Allegheny National Forest and Surrounds

March 19, 2024

YouTube in the Pennsylvania Wilds – “Forest County Outback” 

While hiking through the PA Wilds’ Allegheny National Forest & Surrounds over the years I cannot remember how many times I have come upon a stack of ancient foundation stones or old lumber in the middle of nowhere and wondered, “What’s the story with this, what was this, why is it here?” Somehow, somewhere, there must be somebody who knows something about these little mysteries. Meet Forest County’s Terry Janosik who has investigated at least 40 of them.

March 11, 2024

Apply for the Artist-in-Residence Program at the Allegheny National Forest

The USDA Forest Service is once again accepting applications for the Artist-in-Residence Program at the Allegheny National Forest. Applications for the 2024 summer and fall residencies will be accepted until 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, March 17, 2024. The Artist-in-Residence Program provides artists of all mediums the opportunity to pursue their craft outside of their normal environments, with free housing in the ANF and a stipend for those three weeks.

February 29, 2024

How to watch the solar eclipse the Leave No Trace way

On April 8, 2024, parts of the world will experience a total solar eclipse... including a small part of the northwestern section of the PA Wilds region! This includes places like Warren and the Allegheny Reservoir, along with parts of Warren County and McKean County. It is essential to follow these Leave No Trace guidelines when checking out the eclipse so that we can enjoy the view and protect ourselves and the outdoors while we do it.

February 8, 2024

Check out Pennsylvania’s 2024 River of the Year and Trail of the Year in this PA Wilds town

For its second time in ten years winning the prestigious award, the Allegheny River in the western section of the Pennsylvania Wilds has been selected by a public vote as Pennsylvania’s 2024 River of the Year. Just days after the River of the Year announcement in late January, the PA Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) announced that Pennsylvania's 2024 Trail of the Year is the Trails at Jakes Rocks, a 35-mile natural surface trail system located in the Allegheny National Forest. The city of Warren is lucky enough to have both the Allegheny River and the Trails at Jakes Rocks, meaning that you can see both the 2024 River of the Year and 2024 Trail of the Year in one visit.

February 1, 2024

Trails at Jakes Rocks named as Pennsylvania’s 2024 Trail Of The Year

The Trails at Jakes Rocks, a 35-mile natural surface trail system located in the Allegheny National Forest in Warren County, has been named Pennsylvania’s 2024 Trail of the Year. The trails, located in the Allegheny National Forest and Surrounds landscape of the PA Wilds, are used primarily for mountain biking. However, other types of recreation such as hiking, trail running, and cross-country skiing are also permitted.

January 30, 2024

Allegheny River named Pennsylvania’s 2024 River of the Year, second time winning

The Allegheny River in the western section of the Pennsylvania Wilds has been selected by a public vote as Pennsylvania's 2024 River of the Year, the second time within the past ten years that the Allegheny has won the prestigious award. Although the Allegheny River was the 2017 River of the Year, it has won again, proving its worth as a place to paddle, fish, photograph and enjoy. With specifically 86.6 miles of recreational use in the PA Wilds region, the National Wild & Scenic Allegheny River flows through forest valleys, wilderness islands and rural landscapes.

January 4, 2024

A Ray of Wilds Sonshine

The Wilds Sonshine Factory is a unique destination on several fronts, primarily for their signature product line – distilled spirits made from sunflower seeds, but also for the Factory’s push on educating visitors on some of the region’s outdoor resources that have tattooed this region in the PA Wilds for generations. Writer Ray Hunt took a "Hooky Day" to visit the Wilds Sonshine Factory and learn about the inspiration behind it.

December 21, 2023

Snowmobile season begins in the Allegheny National Forest

Snowmobile season is officially open in the Allegheny National Forest, says the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service. The season started at 8:00 a.m. on Friday, December 15, 2023, and snowmobile trails will remain open until 12:00 p.m. on March 31, 2024. Sufficient snowfall is needed for the trails to be usable.

December 12, 2023

Life on a Christmas tree farm

After returning from duty in World War II, my father started a Christmas tree farm on his family’s former dairy farm in Kane, PA, in the Allegheny National Forest and Surrounds Landscape of the Pennsylvania Wilds region. There were years when he focused on a big wholesale shipment of trees to Piggly Wiggly grocery stores in the south and southwest. Then the focus became local retail sales with the experience of customers going out in the fields to cut their own tree and drag it back through the snow to their cars.

November 14, 2023

Down Life’s Crazy Road: Trails and tales

Last time, I wrote about my planned round trip bike ride in late October from Kane to Warren and back through the Allegheny National Forest and Kinzua Recreation Area. Turns out the overnight ride was cancelled as it rained the day of the return trip from Warren back to Kane. But while it temporarily put those plans on hold, it allowed me the opportunity to take a closer look at the planned routes I was to take. I did this by taking a day trip last month by car.