Pennsylvania has 125 state parks, and one of the more surprising sits in the corridor between Harrisburg and Allentown. Swatara State Park covers 3,520 acres of forest and wetland, entry is free, and it's open every day of the year from sunrise to sunset. What sets it apart from your average green patch is a genuinely odd trio of activities: fishing, kayaking, and digging up 375-million-year-old fossils.
That last one is the headliner. During the Middle Devonian Period, this patch of central Pennsylvania was a sunlit seafloor, and an exposed fossil bed along the Bear Hole Trail lets visitors chip away at rock in search of trilobites and other ancient marine life. Reviewers recommend bringing your own tools to break the rocks open — one visitor scored a trilobite doing exactly that. The Bear Hole Trail itself runs 4.8 miles and throws in a couple of bonus sights, including the historic Bordner Cabin and Aycrigg's Falls. It's open to hikers, bikers, and horseback riders.
The water is the other big draw. Swatara Creek forms part of the 60-mile Swatara Creek Water Trail, with boat launches at Swopes Valley Trailhead, Waterville Bridge Parking Lot, and Lickdale Trailhead. One family documented a kayak run from Swopes to Lickdale — about 8.5 miles taking four to five hours — and noted there are rocks and roughly five small rapids, so check water levels before you launch, especially if tubing. Anglers have options too: Trout Run gets stocked trout in spring, Swatara Creek holds brook trout, panfish, and smallmouth bass, and Wagners Pond is a spot for largemouth bass and panfish. Anyone 16 or older needs a Pennsylvania fishing license, available online.
On foot, there are 34 miles of multiuse trails, including a 2.4-mile segment of the Appalachian Trail as it threads its way from Maine to Georgia. Not every route demands a full day — the Mifflin Trail is 0.3 miles, the Moonshine Trail 0.8, and the Round About Loop covers half a mile of wetland. The Mountain Bike Trail, at 9.5 miles, is the obvious pick for riders. Birdwatchers have logged more than 175 species here on eBird, from hawks and woodpeckers to ducks and bluebirds, and hunting is permitted in season for everything from rabbits to elk. In winter, the trails switch over to cross-country skiing and snowshoeing.
For travellers road-tripping through central Pennsylvania, Swatara works well as a low-cost stop that can fill anything from an easy hour to a whole weekend. It's about an hour from both Harrisburg and Allentown, and the nearest airport is Harrisburg International, roughly 35 minutes away. Families seem to be the sweet spot: short paved trails, a hands-on fossil pit, and forgiving paddling all add up to an easy sell for kids. If you want to extend the trip, Lake Ontelaunee is less than an hour east for more fishing and birding, or head two hours north to Vosburg Neck State Park on the Susquehanna for additional quiet paddling.
