Little Buffalo State Park is located at 1579 State Park Road in Newport, Pennsylvania. The park consists of roughly 923 acres of land. Little Buffalo State Park is both a recreational and historical destination. Recreational activities include hiking, boating, fishing, swimming, camping, and more. Historical aspects of the park include and operating grist mill and a covered bridge. In addition, the park is home to an old farmhouse that was built on the site of a colonial tavern. A narrow gauge railroad trace is another historical feature of the park.
The park has a roughly 8 miles of hiking trails. Hikers should exercise care on the trails since some of the footing is rocky. Playgrounds are available in the East Picnic Area and the Main Picnic Area. The Main Picnic Area surrounds the swimming pools and includes seasonal food concession, boat rental, restrooms, horseshoe pits, showers, two picnic pavilions, and a first aid station. The Main Picnic Area is open May through October. The East Picnic Area is open year round and features horseshoe pits, restrooms, picnic tables, a picnic pavilion, an environmental interpretive center, and the Moore Performing Arts Pavilion. Hours of operation for the picnic areas are 8:00am to sunset. Charcoal grills are located throughout the picnic areas. Picnic pavilions can be reserved for a fee by calling 888-PA-PARKS. Unreserved pavilions are available on a first-come, first-served basis free of charge.
Swimming is available in the swimming pool that sits along Holman Dam. The pool is almost half of an acre in size and has a capacity of 1,285 swimmers. The pool features a sprayground and waterslides. The pool area opens on Memorial Day weekend and is open weekends only until the second weekend in June. After that, it is open daily until mid-August. From mid-August through Labor Day weekend, it is open weekends only. There is a fee for using the pool, and summer pool hours are 11:00am to 6:45pm. Beverages and food are available at the seasonal snack bar.
Holman Lake provides visitors with year round fishing opportunities. Holman Lake is 88 acres and is designated as a "Big Bass Lake.'' This means that bass must be 15 inches or longer, and there is a daily limit of four. The lake is stocked with adult brook, rainbow, and brown trout several times each year. Walleye and tiger muskellunge are also stocked. A fishing pier is located by the Main Boat Launch. In winter, ice fishing is allowed. The lake does allow boating with electric powered motorboats. Non-powered boats are also permitted, and boat rentals are available next to the swimming pool. Boat rentals offered include canoes, rowboats, and pedal boats. Holman Lake has two public boat launches on the north side of the lake.
Hunting and trapping is permitted in the park during established seasons. The park has roughly 300 acres that allow trapping, hunting, and dog training. Deer, turkey, rabbit, squirrel, pheasant, and grouse are some of the common game species found in the area.
The park is home to 40 campsites and 5 rustic camping cottages. The campground has flush toilets and shower facilities. Some campsites offer electric and water hook-ups, and all campsites have a fire ring and a picnic table. Pets are permitted at the campgrounds.
In winter, all of the park's hiking trails are open for cross-country skiing. Weather permitting, an ice skating area is available on the east end of Holman Lake near the Main Boat Launch. The ice skating area is open 8:00am to 9:00pm. A warming hut is available along with heated restrooms.
Additional information about Little Buffalo State Park can be obtained by calling 717-567-9255 or 888-727-2757.
