Pennsylvania Wilds Visitor Centers

Clean Energy, Modern Visitor Centers

Nestled amid the region’s 2+ million acres of public land are world-class visitor centers built with clean energy principles. Explore educational exhibits, learn about sustainable energy practices and conservation, view wildlife, and orient to the region with traveler services.

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Educational exhibits

Learn & Explore

PA Wilds high performance visitor centers all offer educational displays and interpretative signage to help guests learn about the region and geography, our ecosystem, history and culture, and the surrounding natural forest.

Adventure

Surprising thrills

Different visitor centers offer unique and exciting experiences - such as the Kinzua Bridge Skywalk - named one of the Top 10 Most Beautiful Skywalks in the World by Culture Trip, U.K. The Kinzua Sky Walk is an engineering marvel offering stunning views of the vast Kinzua Gorge from 225 feet above the forest floor. The Elk Country Visitor Center offers visitors the chance to see our wild elk herd up close and personal at select times throughout the year. Other visitor centers provide exciting wildlife viewing opportunities.

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Plan your trip

High performance visitor centers in the PA Wilds serve not only as destinations, but as launch points to explore the rest of the region. Visitor Centers offer travel planning materials, brochures, and maps and knowledgeable staff to help guide your Pennsylvania Wilds journeys.

Visit High Performance Visitor Centers in the Pennsylvania Wilds

Explore our directory of clean energy visitor centers, and download a printable brochure. The Pennsylvania Wilds is proud to be home to close to half of the PA Department of Conservation & Natural Resources’ LEED (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design) certified buildings. These facilities offer inspiring takeaways for how we can all be better stewards of our precious natural resources, and provide exciting and educational experiences for visitors.

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Journeys & Landscapes

VISIT

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

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

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.

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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

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

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!"