks and that most states charge admission to their state parks. I am thankful that I have so many free natural recreation areas within a short drive.
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I spent the weekend camping at and exploring Fowlers Hollow State Park. This is a small park located in central PA. While the park itself is only 104-acres, it is surrounded by the vast Tuscarora State Forest. This makes the park a good starting place for those interested in hiking, horseback riding, or snowmobiling in the state forest.
The park consists of one short road, along which there are a pavilion, picnic tables, a parking lot for horse trailers, a water source, and an outhouse. The park does not have a park office but there is an emergency phone at the park entrance. At the end of the road sits the 20-site campground. There are 12 drive-up sites with electric and 6 walk-in tent sites. There is drinkable water available although when we were there the water had a slightly yellow tint but we drank it all weekend without any problems and it tasted fine. There is also a dump station. There is a small bathroom but no showers. The sites were an ok size and bordered a small creek but there wasn’t much separation between most of the sites. Due to its small size, the campground lacked some of the amenities that I appreciate, such as showers and a dish washing station. Marie and some of the other kids in the campground spent most of the weekend in the creek, catching minnows and crayfish. Beyond that, there isn’t much to occupy kids, as the park doesn’t have a playground or a swimming area.
There are many good opportunities for hiking in the park. The park sits in a narrow hollow so be prepared for going up and down. I hiked a portion of the Hart Ridge Trail and the Beaston Trail. Hart Ridge Trail in listed in the trail guide (available at the park) as most difficult hiking, while Beaston Trail is listed as more difficult hiking. Other than some elevation change, I thought both trails were easy hiking. Other than a short section of the Hart Ridge Trail that was a bit rough and muddy, both trails were well-maintained, fairly wide, and rather smooth. Together, these trails made a two-mile loop starting at the campground.
My Takeaway
Fowlers Hollow State Park is very scenic and remote. If you are looking for a chance to unwind, relax, disconnect (there is no cell service), and hike than this would be a great park to visit. While I enjoyed my weekend and would return at some point, Fowlers Hollow is not a park that I would repeatedly come back to.