Travel

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 16, 2025

The Waterville Hotel: A home base for exploring the PA Wilds!

The Waterville Hotel is located in the charming town of Waterville, Lycoming County, in the Pine Creek Valley and PA Grand Canyon landscape of the Pennsylvania Wilds. Nestled in the scenic Tiadaghton State Forest, this historic restaurant offers a delightful eating, drinking, and even overnight accommodation experience in Pennsylvania’s most picturesque setting. You can find it on your journey up Route 44 as you head to your next adventure. 

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 10, 2024

Have family visiting for the holidays? Here are some activities for spending time together in the PA Wilds!

The holiday travel season is here! Whether you have family visiting the PA Wilds for Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah or New Year's, there's nothing like welcoming your extended family members and making them feel at home. Here are some ideas for how to make special memories while your family is visiting.

October 2, 2024

Track the changing leaves to see the best colors with DCNR weekly fall foliage reports

Want to know where to see the best fall foliage and track the changing of the leaves throughout the season? Use the weekly fall foliage reports from the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) to find out when you'll see the best colors! Weekly fall foliage reports are shared on the DCNR website throughout the autumn season. Fall foliage typically peaks for several weeks throughout October across Pennsylvania, drawing thousands of visitors.

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.

September 12, 2024

The Allure of the Allegheny National Forest and the Surrounds

I was born in Oil City, Pennsylvania, and lived in the Guys Mills area for a few years before work took my parents out of the state and ultimately back to Virginia, their home. My parents thought a gap year program might benefit me, which is what brought me back to Pennsylvania - specifically, Spring Creek. My plan was to stay in PA for only a few months and then head back to Virginia, but apparently it wasn’t meant to be. Twenty-four years later, I still call Spring Creek, Pennsylvania home. I never left, and I don't think I ever will. 

September 2, 2024

Why Pennsylvania’s fall foliage season is the most beautiful

Each year, hundreds of thousands of travelers make their way to the Pennsylvania Wilds, eager to get a view of some of the most gorgeous fall foliage in the world. These “leaf peepers,” as they’re called, know there’s something special about Pennsylvania’s autumn leaves… scientifically, Pennsylvania is a prime viewing spot.

August 20, 2024

PA Wilds Stays: Overnight accommodations in the Elk Country landscape of the Pennsylvania Wilds

Home to the largest free-roaming elk herd in the northeastern United States, Elk Country is a landscape within the Pennsylvania Wilds region that will impress wildlife lovers. Here, you can relax and truly enjoy the beauty of nature. Choose the lodging establishment that fits your needs, book a night there, and start exploring the Elk Country landscape of the PA Wilds!

July 24, 2024

PA Wilds Stays: Overnight accommodations in the Dark Skies landscape of the Pennsylvania Wilds

The Dark Skies landscape of the PA Wilds region is home to the world’s second certified International Dark-Sky Park. Although clearly stargazing is a major highlight for those who are traveling in this part of the PA Wilds, the stars are just the beginning. Choose the lodging establishment that fits your needs, book a night there, and start exploring the Dark Skies landscape of the PA Wilds!