Fall Leaf Peeping

Experience the magic of fall colors in the Pennsylvania Wilds with a leaf peeping tour or by attending a signature fall foliage celebration. Each fall, the region debuts shades of red, orange and yellow foliage and scenic byways are great for travel. Many overlooks provide bountiful opportunities to see the fall foliage on full display.

Learn more

Autumn Leaf Festival

Clarion, PA

Find Your Leaf Peeping Tour

PA Wilds + Commonwealth

PA State Flaming Foliage Festival

Renovo, PA

Road trip ideas to get you started

Elk Scenic Drive

This 127-mile Elk Scenic Drive journey offers a picturesque driving tour in the heart of the Pennsylvania Wilds. Potential stops include some of the best places to observe the region’s awe-inspiring wild elk herd and other wildlife, as well as remote recreational assets that are hallmarks of this scenic and rugged landscape. The drive’s Quehanna Spur also offers visitors access to wildlife viewing sites, several hiking trails and other places of interest within the remote Quehanna Wild Area. Take the drive utilizing Route 153 from I-80 to Route 555, continue onto Route 120 and Route 144 (or vice versa!).

Bucktail Scenic Byway

The 100+ mile Bucktail Scenic Byway, a.k.a. Route 120, takes travelers through some of the lushest valleys and forests in the Pennsylvania Wilds. The southern end of the byway begins in Lock Haven, just a stone’s throw from the I-80 Frontier, and the Route can be taken all the way to to Ridgway in Elk County. While you travel it, you step back in history – it is, after all, an old Native American trail: the Sinnemahoning Path. While on the journey, you’ll pass through the Bucktail Natural Area and a handful of other state parks and public lands.

Scenic Route 6

Scenic Route 6, a main thoroughfare in the northern part of Pennsylvania, travels through four counties in the Pennsylvania Wilds and takes travelers right to some of the most scenic views in the region, including the PA Grand Canyon, Kinzua Experience, and the Allegheny National Forest. The tranquil highway provides easy access to the sites commemorating the region’s history and heritage and links many small towns across the region.

Important tips:

Fall foliage typically peaks for several weeks near the beginning of October across Pennsylvania.
Starting September 27, weekly fall foliage reports can be found online on the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation of Natural Resources (DCNR) website and will be updated every Thursday.
Visitors can get suggestions about the best spots to view fall foliage on the Penn’s Woods Fall Foliage story map and on the Pennsylvania Tourism Office website.
Remember leaf peeping is a popular activity and there will be others on the roads looking to slow down and take in the landscapes. Rural byways can become a little more crowded than usual, especially on weekends. Consider a mid-week excursion to avoid potential crowds.
Be sure to reserve your overnight accommodations early.
If you’re looking to camp, bring related overnight gear and supplies along with you.
Pack plenty of snacks, but look for unique pit stops featuring locally-made seasonal products.
Fill up on gasoline. Many of the most scenic drives in the Pennsylvania Wilds are on back roads that often extend dozens of miles through hilly terrain without sight of a gas station.
Consider printing out, hand-writing or downloading your travel plans as cell service is limited in many places throughout the region.
Bring your camera along!

Allegheny National Forest and Surrounds

Covering more than 500,000 acres, the Allegheny National Forest (ANF) is Pennsylvania’s only national forest. It dominates the western end of the Pennsylvania Wilds and contains within it and around it some of the region’s most treasured places and experiences.

VISIT

Cook Forest and the Ancients

Known as a land of giants because of the “forest cathedral” of ancient pines and hemlocks, this landscape is an ode to the majesty of the Pennsylvania Wilds and home to many of the tallest hemlock and pine trees in the Northeast. If an adventure among Cook Forest & The Ancients sounds mystifyingly exciting to you, rest assured that you’ll rest well during your exploration. So what are you waiting for? The Ancients are calling. Come see some of the tallest pine trees in the Northeast.

VISIT

Dark Skies

Inspiring awe and delight, Dark Skies is home to the world’s second certified International Dark-Sky Park. Cherry Springs State Park is world-famous for being one the best places in the USA for stargazing and the study of astronomy. But these mesmerizing, star-filled skies are JUST the beginning.

VISIT

Elk Country

Elk Country is a place that lives up to its name. Home to the largest free-roaming elk herd in the northeastern United States, Elk Country features two large visitor centers to welcome you. If you come to Elk Country for the elk, you won’t be disappointed. But if you stick around to see what’s all around you, you’ll be delighted you did.

VISIT

I-80 Frontier

Whether you’re coming from the east, south or west, the I-80 Frontier is the quintessential welcome mat to the Pennsylvania Wilds. With its proximity to Pennsylvania’s southern population centers of Philadelphia, Harrisburg and Pittsburgh, not to mention close by New York City, and Cleveland on the western side, it’s easy to plan a trip for each season. Home to forested state parks and storied towns and places, any given exit off the interstate is a surefire way to find and explore the natural and hidden wonders of the region.

VISIT

Pine Creek Valley and The PA Grand Canyon

The Eastern Gateway to the PA Wilds...If it’s your first visit to the region, the PA Grand Canyon is a must see and one of the perfect ways to orient your mind and senses to the wonders of the Wilds. But once you’ve delighted in the Pine Creek Gorge views, you’ll soon discover that this scenic and unique landscape is best discovered from multiple vantage points.

VISIT

Bucktail Scenic Byway

Named for a regiment of rangers in the Civil War era - and today, known as Route 120, this designated Scenic Byway stretches 100 miles through the Sproul and Elk State Forests from the artsy college town of Lock Haven to Renovo (fuel up for gas here, Renovo is the last stop for many miles!) with beautiful views along the West Branch Susquehanna, on to the charming and historic town of Ridgway via Emporium and St. Marys.

VISIT

Elk Scenic Drive

This 127-mile loop through portions of five counties is a drive-to-believe-it kind of experience. The distinct Elk Scenic Drive road signs are your guide for this journey.

VISIT

Kinzua Experience

Pronounced "kin-zoo," by local residents, and "kin-zew-uh" in the Seneca language, a road trip through Kinzua country is an experience rich in Native American history and modern advances.

VISIT

Pine Creek Rail Trail

One is unable to appreciate the majesty and sheer awesomeness of the 1,000 feet deep Pine Creek Gorge (aka our PA Grand Canyon) without a bicycle ride, walk, or horseback ride along the Pine Creek Rail Trail, voted by USA Today as one of the “10 great places to take a bike tour in the world.” Orient yourself to the trail and the surrounding area at the Tiadaghton Resource Center.

VISIT

Scenic Route 6

There is great freedom in travel and it is found on the 400+ scenic miles of PA Route 6. Truly, it is a journey like no other in Pennsylvania. Even National Geographic agrees, calling PA Route 6 “one of America’s most scenic drives,” and the Weather Channel picked Route 6 as its Pennsylvania choice for "Amazing Road Trips to Take In Every State!"

Landscapes

Journeys

Fall Leaf Peeping