Outdoor Recreation

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.

November 19, 2024

How to get kids started with fishing

When my wife was pregnant with our first child, friends told me my life was going to change in ways I wouldn’t always appreciate. Sure, many things would change for the better, and my life would no doubt be full of the joys of parenthood, but what they really meant was that I wouldn’t be able to fish as much as usual – if at all. I didn’t listen, of course. Fishing was a huge part of my childhood and is a cornerstone of my adult life, and more than anything in the world, I looked forward to someday sharing the outdoors with my kids.

October 30, 2024

Nominations for 2025 PA Trail of the Year due by November 1

Pennsylvanians now have the opportunity to nominate their favorite trail for the 2025 Trail of the Year through the PA Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR). Nominations are due by November 1, 2024.

October 29, 2024

Nominate your favorite waterway for 2025 River of the Year

Want to show a little extra love to your local river? Pennsylvanians are being asked to nominate their favorite waterway for the 2025 River of the Year! The nomination period is open until November 11.

October 22, 2024

Pennsylvania Wilds Astronomy Club: Planets more readily visible in fall, winter

Fall and winter are this year’s planet seasons. Saturn, Jupiter and Mars come to opposition in September, December and January, respectively. Also, Venus reaches its greatest evening elongation, angle distance from the sun, in January as well. The further it gets from the sun, the easier it is to observe.

October 16, 2024

Susquehanna adventures, then and now

At approximately 340 million years old, the Susquehanna River is older than the Nile, the Thames, and the Amazon rivers, spanning 672 miles across three states. It’s no wonder that over time, people in central Pennsylvania and beyond have returned to the river to celebrate its history and seek out adventures of their own. Whether rafting, rock-climbing, or even flying, there’s an adventure waiting for everyone on the Susquehanna Greenway. Let’s take a look at these adventures, then and now.  

October 14, 2024

Capture the stars! PA Great Outdoors stargazing photo contest open October-December

Capture the beautiful night sky and stars in a photo... and you could even win some prizes! There are many great places to go stargazing in Pennsylvania’s Great Outdoors region, part of the Pennsylvania Wilds that includes the counties of Cameron, Elk, and Forest. If you capture some of those special starry skies with a photo while traveling in the PA Great Outdoors region, consider entering it into the latest photo contest.

September 24, 2024

Wilds Child: Late summer migratory paths at Parker Dam State Park

Every year around mid-August, millions of monarch butterflies take flight from their botanical homes and travel thousands of miles along an ancestral fall migration path. Monarchs in the eastern United States, including monarchs that call the Pennsylvania Wilds home, depart to Mexico to overwinter together in fluttering clusters, only to return to our wildflower fields and backyard gardens in the spring. Every year around mid-August, millions of children across Pennsylvania take a similar migratory path, departing from their sunsoaked backyards and the ease of summer vacation and into large yellow buses that trace familiar routes to their primary and secondary schools.