Over the past 12 months, we’ve been busy telling the story of the Pennsylvania Wilds. It’s been a thrilling year for our communities and public lands, with families making memories on adventures and small businesses honing their crafts.
This year has seen new and exciting projects in our region! Remote workers spent the month living, working and exploring in the PA Wilds, with The Wilds Are Working: A Remote Lifestyle Experience. We also saw more people finding wild gifts and souvenirs during the annual PA Wilds Makers Market. We even spent the entire month of June “Celebrating Our Partners” with a special series on the blog, honoring those people and organizations that have helped the PA Wilds in our journey of strengthening our communities by marrying conservation with economic development.
Visitors and residents alike have been traveling through the region and keeping up with the PA Wilds Are Calling blog, learning the area’s history and finding new ways to explore and discover. For a lot of these folks, it looks like they’re on the hunt… whether that means for treasure, Bigfoot, a history lesson, adventure or the biggest buck.
For those who didn’t have a chance to keep up with the blog all year, we’re counting down the Top 10 blogs for you to catch up on before 2023 arrives, starting with #10 and ending with #1, the most read blog of the year.
By Ed Byers
At first, you can’t believe your eyes, but as they say, seeing is believing. Nevertheless, it is so surreal to see a bridge under water. Situated on the far southwestern fringes of the Allegheny National Forest and Surrounds, this is something you don’t come across every day in these Pennsylvania Wilds — or anywhere else for that matter.
Continue reading here.
By Ed Byers
The peace and tranquility of Forest County’s Tionesta Creek valley, smack-dab in the middle of Pennsylvania Wilds’ Allegheny National Forest & Surrounds landscape is a special place for many of us. Some say mysterious, too.
Continue reading here.
By Aura Stauffer
Hiking a state forest trail this time of year brings a higher probability of a snake encounter, and the timber rattlesnake is the species that people generally fear the most. One of three venomous snakes that occur in PA, the timber rattler embodies the wild appeal of Penn’s Woods.
Continue reading here.
By Lou Bernard
If you’re into cryptozoology, the study of unknown mystery creatures, the Pennsylvania Wilds is a good place to visit. The forests are packed with Bigfoot sightings, and there are water monsters, too, such as the Susquehanna Seal said to inhabit the West Branch Susquehanna. And if you happen to be looking for this sort of thing, make sure you also look up. There have been sightings of Thunderbirds, too.
Continue reading here.
By Beau Martonik
The PA Wilds region of northern Pennsylvania is home to a ton of public hunting land and is mostly made up of endless timber and topography. Pennsylvania public lands tend to get a bad reputation for being overcrowded with other hunters, but I’ve come to realize that this isn’t always the case.
Continue reading here.
By Lou Bernard
There are plenty of reasons to visit the Pennsylvania Wilds. There’s the hiking, camping, and exploring. There are all the historic sites. And if you’re in the mood, there are quests for buried treasure, just waiting to be found. Over the years, people have lost and stashed a shocking amount of money, gold, and silver in Pennsylvania.
Continue reading here.
By Lou Bernard
As I write this, the Pennsylvania Wilds is just exiting a cold spell. In December, several feet of snow fell on us, and as January comes to a close, the temperature is dropping into the twenties. As cold and unpleasant as this is, at least I know it’ll be over soon. Spring will arrive, the weather will warm up, and I’ll enjoy getting outside again. This is more than the people of Pennsylvania could say back in 1816, when winter came and didn’t leave for quite some time.
Continue reading here.
By Lou Bernard
Cryptids are pretty popular. Everyone knows the big ones: Bigfoot, the Loch Ness Monster, the Yeti. Those are the ones everybody can name. But in addition to those, there are plenty of other smaller, more local cryptids that people aren’t aware of.
Continue reading here.
By Lou Bernard
It’s one of the most prominent paranormal legends in America. He’s Bigfoot. And he’s a bipedal, humanoid land mammal, with shaggy hair and huge feet, known for leaving tracks wherever he goes. He’s popular because he’s so often sighted, and probably because he’s a distinctly American legend; Bigfoot is spotted all over the country. And of course that includes the PA Wilds.
Continue reading here.
By Lou Bernard
One Sunday recently, with nothing else to do, I took my son out to Centre County to look for Bigfoot. As one does. Bald Eagle State Park is in Centre County, along the I-80 Frontier. It’s a wonderful state park with camping, hiking, and swimming. And, oh yeah, recently Bigfoot has been sighted there, too.
Continue reading here.
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.