Outdoor Recreation

January 20, 2025

Things to do around Kinzua Bridge State Park during Skywalk renovations

As the Skywalk at Kinzua Bridge State Park will be temporarily inaccessible for the next few years for renovations, except during brief stints during the fall foliage season, what can you do instead around the park?  There are many ways to keep exploring, whether it's in the park itself or nearby towns such as Kane, Bradford, and Warren. Check out these ideas for your next adventure!

January 9, 2025

A UV night hike at Black Moshannon State Park

The dawn greeted a new year on Wednesday, but my real New Year’s Day celebration started after the sun set on the first day of 2025. Although I’ve done daytime hikes as part of the First Day Hike initiative in years past (like my hike at Parker Dam State Park in 2024), this was the first time I was beginning the new year with a special night hike. Black Moshannon State Park, which is located along the I-80 Frontier landscape in the southern part of the Pennsylvania Wilds, decided to hold two UV light night hikes for their First Day Hike in 2025.

January 7, 2025

BIRD LORE: Winter birding

It was cold and the wind was blowing hard but there I was with two friends scanning the whitecaps of Rose Valley Lake in Lycoming County, hoping for a “fallout” of waterfowl and vagrant species. Winter birding in these kinds of conditions can be challenging, but also rewarding. We didn’t find many birds on the water, but we braved the “fowl weather” long enough to watch a Bald Eagle hopefully, but futilely, try to snatch a duck in flight across the lake. That’s not a sight you see every day. Though fish are their preferred food, Bald Eagles are opportunistic and will hunt smaller birds and mammals, as well as feed on carrion.

January 2, 2025

Mark these 2025 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 winter wonderland, a great catch, a hiking adventure or a stunning scenic view 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 2025! PA Great Outdoors Visitors Bureau's (PAGO) four quarterly themes for 2025 are Winter Wonders, Big Fish, Take a Hike, and Scenic Views.

December 26, 2024

Start your 2025 on the right foot with a First Day Hike

Go take a hike! No, really. You can start the new year on the right foot (literally) with guided hikes at many state parks throughout Pennsylvania, including several in the Pennsylvania Wilds.

December 16, 2024

ANF snowmobile trails open for the winter season

Snowmobile trails are officially open for the season in the Allegheny National Forest in the Allegheny National Forest and Surrounds landscape of the Pennsylvania Wilds! The U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service announces the opening of snowmobile season at 8:00 a.m. on December 16, 2024, in Allegheny National Forest. Snowmobile trails will remain open until 12:00 p.m. on March 31, 2025. These dates are chosen for public safety, occurring after the regular firearms deer hunting season.

December 5, 2024

Brady Tunnel opens in Clarion County, completing top ten trail gap

Some were skeptical that it could be done, but after six years of hard work, Armstrong Trails celebrated the opening of the newly renovated Brady Tunnel on Friday, Nov. 1. After decades of dormancy, the 2,468-foot railroad tunnel, located in Clarion County, will be open to non-motorized public use. The accomplishment marked the closing of one of Pennsylvania’s Top Ten trail gaps, creating 100 miles of connected trail in the Armstrong Trails network.

December 2, 2024

Viewing the Aurora Borealis in the dark skies of the PA Wilds

In May and October of this year, solar storms have presented northern Pennsylvania with multiple unique and rare opportunities to witness the Northern Lights from their backyards. This year, we have been hit (granted) with multiple large solar ejections, also known as solar flares. This has produced opportunities to witness these epic events first-hand, spontaneously, with barely having to travel. In fact, the lights could be seen within the Pennsylvania Wilds!

November 25, 2024

Cameron County leans into dark sky tourism

Cameron County is taking advantage of its location to capitalize on the tourism benefits of dark skies. The PA Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) recently awarded a grant to the Lumber Heritage Region, which will help fund a master site development plan to create a dark skies park in Cameron County. The park site is a reclaimed county landfill. The plan will explore strategic goals, timelines, and implementation methods. Ultimately, the desire is to have a site and community recognized by the International Dark Skies Association.

November 21, 2024

Tips for taking spectacular outdoor photos in winter in the PA Wilds

Deep in the snowy hills of the northern Pennsylvania Wilds, photographer Bernadette Chiaramonte is no stranger to venturing out on cold, blustery days to get some spectacular shots of winter scenes. Tioga County, where Bernadette lives, is up in what is known as the Pine Creek Valley and PA Grand Canyon landscape of the PA Wilds region. The higher elevations, ridges and gorges, and northern latitude of Tioga County means it has some of the most beautiful winter scenery. Over the years as owner of Edge of the Woods Photography, Bernadette has used the gorgeous landscape and wildlife to capture some great photos during the winter months.