Colonel Denning State Park
Colonel Denning State Park is a 273 acre park in north-central Cumberland County. The park is a scenic park with Doubling Gap Lake, a 3.5 acre lake. The Lake has a sand beach with swimming. Doubling Gap Lake has trout fishing and kayaking and canoeing.
Feature Summary
- Official website: https://www.dcnr.pa.gov/StateParks/FindAPark/ColonelDenningStatePark/Pages/default.aspx
- Campsites: 49 site campground, organized group tenting
- Firewood availability: Available at the campground host site
- Bath Facilities: Modern Restrooms, showers, wash sink for dishes
- Hiking: 3 mi in the park
- Pavilions: 2 picnic pavilions
- Other Activities: Swimming, fishing, Kayaking and Canoeing
- Cellphone reception: OK
- Dates We Visited: 6/2020, 7/2021, 5/2022, 5/2024
Camping
Camping at Colonel Denning State Park is great. The 49 site campground has a mixture of electric and non-electric sites. The campsite is a loop and 2 spurs. The loop is pet free and the 2 spurs are pet friendly. Most sites are relatively level even though the loop of the campground is on a hill. The campground has nice facilities and is opens the open day of trout season and closes the day after rifle deer season in December.
Hiking
Doubling Gap Nature Trail (1 mi loop, easiest hiking): The Doubling Gap Nature Trail starts at Doubling Gap Lake. It is a great hike with lots to see. The trail has several informational panels of the natural history of the area. It has several bridges and board crossings through the wetlands. It has several places along creek to touch the creek.
Flat Rock Trail (2.5 mi, most difficult hiking): Flat Rock Trail starts near the amphitheater. It is a difficult trail with about 1000 ft of elevation gain. The view from Flat Rock, a natural rock outcrop on top of Blue Mountain, provides a beautiful scenic vista of the Cumberland Valley. The lower portion of the Flat Rock Trail has stairs. Midway up the trail a wagon wheel of trails meet up. This wagon wheel has a couple of picnic benches for a snack.
Rattlesnake Trail (1 mi loop, more difficult hiking): The Rattlesnake Trail starts at the restrooms at the parking lot near day use area #1. The trail has lots of up and down sections and rocky in a few places. It is a fun trail through a mixed oak forest on the foothills of Blue Mountain.
