Best Pennsylvania state parks for scenic ice skating PennLive.com 2/16/2021 Marcus Schneck, pennlive.com
Lakes in state parks across Pennsylvania often are surrounded by woodland that creeps right up to the shoreline in many spots, providing an idyllic setting for a bit of ice skating.
The Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources lists ice skating as an activity available in 47 state parks.
Most parks are described as skating “permitted on the natural ice of the lake as conditions permit.” Some monitor the thickness of the ice, which can be checked on the DCNR State Parks Winter Report.
A handful of parks go a bit further by designating and maintaining areas of their lakes for skating, even to the extent of providing lighting at night. Here’s a look at those 14: