Memorial Lake State Park (Blog Hike #1073)

Trails: Woodland, Scout, Hillside, Overlook, and Grasslands Trails
Hike Location: Memorial Lake State Park
Geographic Location: north of Hershey, PA (40.42300, -76.59613)
Length: 2.5 miles
Difficulty: 2/10 (Easy)
Date Hiked: September 2025
Overview: A mostly flat loop around Memorial Lake.
Park Information: https://www.pa.gov/agencies/dcnr/recreation/where-to-go/state-parks/find-a-park/memorial-lake-state-park
Hike Route Map: 

On The Go Map
Photo Highlight:

Hike Video: (coming May 28, 2027)

Directions to the trailhead: North of Harrisburg, take I-81 to SR 934 (exit 85).  Exit and go north on SR 934.  Drive SR 934 north 0.5 miles to Asher Miner Road and turn left on Asher Miner Rd.  After 0.3 more miles, angle left on Boundary Road.  Drive Boundary Rd. west 0.8 miles to Middle Road and the park entrance on the left.  Turn left on Middle Rd., which dead-ends at the large parking lot for the boat launch and kayak rental station.  Park here.

The hike: Featuring 85 acres of water surface, Memorial Lake was built in 1945 in memory and honor of Pennsylvania National Guard soldiers who served in World War I and World War II.  The lake was built on the grounds of Fort Indiantown Gap, a Pennsylvania National Guard training center that dates to 1931.  In 1955, a total of 231 acres that contain the lake were transferred to the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources to form the park we visit today, but Fort Indiantown Gap still surrounds the park.  In fact, the Directions to the trailhead above takes you past one of the fort's old entry gates, so this park still retains its military feel.

            Memorial Lake State Park is only open for day-use, and therefore the list of amenities is rather limited.  The lake offers fishing and boating, and several picnic tables and 2 picnic pavilions provide opportunities for cook-outs.  For hikers, the park offers 6 trails, but all of the trails are short: the trail distances sum to only 2 miles.  Piecing together several of the park's trails and adding a road walk forms the circumnavigation of Memorial Lake described here.

Start of Woodland Trail

            From the Middle Road parking area, pick up the signed Woodland Trail; it starts as a wide gravel trail that heads west through a picnic area with Memorial Lake through the trees on the left.  Soon the trail heads into the dense woods.  The large number of maple trees in the woods would make this a good leaf peeping hike in October.  Wooden bridges get you over a couple of small streams.

Hiking the Woodland Trail

            At 0.4 miles, you reach the Woodland Trail's west end at the Lower Road parking area.  Angle left through the parking area to head for the boat launch.  Just before reaching the boat launch, turn right to leave the pavement and begin the Scout Trail.  The Scout Trail offers more of the same wooded lakeside scenery, and the going remains very easy.

Crossing Memorial Lake's main feeder stream

            Just past 0.6 miles, you cross Memorial Lake's main feeder stream on a long wooden bridge.  After crossing the bridge, you reach the west end of the Scout Trail where it intersects Memorial Lake Road.  To continue our loop around the lake, turn left and start the road walk portion of this hike.

            Memorial Lake Rd. features one-way traffic coming at you in light to moderate volume.  Private property adjoins part of this road, so be sure to stay on the public road.  At 1.3 miles, you reach a road intersection where Lake Road exits right.  Your road walk ends here: turn sharply left to begin the signed, wide, and obvious Hillside Trail.

Start of Hillside Trail

            After only a few hundred feet on the Hillside Trail, you reach a bench that overlooks Memorial Lake.  I recommend not spending long here because a better overlook is just a few minutes ahead.  The trail curves sharply right and climbs gently to reach the aforementioned overlook.  Several benches and picnic tables stand here, and Indiantown Gap in the distance makes a perfect backdrop for Memorial Lake.  Take a few minutes to rehydrate and enjoy the scenery.

Main lake overlook

            Exit the overlook area by walking uphill toward the parking lot and then angling left to begin the Overlook Trail as it heads across the dam that forms Memorial Lake.  After crossing the spillway on an iron bridge with wooden deck, turn left to begin heading through the mowed-grass Hemlock Grove Picnic Area on gravel trail.  Turn left at the first trail intersection, but where the Lakeside Trail exits left angle right to begin the Grasslands Trail, the final leg on our loop.

Grasslands Trail

            True to its name, the Grasslands Trail makes an arc through a sunny prairie area.  The prairie wildflowers were decent but not stunning when I came here on a warm afternoon in early September.  Soon you come into the northeast corner of the Middle Road parking lot, thus signaling the end of the hike.  If you want to do more hiking, Swatara State Park, which features a segment of the Appalachian Trail, is located a few miles to the north.