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January 18, 2024

National Wild and Scenic Rivers of the PA Wilds: Allegheny and Clarion

The Pennsylvania Wilds region has some of the best flat water paddling and fishing in the United States! When anglers and paddlers research the PA Wilds, they come across these words: “two Wild and Scenic Rivers.” They often ask where those two rivers are, why the words “wild” and “scenic” are capitalized, and why only two rivers out of the many PA Wilds waterways are called out as such. The term comes from the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System, a registry that was created with the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act of 1968. The Allegheny River and the Clarion River within the PA Wilds are on the Wild and Scenic Rivers registry, and for good reason.

January 16, 2024

BIRD LORE: Winter birding in Lycoming and Clinton Counties

What is there to do on cold winter days in January and February? If you live in or are visiting Clinton or Lycoming Counties, how about a drive along Old River Road in South Avis, or a road trip to Cogan House Township to look for Snow Buntings and Lapland Longspurs in open farm fields! Or look for these songbirds wherever you see agricultural fields spread with manure. So what attracts these songbirds, as well as large flocks of Horned Larks, to these fields? In a word, seeds.

January 11, 2024

Conquering a fear of heights at Kinzua Bridge

“Should I visit Kinzua Bridge State Park if I’m afraid of heights?” It’s a reasonable question, and it’s one that is asked so much online that Google now automatically completes the question for you if you start typing it into the search engine. The Skywalk at Kinzua Bridge in McKean County is undoubtedly high. Hovering 225 feet above the valley floor at its highest point, it’s as though you are standing on the 22nd floor of a skyscraper. Here are some tips for conquering your fear of heights and enjoying Kinzua Bridge!

January 10, 2024

New Year’s Resolutions that the PA Wilds can help you accomplish

A New Year’s Resolution is all about hope for the upcoming year. Whatever you’re trying to accomplish in 2024, there are places in the PA Wilds that can help you achieve it.

January 9, 2024

Mark these 2024 PA Great Outdoors photo contests on your calendar!

Do you have an eye for catching the perfect shot while making memories in the PA Wilds? If you've snapped a photo of fun in the snow, a great catch, a summertime adventure or a view of the stars in Pennsylvania’s Great Outdoors region (part of the Pennsylvania Wilds that includes the counties of Cameron, Elk, and Forest), that photo could win you some cash in 2024! Whether you live in the region or have taken a photo while traveling here, you're invited to enter the upcoming Pennsylvania Great Outdoors Visitors Bureau's lineup of photo contests for 2024. The four quarterly themes are Let it Snow, Big Fish, Good Old Summertime, and Stargazing.

January 8, 2024

A short First Day Hike in Lock Haven

When we were first married, my wife and I used to traditionally take First Day hikes on January first, every year. Then we had a kid. We adopted my son, Paul Matthew, in 2014. I love being a parent, but I have to say that there is nothing like a baby to keep you in the house. They’re like an ankle monitor that you have to feed. However, Paul is nine now. And I enjoy doing things with him, so this year I brought up the idea of getting back into the First Day Hikes.

January 5, 2024

A First Day Hike at Parker Dam State Park

Just ten hours after watching the Times Square ball drop celebration on TV and ringing in the new year for 2024, I found myself at Parker Dam State Park to celebrate the start of a fresh year with their annual First Day Hike. What is a First Day Hike? They’re held on the first day of the new year at lots of Pennsylvania state parks. These free hikes are guided by staff and volunteers from the PA Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR), and they’re typically anywhere from 1 to 3.5 miles long.

January 4, 2024

A Ray of Wilds Sonshine

The Wilds Sonshine Factory is a unique destination on several fronts, primarily for their signature product line – distilled spirits made from sunflower seeds, but also for the Factory’s push on educating visitors on some of the region’s outdoor resources that have tattooed this region in the PA Wilds for generations. Writer Ray Hunt took a "Hooky Day" to visit the Wilds Sonshine Factory and learn about the inspiration behind it.

January 3, 2024

Stargazing Sanctuary: Exploring the Dark Sky at Cherry Springs State Park

Nestled amidst the picturesque Dark Skies landscape of the Pennsylvania Wilds sits a haven for stargazers and nature enthusiasts — the awe-inspiring Cherry Springs State Park. To understand the magic of the Commonwealth’s first Dark Sky Park, Christian Alexandersen spoke with Park Manager Ben Stone for the season premiere of the Hemlocks to Hellbenders podcast. The episode – “Cherry Springs State Park – Spend a night in the stars”- premiered January 3, 2024. 

December 31, 2023

Year in Review: Top 10 PA Wilds blogs of 2023

For those of you who didn't get a chance to keep up with the blog all year, we're counting down the Top 10 blogs for you to catch up on all things PA Wilds before 2024 arrives. Starting with #10 and ending with #1, check out the most read blogs of this year!