The great outdoors near Pittsburgh offer numerous vacation opportunities. The state's park system provide many activities near Pittsburgh, which can be explored over multiple days by camping or staying in nearby hotels. Raccoon Creek State Park is an example of this. Located west of Pittsburgh, the park offers 172 modern campsites, open from mid-April through mid-October. Rustic sites can also be found that are open year-round. There is also a three-bedroom lodge that can be rented, which sleeps up to 10 people. Recreational activities at the park include fishing, swimming, hunting, boating, hiking through 44 miles of trails, biking on the 17 miles of trail roads, skiing and maneuvering the 16 miles of equestrian trails on horseback.
Raccoon Creek State Park
3000 Pennsylvania 18
Hookstown, PA 15050-1605
724-899-2200
dcnr.state.pa.us
Amusement parks offer vacation opportunities for the whole family. One of the closest to Pittsburgh is Kennywood in West Mifflin. Hotel packages are available in Pittsburgh, Monroeville, Washington, Coraopolis, West Homestead and West Mifflin. Kennywood offers rides like Phantom's Revenge, one of the fastest roller coasters in the world, the Log Jammer, a log flume ride, and the Ghostwood Estate, an eight-room haunted house. There are also a number of shows that go on throughout the day, from the Kenya Safari Acrobats to the Kennywood Laser Spectacular show. Throughout the park, there are more than 30 refreshment stands and snack carts, in addition to the large Parkside Cafe.
Kennywood
4800 Kennywood Blvd.
West Mifflin, PA 15122
412-461-0500
kennywood.com
Located about 60 miles south of Pittsburgh is the Nemacolin Woodlands Resort, a great vacation place for families and romantic retreats. This luxury destination is situated on 2,000 acres of wooded land in the Laurel Highlands. The resort has 327 guestrooms, suites, townhouses and private luxury homes on its land, in addition to hookups for RVs. The Woodlands Spa offers relaxing massages and skin treatments. There are also two championship golf courses and a 140-acre outdoors sporting facility for shooting and fly fishing. In addition, the resort has its own Adventure Center, with a climbing wall, zip-line experience, off-road driving class, mountain biking and a paintball course. There are a number of dining options at the resort as well, from the French fine dining restaurant, Lautrec, to the casual pub atmosphere of the Tavern.
Nemacolin Woodlands Resort
1001 Lafayette Drive
Farmington, PA 15437
866-344-6957
nemacolin.com
