faqs

Check-in any time after 3:00 P.M. and check-out by 11:00 A.M.

Our front desk operates daily from 7:00 A.M. until 10:00 P.M. We have procedures in place to welcome and register late arriving guests using a series of wall mounted lockboxes in the foyer area at the inn’s main entrance. If you know in advance that you’ll be arriving after 10:00 P.M, we suggest coordinating your lockbox number and personalized access code well in advance. We’ll note it within your state park’s reservation for use by our guest services staff. If we haven’t heard from you by 9:00 P.M. on your scheduled arrival date, our guest services staff will attempt to contact you by phone to review after hours’ registration procedures, designate a lockbox, and set a personalized access code. We even have procedures in place to set your lockbox up in cases when we are unable to reach you by phone. Lastly, with on-site, 24-hour on call coverage, be assured that you’ll always be able to reach a staff member by phone if you are having late night difficulties finding or accessing the inn or your room.

Overnight stays include an exceptional country style breakfast featuring an assortment of hot entrees, breads, pastries and muffins, seasonal fruit, hot and cold cereals, yogurt parfaits, fruit juices, and hot beverages. Breakfast is served daily from 7:00 A.M. to 10:00 A.M. On days when we have only a handful of guests, we’re more than likely to offer your preferred breakfast cooked to order. We also offer a complete box lunch program that is simple, affordable. and is designed to meet your needs, schedule. and preferences. We’re excited to launch our expanded foodservice offerings in addition to our regular boxed lunch menu. These in-house dinners are available for pre-order and take-out only and are prepared right here at the inn by our chef! Our Menus > Nature Inn guests also enjoy exclusive use of our outdoor patio and the two built-in, professional-grade gas grills. For those looking for lunch or dinner locally, we’ve partnered with a number of nearby eateries which provide a variety of options and offer inn guests exclusive discounts. Learn More >

Except for qualified service animals performing recognized tasks on behalf of their handlers, the Nature Inn at Bald Eagle is a pet-free facility. We can direct you to local boarding facilities if you’re traveling with a pet when visiting the Nature Inn. Or, if you prefer, there are several pet-friendly campsites elsewhere within the park. Dog Dynasty is just minutes from the park and their phone number is 814.355.3534 or visit their Facebook page.

The Nature Inn does not sell alcohol. And while the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Bureau of State Parks prohibit the possession and consumption of alcohol within park boundaries, the Nature Inn offers an exception, allowing guests to consume alcohol exclusively on premises during their visit. For private events being held at the Nature Inn, guests may apply through the park office for a special use permit.

The inn has a total of 16 overnight guest rooms with various configurations. Room types include six single rooms, four double rooms, two basic suites, two small suites and two large suites. With a total of 22 queen sized beds and six queen sleeper sofas, the inn can accommodate upwards of 50 guests when at full capacity. Single rooms are rated for two guests, while doubles, basic and small suites can accommodate up to four guests. Larges suites, with two bedrooms and a living area, can sleep six guests. Learn More >

The inn has a total of 16 overnight guest rooms, 8 rooms over-look the lake and 8 over-look the rain gardens and forest. The lake view rooms end in even numbers (2, 4, 6, 8). Both the first and second floor rooms each have their own private deck. Lake View First Floor: 102 | Small Suite | Private Deck 104 | Basic Suite | Private Deck 106 | Basic Suite | Private Deck 108 | Small Suite | Private Deck Lake View Second Floor: 202 | Double Room | Private Deck 204 | Single Room | Private Deck 206 | Single Room | Private Deck 208 | Double Room | Private Deck The forest/garden view rooms end in odd numbers. These first floor rooms have private patios while second floor rooms have decks. Forest View First Floor: 101 | Large Suite | Private Patio 103 | Single Room | Private Patio 105 | Single Room | Private Patio 107 | Large Suite | Private Patio Forest View Second Floor: 201 | Double Room | Private Deck 203 | Single Room | Private Deck 205 | Single Room | Private Deck 207 | Double Room | Private Deck Learn More >

Generally speaking, no. The exceptions are weekend stays between Memorial Day and Thanksgiving, which do carry a two-night stay requirement. Also, the Memorial and Labor Day weekends have a three-night stay requirement. Not able to meet those minimums? We encourage you to phone us directly as the sequence and unique nature of each booking occasionally frees up single weekend nights, which won’t be reflected when booking online.

Birding is one of the main attractions at Bald Eagle State Park and our naming choices reflect that. Each of the birds listed can be found within the park boundaries at some time during the year. Be sure to check the Cornell Lab of Ornithology eBird tracker for recent sightings within the park, or to log your own. Learn More >

Yes. The Nature Inn operates year round, offering easy access to all the seasonal recreational activities available in Bald Eagle State Park and the Centre Region. Learn More >

Overnight parking of boats and trailers is permitted in our lot if space permits. The preferred option for those trailering boats is to secure a transient boat slip through the park office. This will provide you with a wet slip at the marina and a corresponding, nearby space for your trailer. Other options for unhitching your trailer include the shoulder along Warbler Way or the overflow lot at the modern campground. Inn or park office staff can provide full details and pricing. The park office phone number is (814) 625-2775, Option #5. Learn More >

Absolutely! The Nature Inn at Bald Eagle is an exciting meeting and event destination in central Pennsylvania. As part of the Pennsylvania state park system, the inn offers a unique alternative to the larger conference centers found in towns and urban settings. Here at the Nature Inn, we offer state of the art facilities at an environmentally responsible, LEED Gold certified venue for meetings, social gatherings, and weddings. Learn More >

Unlike other state park overnight facilities, we offer the full-service capabilities and amenities that you’d expect of a premier lakeside lodge. Our rooms are fully appointed to ensure your comfort and relaxation during your upcoming stay. Forgotten items, such as toiletries, can likely be picked up at our front desk. Loaner items, ranging from in-room binoculars to seasonal recreation items, are available to all and are intended to help connect you to the natural resources of Bald Eagle State Park. We offer a complimentary, full hot breakfast each morning, boxed lunches and access to two commercial gas grills on our patio. So, we suggest only that you be sure to pack a pair of sturdy hiking shoes, seasonally appropriate outerwear, bathing suit, sunscreen and a sense of adventure.

Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) is an internationally recognized green building certification system, providing third-party verification that a building or community was designed and built using strategies aimed at improving energy savings, water efficiency, CO2 emissions reductions, indoor environmental quality, and stewardship of resources. Developed by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), LEED provides building owners and operators a concise framework for identifying and implementing practical and measurable green building design, construction, operations, and maintenance solutions. In 2011, The Nature Inn at Bald Eagle was awarded LEED Gold certification by the USGBC. Learn More >

Here at the Nature Inn, we practice the concepts of environmental stewardship in our day to day operations. The innkeeper or any staff member are always happy to discuss our ongoing initiatives with you. Interpretive materials in your room, and panels located throughout the property, also provide insight into how we accomplish these goals. And, we’ve found that one of the best resources for citizen conservation information is DCNR’s iConservePA program. Visit www.iConservePA.org for tips and ideas to incorporate green practices into your daily lifestyle. Learn More >

Construction of the Nature Inn at Bald Eagle was completed during the summer of 2010.. The inn was built and is owned by the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources on land that is a part of Bald Eagle State Park. DCNR retains a hospitality management company to provide innkeeper services and manage day-to-day operations. That firm, Walden Hospitality, has been providing those services since the inn opened in 2010. This unique public-private partnership ensures the delivery of exceptional customer service.

The inn itself does not offer any fitness equipment or aquatic options, nor do we have a hot tub or Jacuzzis. That said, Bald Eagle State Park offers miles of hiking trails and a well-maintained, seasonal swimming beach. Kayaks, canoes, stand up paddleboards, and bicycles are all available for rent through the marina. During the winter months, the park and inn partner to offer complimentary use of snowshoes and cross country skis. The varied, year-round outdoor recreational activities available within the park are sure to challenge even the most avid exercise enthusiast. Learn More >

The Pennsylvania state park reservation system has a feature that allows anyone with an account to set up an alert in the event of cancellations at the Nature Inn. Procedures are relatively simple: First, access the “find campsites” page and verify that “Loop” is set to “Nature Inn at Bald Eagle” Next, set your arrival date, length of stay and that you are “not flexible” - ENTER If the dates are unavailable, you’ll receive an error message “no suitable availability shown” with the option to “create availability notification” Click that link and you’ll be directed to either “sign in” using your existing credentials or to “create an account” Once you’ve done so, a new screen will summarize your alert request and prompt you to “create this notification” Start the process >

Yes, the Nature Inn and surrounding grounds are all ADA compliant and accessible. There is an elevator that services the building’s three levels and provides step free access to the patio area and grounds. Our guest rooms and bathrooms all incorporate furnishings and fixtures that make them easy to navigate even for mobility impaired guests. And while we don’t have roll in showers, all our bathtub/shower units feature multiple support bars, and we have transfer benches available to further assist with access.

We host multiple destination weekend weddings each year at the Nature Inn. For these, the bride and groom will have worked with our wedding coordinator to pre-block all 16 overnight rooms for wedding guests. They’ll have been provided with a worksheet for assigning guests to specific rooms based on their own criteria. We always suggest that they return that completed room assignment worksheet to us prior to sending out invitations. So, by the time you receive your invitation, you should already have a room being held with your name attached to it. To confirm your reservation, we’ll ask that you phone at least one month in advance to provide your personal contact information and full payment. Please be aware that our staff will not be able to switch, alter or modify rooming assignments without consulting with the bride and groom.

While not open to the public for meals, the inn does permit guests staying with us to invite friends and family to join them for breakfast. The charge is $11.95 plus tax per outside guest, and we do ask that you notify us in advance so that we can let our kitchen staff know.

For the comfort of all our guests, and in keeping with the LEED Gold standards for the building, the Nature Inn at Bald Eagle is a smoke-free facility. To that end, we also prohibit smoking on private porches or balconies connected to our guestrooms. We do offer smokers outposts that are a minimum of 20’ from the exterior of the building.

The inn has a supply of rollaway beds that can be added to your room for a charge of $15 per night. Cribs and pack-n-plays also are available at no charge. Please note that if you are requesting a rollaway and will be exceeding the rated occupancy of the room, then $10.95 per extra guest for breakfast will be charged as well.

Swimming in FJ Sayers Lake is limited to the maintained and marked beach area. Please be aware that there are no lifeguards posted at the beach. Learn More >

Hunting is permitted in designated areas of Bald Eagle State Park, including archery only on the peninsula where the Nature Inn is situated. There is a well-marked buffer zone around the inn. Hunting regulations vary annually and by season. We recommend contacting the Bald Eagle State Park office for a full listing of hunting that may currently be under way within the park boundaries. Hiking, even during hunting season, is a safe activity. If you are concerned, we recommend that you take the precaution of wearing blaze orange during active hunting seasons. We also have a supply of orange vests available at the front desk that we’d be happy to loan to you for your outing. Learn More >

We are always accepting applications! If you are interested in applying for a position at the inn, fill out our application here and email it directly to the Innkeeper, Charlie Brooks, at c-chbrooks@pa.gov to be considered.