Keystone State Park

A nice family friendly park. The lake is an oval and has very little structure or cover to cultivate large native fish, but it accomidates and pleases thousands of trout fisher persons every year. The lake is for use with non-​powered or electric water craft only. All three of my daughters learned the basics of canoeing and kayaking here. Very friendly water for the novice. They have a limited number of mooring spots (maybe around 30), that allow you to keep a boat at the lake for the summer. I can’t remember the cost right now, but when considering transporting them every time, it is extremely affordable.
The facilities are fairly new and well maintained. Plenty of room for events ranging from a two person picnic to a family reunion. Some of the tent campsites are not ideal, but they are safe and quiet.

Dingy and dirty. You can’t call it a beach. It’s just a pond with some sand on the ground.

We were here to camp for a night while on the road. The odd thing about this campground is that the tent camping sites (the one’s on the perimeter, without power hookups) are nice and secluded but there really are no flat areas to pitch a tent, they are all on a slope. OK the campground itself was called «Hillside» but still, we didn’t anticipate this. Also, these sites, while cheaper, also do not allow you to park your vehicle right by where you are camping… it’s not far but you do have unload about 30 – 60 feet rather than being able to drive right up. The camp host was very accommodating as the weather was insane with rain and let us move to an electrical hookup area which was more expensive, less secluded, but better flat spots for a tent but well worth it. I know I am starting to sound like a prude while reviewing all these campsites but you will see a common thread, all we need are a flat spot, a table, a fire pit, and some shade. Give us that and we are in business. Again, the whole freaking non alcohol part is crazy out here on the east coast. I’m not an alcoholic, I promise but we are adults and Americans… the prohibition era has passed. Anyway, there seemed to be plenty to do for those wanting to hike and enjoy nice green areas. I am sure this would be a fine camp for a family.

My girlfriends and I hadn’t been hiking in awhile and we were looking for a place we hadn’t been to before. Sure, Frick Park, Schenley Park, South Park, etc. are all closer to were we live, but hey, gotta try someplace different. Gotta keep it fresh, y’know.
Located near Derry, PA, Keystone State Park is a 1200 acre gem that’s got an 8 mile system of hiking trails. We started our hike on the park’s longest trail, the Davis Run Trail. This looping trail forms a sort of figure 8 and after the short spur from the lot, we hiked in a clockwise sort f direction, past the upland hardwood forest. The conifers at one point form a scenic tunnel. We hiked the entire figure-​8, doubling back on the lower half because we wanted to hike every bit of every trail. We picked up the Strawcutter Trail, which leads to the Strawcutter Day Use Area, just off its namesake road.
Heading back towards the parking area, we took the McCune Run Trail. This half mile path passes meadows and abandoned beaver ponds. We worked our way to the south end of Keystone Lake and hit the Lakeside Loop Trail. The Lakeside Loop completely encircles the lake and is the only trail on which bicycles are permitted. It also passes the park’s campgrounds and cabins.
We took a bit of a snack break before hitting the Stone Lake Trail. I wanted to fuel up before this next segment, which features some of the park’s more difficult terrain. The climb up here is fairly steep up to the ridge top. Like the Davis Run Trail, this is also a figure 8 and we did counterclockwise loops on both halves. This area also features conifer forests. We then hiked along Stone Lodge Road before we came to the ballfields. Here we made a restroom stop and took another snack break at the picnic tables.
We then did a detour on what I found to be the most interesting park of the park, the AMD Trail. AMD stands for «Abandoned Mine Drainage». AMD runs from the abandoned Salem #2 Mine, damaging McCune Run. Per the DCNR website, four agencies have worked together to put in an AMD Wetland Treatment System. Heavy metals and sediment are removed from the AMD as it flows through limestone-​lined pipes and several ponds. Trailside exhibits explain the process and sow the history of the mine
Well we put in almost 10 miles of hiking, including some doubling back and hiking laong some park roads. Keystone State park is fantastic and it also features camping, boating, fishing and hunting. It’s a bit of a drive from the ‘Burgh but it’s well worth it.

Went for a hike in the state park this afternoon. We hiked about 4.5 miles with our dog. The paths were well marked, easy to follow and overall an enjoyable experience. I must say we will be taking our dog back again– I’m excited to hike the trails in different seasons.

This 1,200-acre park offers a wide variety of year-​round recreational opportunities and educational programs in a scenic setting. Keystone State Park is a very family-​friendly park featuring a lake for canoe/​kayaking, fishing and swimming. Overnight accommodations include tent/​trailer sites, yurts and modern cabins.

What a great, free, state park! It is large, well marked, and has easy access to swimming, picnic tables, and kayak rentals. I can only imagine how busy this place must get on a weekend though. Great fun for the whole family though!

My boyfriend and I stayed here on the hillside area over the weekend and it was awesome! The shower house was very clean and easily accessible. There are two shower stalls with hot and cold water, 4 toilets including a handicapped accessible, and 3(i think) sinks with mirrors. Our site was very nicely kept and was a reasonable distance away from the neighboring sites. It included a large picnic table, parking spot and a fire pit with a grate over part of it. I would definitely stay here again and plan to later on in the summer. If you want to be near the beach i would recommend staying in the lakeside area because it is a bit of a walk from the hillside are.

The selling point: Keystone has a natural swimming hole where the water’s warm enough that you don’t have to enter it inch by painful inch before you get used to it. It also has something close enough to a real beach to suffice.
It’s a bit of a drive from Pittsburgh, but if you’re going to make a day of it, it’s worth it.