Outdoor Recreation

July 23, 2024

Learning to camp, PA Wilds style

I’ll never forget my first time camping out. It was the summer of 1973, and my parents had just bought a brand new Ford Pinto hatchback. It was shimmering dark green with a white leather interior... the ultimate economy SUV of the time. My sister and I especially liked the cavernous back seat, which when folded down, turned into a traveling playroom with a glass ceiling.

July 18, 2024

Staying cool in the PA Wilds during the summer heat

The kids are out of school, the leaves are green, the vacations are planned… and the temperature is way too hot! We have a few tips for staying cool in the summer heat.

July 17, 2024

Get the picture? Outdoor photo advice from the PA Wilds’ photo pros

You gotta love Facebook and Instagram for the endless supply of picture-perfect photos of the vast Pennsylvania Wilds. Opening my phone or laptop every morning provides a daily diet of beautiful pictures from all over the Wilds. Some images come from the pros, while most others come from amateur photographers like you and me. 

July 15, 2024

Relaxing on a summer day at Lyman Run

I followed Lyman Run State Park's signs to an opening in the hills to a lake and a beach. I had made it to Lyman Run Reservoir and beach! Even on a weekday in mid-July, the beach was busy with splashes and children’s laughter. Parents and adults dotted the grassy slopes that bordered the sandcastle-speckled beach. Beyond, in the beautiful water, the merriment of children not confined to school rang out.

June 28, 2024

New expanded access to Pine Creek Rail Trail, thanks to Whitetail Recreation Area parking

The Pine Creek Rail Trail, one of the most popular journeys in the rural Pennsylvania Wilds region, recently got a new parking area in Jersey Shore, Clinton County. This means expanded access to the PCRT, allowing more people to enjoy the 62-mile rail trail that runs from Jersey Shore to Stokesdale and traverses through both Tioga and Tiadaghton State Forest lands.

June 27, 2024

Capture a good ole summertime! PA Great Outdoors photo contest open July-September

What does summertime feel like to you? Capture those good ole summertime memories... and you could even win some prizes! There are many great places to explore this summer 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 summertime memories with a photo while traveling in the PA Great Outdoors region, consider entering it into the latest photo contest.

June 18, 2024

The Beaver Meadow Walkway in DuBois

In the little city of DuBois, in Clearfield County along the I-80 Frontier landscape of the Pennsylvania Wilds, the Beaver Meadow Walkway is a hidden treasure, allowing locals to enjoy the beauty of nature while walking to convenient places throughout the community. 

June 6, 2024

Share your love of waterways with the Susquehanna Greenway Art Contest

The 2024 Susquehanna Greenway Expo Art Contest invites members of the public to design a piece of art, following the prompt “What do you love most about the Susquehanna River?” The deadline to apply is Friday, June 21, 2024 by 5 p.m. Eastern. The winner of the art contest will get their design placed on a water bottle, along with their artwork featured on a sticker.

May 30, 2024

The many trails of the Pennsylvania Wilds

The Pennsylvania Wilds region has more than 1,600 miles of trails… so start lacing up your hiking books and figure out which trail is your favorite! Some of the most popular trails in the PA Wilds region include the North Country Trail through the Allegheny National Forest, the Knox and Kane Rail Trail, the Clarion-Little Toby Rail Trail, the Pine Creek Rail Trail near the PA Grand Canyon, and many more.

May 21, 2024

Urban Connections – Allegheny National Forest offers overnight backpacking experiences

For those who live in places like Pittsburgh or Philadelphia, the Allegheny National Forest can be a daunting place to take a first backpacking trip. The forest is a far cry from city life… trees as tall as buildings, the constant songs of birds or chittering of squirrels, roots and rocks for your feet to navigate, and inky-black darkness at night. The U.S. Department of Agriculture and Forest Service offered its first Urban Connections backpacking program at Allegheny National Forest in 2023, and they plan to offer several more similar programs in 2024.