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Cozy and Adventurous!
Stayed 2 nights (accidentally paid for 3 nights online so be careful). Campsites are roomy on the electric sites, non electric are not too bad. Stick with the outer ring for more room as the interiors have more tree canopy coverage BUT tend to be close to your neighbors. Some sites accommodate more than 2 vehicles but the routine officer patrols quickly remind you of the rules and that they dont make them but they need to enforce them. Ample vistor parking close just around the bend so no worries there.
LOVED the hiking; HATED the trail markers. Most of the trails had some form of signage but at least 10 times I had to gps my location to find out which fork to take. I would also take a path and then stumble across a sign board with the map. Had difficult time finding a trail map online or on the property but no problem finding a trail out here. "It's made by moutain bikers, but the trail is for everyone"...perhaps it should be marked a bit so it gets less confusing for those less adventurous who would mostly turn back fearing getting lost. I don't think you can ever get lost on a hike, just find somewhere new or forgotten ;-).
Playgrounds for the kids, ponds for fishing, very nice veterans memorial on site.
What an awesome hidden gem right here in Erie County! We were looking for just a close-by place to camp with the kids, but we found a beautiful forest and a really nice campground. The forest is really diverse, with mixed hardwood stands (including some of the largest black cherry trees I've ever seen) alongside shady hemlock groves and pine stands. The deeply incised canyon around the creek is a nice bit of topography. We saw lots of cool mushrooms (tho no edibles) and wildlife too. The campground is really nice and spacious and they don't allow generators, which is a huge pet peeve or mine. I'm docking one star for the obnoxious person in the RV blasting Grateful Dead tapes until 2am, audible from a half mile away. (Jerry was hot in '77, no argument, but my kids were woken up repeatedly in the night.)
Most campsites are a decent size and have electric hook ups. There is a playground for the kiddos and a pond to fish in. No swimming in it though. There is a creek that runs through the state park which was nice for the kids to splash around in. Good for a local weekend get away.
Trails are well maintained by the MTB group here. Users are also kind to, generally, stay off when they're wet, so there's minimal damage. Water crossings vary across the seasons.
Maybe the coolest County park I have ever been too. So much to do - so much fun. Spent a lot of time here as a kid growing up - fantastic memories of this place. Hot days in the summer included a creek hike - and there are plenty of pools to sit in and cool off. The parks topology has in interesting chasm/ravine that rips through the center of the park and should be seen from several of the main trails. The place has a mountainous feel and has some of the best hiking around. Winters can feel like
Alaska with extreme cold and snow that produces dead silence.
