Culture

February 28, 2023

The Allegheny National Forest celebrates 100 years

With the simple stroke of a pen 100 years ago, President Calvin Coolidge signed a proclamation establishing the Allegheny National Forest (ANF). Thanks to President Coolidge and several other U.S. Presidents, you, me and many others get to enjoy the wonder of it all. The journey that moment in 1923 to now has been long and difficult, with hard work throughout the ANF's history.

February 21, 2023

Graham Acres

While it's not exactly a tourist attraction, the Lock Haven Hospital does have an interesting history behind it, a history that even connects with Hollywood movies. The Lock Haven Hospital sits at the top of a hill in the western portion of Lock Haven. Once upon a time, that hill was a horse farm. It was known as Graham Acres, and the land was donated to be used for a hospital.

February 16, 2023

Down Life’s Crazy Road: An Early Spring?

Does it really matter what Punxsutawney Phil predicts? Writer John Pozza thinks it's a fun tradition that's not based in how the seasons work! The vast majority of times, Phil has seen his shadow, so we have NOT had an early spring. In reality, we have not only NOT had an early spring, but we had a longer winter than Phil forecasted. That’s because the beginning of spring (the equinox) is actually six and a half weeks after Groundhog Day.

February 2, 2023

How often does Punxsutawney Phil predict an early spring? Not often!

When Punxsutawney Phil was woken from his burrow this morning on Groundhog Day 2023, his scroll said, "No matter how you measure, it’s six more weeks of winter weather." That means, once again, our Seer of Seers has predicted a long winter. It's not unusual, and this long winter is what the groundhog typically predicts!

January 30, 2023

Mark these 2023 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 a good meal, your pet, an outdoor adventure with the family, fall leaves or history in Pennsylvania’s Great Outdoors region (part of the Pennsylvania Wilds that includes the counties of Cameron, Clarion, Elk, Forest and Jefferson), that photo could win you some cash in 2023!

January 25, 2023

Flavors of the PA Wilds

Our PA Wilds region is home to so many unique foods... maple syrup, birch beer, popcorn, red pickled eggs, mushrooms, hoagies and more. Whether you’re a resident of the Pennsylvania Wilds or traveling through the area, don’t miss out on these distinctive flavors that can be found here!

December 7, 2022

A Dark Skies Christmas

As a history writer, Lou Bernard has a Christmas tradition: digging into old archives and writing about the holidays of the past. In Dark Skies Country, a hundred and forty-three years ago, there was an interesting one. Christmas in Potter County had some wild stuff happening back in 1879, and the Potter Enterprise reported on it all.

November 8, 2022

The Legend of the Gnats

In Clearfield County, in the I-80 Frontier, there’s an interesting legend that explains how the gnats came to exist. Lou Bernard shares the folklore story of how a young Native American warrior defeated a sorcerer and turned him into ash, which then became the gnats that we know (and despise) today.

November 4, 2022

“All about connections:” Kane’s remote worker initiative showcases outdoor adventure and belonging

Kane, a community in the Allegheny National Forest and Surrounds Landscape of the Pennsylvania Wilds, became home for five remote workers in September. Coming from all walks of life — and all across the country — these individuals got three weeks to explore, make connections and enjoy the outdoor recreation that Kane offers in spades.

October 31, 2022

Ghosts of the PA Wilds: Inez Bull and the Vanishing Hitchhiker

The Vanishing Hitchhiker is a pretty common urban legend, appearing in stories all over the country. The Pennsylvania Wilds, however, seems to have its own Vanishing Hitchhiker. In Inez Bull’s book “Cross Fork Tales” she reports having actually picked one up in Dark Skies Landscape. Writer and paranormal investigator Lou Bernard recaps this legend in the latest of his Ghost of the PA Wilds series.