Outdoor Recreation

December 26, 2022

Start your 2023 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 22, 2022

Learning to love the winter

Britt admits... she's not a big fan of winter. However, something changed one day while driving over Rockton Mountain in Clearfield County. A view of dazzling icy trees and untouched snow made her appreciate how beautiful winter really is in the Pennsylvania Wilds.

December 16, 2022

How deer hunters help our forests

As a PA hunter for over 36 years, Ryan Reed says he's been fortunate to take his share of deer. Beyond the potential comfort of a freezer full of “organic” meat is the idea that deer hunters share in the critical role of safeguarding the future of our forests.

December 13, 2022

Snowmobile season starts this Friday, with trails open in ANF

Time to start your engines! The snowmobile season officially begins at 8:00 a.m. on December 16, 2022, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Forest Service, with trails opening in the Allegheny National Forest. Snowmobile trails will remain open until 12:oo p.m. on March 31, 2023. Learn more about snowmobiling in the PA Wilds!

December 8, 2022

Fall fly fishing on Kettle Creek in the PA Wilds

Earlier in November, writer Ray Hunt headed out with his friends Bob Hallowell and Mike McFarland to Kettle Creek in Clinton County for some late fall fly fishing. Ray tested out some special bamboo rods... and left with some of them to add to his collection. Despite the colder temperatures, the men caught some great fish, enjoyed sneaking out to fish on a weekday, ate some delicious burgers and enjoy the company of friends.

November 1, 2022

Nominate your favorite trail in DCNR’s 2023 PA Trail Of The Year

What's your favorite trail in our state? Is there somewhere you walk, hike, bike or ride that always makes you smile? It's time to nominate it for DCNR's 2023 Pennsylvania Trail of the Year!

October 12, 2022

DCNR Seeking Proposals for a Four-Season Recreation Adventure Center Concession at Denton Hill State Park in Potter County

DCNR is seeking proposals for a four-season recreation adventure center concession at Denton Hill State Park in Potter County. The department is seeking a concessionaire to lease approximately 700 acres and work with DCNR to create a year-round recreational operation.

October 4, 2022

Ending at the Beginning – Loop Trails

Loop trails (any path that takes you forward, all the way back to the beginning) can be family-friendly and a great way to explore. Less planning is involved because you don't need to shuttle a car to the end point, and you won't repeat scenery or discoveries. DCNR and Purple Lizard Maps describe some of the best loop trails in the state, many of which are in the PA Wilds!

September 30, 2022

Roads open for 2022-23 hunting seasons in ANF, Marienville Ranger District

The USDA Forest Service will open 85 Forest Roads on the Allegheny National Forest’s Marienville Ranger District for hunter access between September 28, 2022, and February 19, 2023, unless otherwise noted. Traditionally many of the normally gated roads are opened each fall to allow preseason scouting and legal hunting during select Pennsylvania hunt seasons.

September 29, 2022

The Trails at Jakes Rocks: A Dream Come True in Warren County

If you would have told Jeremy Bickling 10 years ago there would be a world class mountain bike trail system here in Warren County, he would have said you were dreaming. Not only did a dedicated group of mountain bikers, donors and volunteers make that dream come true, what they created is so much more than he ever could have imagined. It's called the Trails at Jakes Rocks.