Now that the snow has melted and the sun is back, more people are spending their leisure time in local parks.

"People tend to be fair-weather park visitors," said Steven Volgstadt, Bald Eagle State Park manager. "But there are things to see on a rainy day, too."

There has been a dramatic increase in people hiking and boating in Bald Eagle State Park since temperatures went up, Volgstadt said. As spring progresses, more visitors will go fishing and attend programs in the park, he added.

Stone Valley Recreation Area program coordinator Charlene Detwiler has noticed a lot of people walking on Stone Valley's 25 miles of hiking trails since it began to warm up. Stone Valley is open for hiking and biking and has picnic tables and grills throughout the park. Also, the park's 72-acre lake is open for boating, Detwiler said.

Centre Region Parks and Recreation, which maintains 40 municipal parks in State College Borough and College, Ferguson, Harris and Patton Townships, has already started its spring programs, recreation supervisor Don Coine said.

The programs include an Easter egg hunt and a youth field hockey program run with the help of the Penn State Lady Lion field hockey team, Coine said.

The Centre Community Skate Park at Tussey Mountain is also open for the season, he added.

In late March, the Maple Harvest Festival at Shaver's Creek Environmental Center drew a record crowd, program director Doug Wentzel said. The number of visitors has grown since temperatures have increased, he added.

"We've had nice weather, and after a long winter it's a nice excuse to get out," Wentzel said. "If we hit a nice Saturday or Sunday, a lot of people will come out here."

People are not the only things returning to Shaver's Creek groundhogs and chipmunks are coming out of hibernation, birds are flying back to the area, tree frogs are out and a few bats have been seen, Wentzel said.

Some of the first wildflowers of the season are blooming, and trees like the red maple are starting to flower, he added.

"Pennsylvania's very green. We're very spoiled here," Wentzel said. "Everything's just cranking it up a notch now."

Another popular outdoor destination in the area is Mount Nittany, which always has a large number of visitors in the spring, said Pat Farrell, Mount Nittany Conservancy president.

"Some of the trails are still a little wet, but that doesn't deter people," Farrell said. "It's nice to go to the top and look back over the university and the town."

The hike up Mount Nittany takes about 20 minutes, and the trip back down is usually 10 minutes, she said.

"It's a nice thing to do in the springtime," Farrell said. "Once you hike it, you can check it off the list of things to do before you graduate."