Pennsylvania State Park & Andalusia Historic House, Garden & Arboretum - Day Trips

June 24, 2026

While we were camping in north-central Pennsylvania this summer, we took some time to visit two state parks we hadn't yet been to.

Little Pine State Park

Little Pine State Park is located near Waterville, Pennsylvania. The park's 2,158 acres is surrounded by Tiadaghton State Forest and is home to the 60 acre Little Pine Lake.

Little Pine Lake

We didn't stay at the park's campground, but did take a quick drive through it. The campground has 72 water & electric sites, 12 non-electric sites, 7 walk in sites, 3 cabins and 2 yurts. There are three bathhouses with one being located in the organized tenting section. There's also a playground and dump station.

Park amenities include a shooting range, fishing, a sand beach for swimming, picnicing, and boating (electric motors only). There are paddleboats, canoes & rowboats for rent on weekends. There are also 14 miles of trails.

The park is located close to Pennsylvania's "Grand Canyon" and the Pine Creek Rail Trail. We were in the area to ride the trail, but we wanted to camp where there was easy access to it. This campground was located further away and required a drive to the nearest trailhead. Other wise, it looked like a nice campground, especially for smaller RVs.

Upper Pine Bottom State Park

Upper Pine Bottom State Park is also located near Waterville, Pennsylvania. It's a very small day-use area along Pennsylvania Route 44 west of Waterville. The park is used mainly as a parking area for hunters and fisherman, but there are picnic tables available there. The park also provides access to hiking trails in the Tiadaghton State Forest.

July 13, 2026

Andalusia Historic House, Gardens & Arboretum

The Andalusia Historic House, Gardens & Arboretum is located in Andalusia, along the Delaware River in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1795, the property was the ancestral home of the prominent Biddle Family. The house and gardens were opened to the public in 1980. Andalusia is open on Mondays, Tuesdays and Fridays throughout the year, as well as on select Saturdays.

The gardens were created in the late 18th century and were expanded over the years. Visitors can walk along paths that wind through the many separate gardens.

Visitors can also visit the pet cemetery that is the resting place for some the Biddle family's beloved dogs. In addition, the path through the arboretum takes you past over 800 trees of different varieties.

The Greek Revival "Big House" was inhabited by 6 generations of the Biddle family from the 1790s to the 1970s. Inside, visitors can view the furnishings, artwork and other exhibits. We were primarily interested in the gardens, so we didn't pay the extra fee to tour the house during our visit.

The "Big House"

We enjoyed our morning wandering around the grounds of Andalusia. If you enjoy history, architecture, flowers and trees, Andalusia is a great place to spend some time.

If you'd like to view our YouTube video short showing highlights of our visit to Andaulusia, just click on this link.

Neshaminy State Park

Neshaminy State Park is located in Bensalem, Pennsylvania. The 339 acre day-use park sits at the confluence of the Neshaminy Creek and the Delaware River in lower Bucks County. The park was minutes away from Andalusia, so we decided to visit it and cross another state park off of our list.

Park amenities include picnic areas, a swimming pool and spray park, and a marina for launching boats (unlimited horsepower) on the Delaware River. Additional amenities include the Playmasters Theatre Workshop, Logan Garden (also known as Sarobia, a restored formal garden), and 4.4 miles of walking trails.

The park was very busy when we visited. We didn't stay long. But when picking up our state park stamp and a map of the park, we learned about another nearby state park and went there next to visit it.

Benjamin Rush State Park

Benjamin Rush State Park is located in the northeast section of Philadelphia, just a few minutes away from Neshaminy State Park. The 315 acre park is another day use only area with a mix of open fields and woodlands along the Poquessing Creek. Amenities at this small park include a model airplane flying field, community gardens, a soccer field and hiking trails.

During our visit we could see several people tending to their garden plots and others walking the paved multi-use trail. One of the trails connects to Poquessing Park and the Poquessing Creek Trail.

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