Outdoor Recreation

June 30, 2022

Celebrating our Partners: Visitors and the PA Wilds Center Team

Our final Great Outdoors Month gratitude post goes to our visitors, and to the dedicated Board, staff and core contractors who support the PA Wilds effort, day in and day out. It takes a special group to found, structure, fund and build a regional nonprofit dedicated to advancing generational, transformational work in a distressed rural landscape.

June 29, 2022

Celebrating our Partners: PA Wilds Planning Team, Municipalities, Elected Officials

Today’s Great Outdoors Month gratitude post goes to the PA Wilds Planning Team and the many county and municipal partners and elected officials who are helping us grow the outdoor rec economy in the PA Wilds to revitalize rural communities.

June 26, 2022

Celebrating our Partners: Outfitters and Hospitality Partners

As one of the largest blocks of green between New York City and Chicago, outfitters play a key role in helping visitors safely connect with public lands and outdoor experiences in the PA Wilds. In addition to outfitters, we'd like to thank all of the hospitality businesses in our region, which are a huge part of the reason the PA Wilds has seen double-digit growth in visitor spending in every county of the PA Wilds over the last decade!

June 24, 2022

Celebrating our Partners: Conservation and Stewardship Partners

Today's Great Outdoors Month post goes to our many conservation and stewardship partners! These organizations help conserve and take care of the tremendous natural assets that underpin the region’s outdoor recreation economy.

June 15, 2022

Celebrating our Partners: Breweries, Distilleries and Wineries

Tourism spending in the PA Wilds has grown 46% over the last decade, supporting the startup and expansion of many breweries, distilleries, and wineries. These job and wealth creators help make rural communities more vibrant, and play a key role in growing the region’s outdoor rec economy by serving visitors and promoting local and regional recreation and cultural assets as part of their brands. Many have done inspired co-branding projects with the PA Wilds.

June 9, 2022

Celebrating our Partners: Gear Manufacturers

A huge part of the PA Wilds outdoor rec cluster are people and companies who make things, from artisans, to producers, to manufacturers. Learn more about Organic Climbing (a global producer of gear for rock climbing, based in Philipsburg) and Equinox (a soft-goods manufacturer based in Williamsport, specializing in backpacking and hiking products).

June 8, 2022

Celebrating our Partners: DCNR

The PA Wilds is spending the month of June, Great Outdoors Month, thanking the partners who help grow our outdoor recreation economy. The PA Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, who manages so much of the public land in the PA Wilds, has been a critical investor in our outdoor rec industry cluster, as a funder and as a strategy partner.

June 7, 2022

Celebrating our Partners

To celebrate June being Great Outdoors Month, we are highlighting partners each day who are helping grow the outdoor recreation economy here in the PA Wilds to help revitalize rural communities. Our 13-county region is the only outdoor rec industry cluster to make it to the final round of the national Build Back Better Regional Challenge competition, where we are now competing for $50M in federal investment from the US Economic Development Administration. We couldn't have made it this far without our incredible partners!

June 3, 2022

Free sunscreen offered at state park beaches throughout PA

Don't get burnt! Free sunscreen is being offered in battery-operated dispensers for visitors at state park beaches and swimming pools throughout Pennsylvania, including Bald Eagle, Black Moshannon, Chapman and Hills Creek State Parks in the PA Wilds.

May 31, 2022

Runner discovers unmatched beauty of Pennsylvania Wilds

Before he decided to run one mile at all 121 Pennsylvania State Parks in 2021, Chris Alexandersen had never spent any meaningful time outdoors. Nowadays, he'll be the first to tell you... there is unmatched character and beauty in our parks and the small towns that surround them.