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?
The PA Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) said the rehabilitation and renovations are needed to maintain the Skywalk and ensure its longevity for visitors for years to come.
Work on the original Kinzua Viaduct was completed in 1882, and it was once the highest and longest railroad viaduct in the world. In 2003, the bridge was struck by a tornado, and partially destroyed. Today, this engineering marvel has been reinvented as a new pedestrian walkway, offering a stunning view of the Kinzua Gorge.
The multi-year project will replace and add new steel to some areas of the supports that have been impacted due to exposure to the elements. Workers are removing and reinstalling decking and railroad ties in order to access the bridge’s towers during this renovation.
In addition to maintaining the structural integrity of the Skywalk, some improvements will also be made to enhance the visitor experience, DCNR said. This includes installing new plexiglass at the end of the Skywalk, as the old glass section had become foggy and difficult for visitors to peer into the valley below their feet. The renovations will also replace the handrails along the Skywalk, and workers will blast, clean and paint all of the steel portions of the Skywalk.
The temporary closure began in mid-November 2024, with an anticipated project start date in early 2025. DCNR anticipates that the project will be completed in fall of 2027. There will be temporary closures in September and October of this year for equipment mobilization and to take measurements for ordering materials. Work will be stopped during the winter months, but the Skywalk will remain off limits during that time, DCNR said.
The Kinzua Bridge Skywalk and Kinzua Creek Trail will be closed to pedestrian traffic during the project. The Skywalk is planned to reopen temporarily for two months during fall 2025 so that travelers can enjoy the fall foliage.
The Kinzua Bridge State Park Visitor Center is a state-of-the-art building that orients visitors to Kinzua Bridge and the surrounding area. While the Skywalk is closed, the Visitor Center is still a valuable (and fun!) resource for learning the history of the area.
As an historic train structure and engineering marvel, the renovations give an opportunity to tell the Skywalk’s story.
Think about it… folks have been coming to Kinzua Bridge for years, throughout its long and varied history! People came to see the Viaduct when it ran trains. They came to see it after it got knocked down by a tornado. And they’ve come in droves to experience its reinvention as a Skywalk.
Are you one of the people who is curious about what the maintenance of such an incredible structure entails? Don’t be shy! Since Kinzua Bridge State Park itself is still open, you are welcome to come check it out. Remember, you won’t be able to actually step onto the Skywalk or the trail below while renovations are happening. However, you can watch the renovation work from behind the marked safety lines and fencing, or from inside the Visitor Center (where it’s still nice and warm in the winter!).
Park rangers at Kinzua Bridge State Park are happy to answer questions and give you more details about the work. If someone in your group is particularly excited about seeing the renovations in progress (such as a construction-loving toddler or a railroad enthusiast), consider calling the Kinzua Bridge State Park office beforehand to ask if construction work is happening that day.
The PA Wilds Conservation Shop at Kinzua Bridge State Park remains open! Located on the ground level of the Visitor Center, the shop provides a perfect place to find a memento that reflects your visit or a gift for a loved one.
The PA Wilds Conservation Shops are gift shops that feature products made in the PA Wilds by local artisans and craftspeople. There are three of these shops throughout the 13-county rural PA Wilds region: the flagship store at Kinzua Bridge State Park, a shop in a former train depot along the Knox and Kane Rail Trail in Marienville, and a seasonal shop in the beautifully renovated visitor center at Leonard Harrison State Park at the edge of the PA Grand Canyon!
Conservation Shops help connect PA Wilds travelers with locally made products. People love to “take home a piece of the PA Wilds” when they visit, and they want to know that it’s a souvenir that is truly tied to the region. By sourcing these products locally, money stays here and is reinvested in our communities.
What kinds of items will you find at the PA Wilds Conservation Shop at Kinzua Bridge? Something for everybody! T-shirts with specific Kinzua Bridge and PA Wilds themes, PA State Parks and State Forests Passport books, magnets and pins, sustainable but luxurious beauty products like soaps and lip balms, tasty treats, beautiful jewelry, unique home decor, and much more are all available at the PA Wilds Conservation Shop at Kinzua Bridge State Park. New products and designs are always being added.
The closest town to Kinzua Bridge State Park is the small town of Mount Jewett in McKean County.
One very unique thing about Mount Jewett is that their population includes a significant number of people with Swedish ancestry. Every August, the town celebrates this history with their well-known “Swedish Festival.” Check out MtJewettPA.com for more information and to keep up to date with the latest festival updates.
While in Mount Jewett, grab a breakfast pastry, cup of coffee, or delicious lunch from Kaffe Sol on West Main Street. Locals say their favorites are the latte or cappuccino and the cafe’s signature cinnamon roll or Swedish Rye Bread.
After you take a browse through the small shops in Mount Jewett, be sure to visit the traditional octagon-shaped Swedish architecture of Nebo Lutheran Chapel. Known by locals simply as “Nebo Church,” this building is both beautiful and historic! The octagonal-shaped church was built in 1887 and was patterned after Ersta Kyrka at Danviken, near Stockholm, Sweden. The name Nebo comes from the mountain where the Old Testament Patriarch Moses stood when he viewed the Promised Land.
Although weekly worship services are no longer offered there, they do hold services on Easter Sunday and Ascension Day, as well as on the Sunday during the Swedish Festival each year. The church is also used for weddings and funerals. Although you cannot always enter the building itself, many visitors come to simply admire the exterior and take stunning photos at sunrise or sunset.
A trail leading from Kinzua Bridge State Park to the nearby town of Mount Jewett offers excellent opportunities to explore nearby and get some exercise. In fact, the trail is so highly acclaimed that it was actually named the 2023 Pennsylvania Trail of the Year!
The Mount Jewett to Kinzua Bridge Trail, known commonly as the MJ2KB Trail, is a 7.8-mile-long section of the larger Knox & Kane Rail Trail in McKean County. The entire Knox & Kane Rail Trail is nearly 74 miles through some of the most beautiful portions of the Allegheny National Forest and Surrounds landscape of the PA Wilds.
The former rail line now provides a level trail for walking, jogging, biking, and horseback riding. In winter months, cross-country skiing and snowmobiling are also popular. Along the way you’ll find birds and wildlife, interpretive signs, a mural and other points of interest, as well as benches and pavilions where you can stop to enjoy a break.
The town of Kane – known as “A Star in the Forest” – is just 16 miles from Kinzua Bridge State Park. With under 4,000 full-time residents, it is a small but thriving town. Many visitors to Kinzua Bridge make sure to stay overnight in Kane or have dinner there.
Along Fraley Street in Uptown Kane, you’ll find shopping and food, fresh wines and spirits, and more. Although Fraley Street is a great place to start, make sure you explore the rest of the town too. Check out the Stay & Play pages to find all kinds of great businesses throughout the PA Wilds.
The Kane Family Drive In Theater offers a unique chance to take in a movie the “old school” way and also features a snack bar for all the movie time favorites. This historic icon has been in operation since 1952 and features family entertainment every weekend April through August, as well as special postseason events.
The Wilds Sonshine Factory is not only a great place to get a unique drink, but it’s also an educational learning center for the whole family! Sonshine is a patented distilled alcohol product that is made 100 percent from sunflower seeds. Much like how tequila can technically only be made from the agave plant grown in a specific part of Mexico, Sonshine can only truly be called Sonshine if it is made from sunflowers grown in the Pennsylvania Wilds! The Wilds Sonshine Factory also has the longest bar top made from a contiguous piece of lumber, and they have a spectacular educational portion of their building that has hands-on activities to help visitors learn about the important agricultural aspects of this rural region.
CJ’s Spirits in Kane can also prepare a tasty beverage to accompany your adventures. CJ’s makes handmade spirits, using local grains and pure Allegheny Mountain spring water. Come and see the whole process and do a free tasting. The delicious Sunday brunches and Happy Hour specials are a popular favorite for tourists and locals alike.
Need a place to stay? Kane Manor Inn is a unique, historic, beautiful, comfortable place to rest your head after a day of exploring. Kane Manor Inn was built in 1896 and is on the register of national historic places. Their 19th century parlor, enclosed front porch, and three-season room are open for guests to gather, sit, read and enjoy year round. Enjoy the veranda and portico in the summer months. The total of 15 tastefully decorated rooms gives you ample choice of where to spend the night. Kane Manor Inn is also bike friendly and offers a safe place to store your bike, as well as other adventurer-friendly amenities.
In July, don’t miss Squatchfest in Kane, one of the areas best music festivals! It’s a quirky event that will have you laughing and singing along… while also keeping an eye out for the famous Bigfoot that Kane residents adore.
Want to take a leisurely bike ride? The 4.5-mile section of the Knox & Kane Rail Trail is completed from Kane to Lamont, allowing bikers and hikers to travel from the Route 6 Kane Country Club, through Kane to Lamont.
Kane Outfitters, located on Biddle Street across from the trailhead, rents and sell high-quality bikes. No need to bring your bike or equipment with you! It’s easy to rent bicycles for you and your family to hope directly onto the trail and explore the region. If you do carry your bike with you, they also offer a repair shop and quick tune-ups.
Trailhead parking for the Knox & Kane Rail Trail is across from the Country Fair along Route 6 near Kane, and Welsh Street near the old train depot. There is also parking behind the Kane Area High School. One day, this section of trail will connect with other segments to form the official 73.8-mile Knox & Kane Rail Trail.
The city of Bradford is about 21 miles north of Kinzua Bridge State Park, close to the New York state border.
Bradford is famous for being the manufacturing location for two iconic American products: Zippo lighters and Case knives. The Zippo/Case Museum tells the story of these products through an extensive collection of priceless Zippo and Case artifacts. The exhibits include the very first Zippo lighter, an exploration of Zippo and Case’s American military history, the world-famous Zippo Repair Clinic, and even a replica of the first knife to go to the moon! You can enjoy a self-guided tour to learn the rich history of two American icons or schedule a guided tour.
Are you a fan of opera or music in general? Bradford was the hometown of legendary opera singer Marilyn Horne, and it now has the Marilyn Horne Museum. The 3,400-square-foot Art Deco exhibition space gives visitors the chance to listen to celebrated performances, exclusive interviews, and more from the renowned diva herself. Enjoy 19 interactive exhibits, lavish costumes, artifacts, and a documentary film you can’t experience anywhere else.
For a peaceful walk, plan to visit the Marilla Reservoir just 5 miles west of Bradford. Miles of hiking trails, free public access, along with fishing, kayaking and canoeing opportunities await visitors to this scenic watershed area. Fans of covered bridges will appreciate the Eric Benjamin Bridge, a wooden covered bridge over the cascading waters of the spillway of the reservoir. The Marilla Bridges Trail begins at the covered wooden bridge and loops around the reservoir. This 1-mile, crushed limestone trail is easy and very family friendly. There are a number of trails, which connect into this trail, ranging from easy to moderate in difficulty, including the White Pine Trail, Marilla Rocks, Hidden Valley, and Marilla Spring Trail.
About 40 miles or a one-hour drive east of Kinzua Bridge State Park, Warren is one of the larger cities in the PA Wilds. There is plenty to explore there, and the Allegheny River flowing directly through Warren makes for some very scenic views and unique experiences.
Downtown Warren offers fun for people of all ages all year long. The annual Warren County Fair takes place the first week of August, bringing 5,000 people out to experience hometown fun at the fairgrounds. The slate of other activities includes art exhibits, guided outdoor excursions, festivals and fairs, concerts, trail races and more!
Whether you’re planning a paddle excursion at Allegheny Outfitters, exploring the art of bouldering and rock climbing a Goat Fort Indoor Climbing Gym, taking in a beverage at Bent Run Brewing Company, participating in a fiber class at Tybout House, or checking out an art show at the Crary Gallery, downtown Warren has plentiful opportunities for you to plan and fulfill your next adventure in the PA Wilds (without even having to enter the woods yet!).
Video below, featuring the Allegheny River, from Allegheny Outfitters
Of course, if you do want to head into the woods, the Allegheny National Forest has plenty to offer. The northern part of the Allegheny National Forest is within a 45-minute drive of Kinzua Bridge State Park and is very close to other nearby towns, such as Warren and Kane.
One of the most famous trails is the Trails at Jakes Rocks, which is a haven for mountain bike enthusiasts. The expertly-designed Trails at Jakes Rocks is a 30+ mile stacked loop mountain bike trail that winds through natural boulders and scenic forested landscapes. Volunteer trail developers have received additional funding for continued expansion of new trails.
Ultimately, the ANF is an outdoor enthusiast’s paradise, with endless outdoor recreation opportunities, ranging from camping and kayaking, to camping, hiking, mountain biking, and more. The ANF has hundreds of miles of trails for hiking, biking, cross-country skiing and snow-shoeing, horse trails, ATV Trails, and snowmobile trails.
Many visitors may confuse Kinzua Bridge and Kinzua Dam, but they are actually about 35 miles away from each other! Whereas Kinzua Bridge State Park and the Skywalk show the beauty of the historic viaduct and the valley below, Kinzua Dam was developed for flood control of the Allegheny River in 1965. Visitors may walk part way out on the Dam, and gaze out and below. From one side, feel and see the power of water gushing through the Dam, with energy producing hydroelectric power. On the other side, enjoy a scenic view of the Allegheny Reservoir. Look down below and you’ll almost surely see large carp swimming near the surface! Below the dam is a visitor center, with information on the history of the site and its multipurpose functions.
It’s hard to miss Scenic Route 6 when traveling anywhere near Kinzua Bridge State Park! PA Route 6 is the main road that carries visitors through the area.
There is great freedom in travel and it is found on the 400+ scenic miles of PA Route 6. Truly, it is a journey like no other in Pennsylvania. Even National Geographic agrees, calling PA Route 6 “one of America’s most scenic drives,” and the Weather Channel picked Route 6 as its Pennsylvania choice for “Amazing Road Trips to Take In Every State!”
Scenic Route 6 runs across the northern section of the PA Wilds, traveling from Warren in the west all the way to the PA Grand Canyon and Mansfield area on the eastern side of the region. Of course, Route 6 also extends beyond the PA Wilds, going not just through the entire state of Pennsylvania but across the nation, from California to Massachusetts!
Although the Kinzua Skywalk will be undergoing renovations and will be temporarily closed for the next few years, there is still plenty to do around the Kinzua Bridge State Park area and throughout the PA Wilds! Check out more ideas for your travels at PAWilds.com.
Author: Britt Madera
Britt joined the PA Wilds team as communications manager in 2022, helping to tell the stories that make our region so unique, whether that is covering our beautiful landscapes, the innovative businesses, or the spunky people that call it home. She had worked the last 10 years in radio and news broadcasting, and now she’s continuing to connect media outlets with positive news stories. Britt oversees external communications, media relations, and paid and volunteer content on the blog. As someone who grew up in Clearfield County and moved back shortly after college, Britt is eager to share her passion for the PA Wilds and help our area grow and shine.