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Enjoy Pennsylvania's Great Outdoors
PA is home to more than 54,000 miles of rivers and streams, 116 state parks, 20 state forests, and the Allegheny National Forest. More than 100 greenways and rail trails are available for non-motorized recreation, including some of the longest bicycle rail trails in the country. Pennsylvania recreational corridors total more than 2000 miles.
Because of these protected natural resources, the state is well known for hiking, cross country skiing, snowmobiling, hunting, fishing, whitewater sports, and bicycling. These special places can be found throughout the state, always a short distance away from the cities and towns of every region.
And sometimes, getting there is half the fun. There are 19 scenic drives, including the Route 6 scenic drive and State Heritage Corridor that spans 400 miles along the state’s northern regions.
Outdoor enthusiasts will find plenty of places to roam. You’re never too far from the countryside in Pennsylvania.
Outdoor & Recreation Blog
Embrace the Season: Ski Roundtop, Whitetail & Liberty
01/07/2020 - 7:23amPennsylvania’s stunning mountain ranges provide more than incredible views: they supply some of the best slopes for skiing, snowboarding, and snowtubing in the country. Don’t be snowbound this season—embrace the snow and defy seasonal limitations by planning a weekend getaway to some of the greatest ski resorts in the state, all within short dri...
Read MoreNew Year’s Eve Drops Across Pennsylvania
12/02/2019 - 10:57amIf for most Americans watching the crystal ball drop in Times Square is the standard way to ring in the New Year, for Pennsylvanians their unique New Year’s “drops” have a mythos (and gravity-compelled object) unique to each community. While certain cities across the United States mark the beginning of the New Year by raising or dropping an obje...
Read MoreBike the Trails of PA’s Pine Creek Gorge and the Great Allegheny Passage
10/21/2019 - 10:18amPennsylvania has long been famous for its endless expanse of old-growth forest and breathtaking landscape among the Appalachian Mountain Range. And with the greatest amount of miles in the nation for foot travelers like hikers, bikers, bird viewers, and outdoor enthusiasts, Pennsylvania is the state you want to be in if your winter-time cabin fe...
Read MoreThe Hiking Trails and Fall Foliage Vistas at PA’s Rothrock State Forest
10/20/2019 - 11:15pmNamed in homage to Pennsylvania’s “Father of Forestry,” Joseph T. Rothrock, the Rothrock State Forest comprises a near-100,000 acre tract of ridges, forest, and marsh in Huntingdon, Centre, and Mifflin Counties. As clear-cutting rapidly deforested the state, once covered in 95% forest, Rothrock battled desperately to purchase land from lumber co...
Read MoreJoin the Celebration - Pine Grove Furnace State Park is 100 Years Old!
10/20/2019 - 11:14pmIn 1764, partners George Stevenson, Robert Thornburgh and John Arthur built an iron furnace along Mountain Creek named Pine Grove Iron Works. It manufactured ten plate stoves, fireplace backs, iron kettles and possibly munitions during the American Revolution. In 1913, the 17,000-acre Pine Grove Iron Works was sold to the Commonwealth of Pennsyl...
Read MoreThe Traveler's Guide to the Galaxy at Cherry Springs State Park
10/20/2019 - 11:13pmYou’ve never seen the sky like this before. Every generation preceding us always looked upwards in wonder at a night sky brimming with the beauty of stars and the glowing arms of the Milky Way. The widespread use of artificial light around the world now hides the sky from 80% of mankind on Earth. For the first time in human history, we cannot se...
Read MoreThe Core of the Apple: Biglerville and the Adams County Orchards
10/20/2019 - 11:13pmBelieve it or not, the history of apples is closely intertwined with that of mankind’s. Thousands of years ago, the goddess of chaos, Eris, started the famous Trojan War by tossing an apple into a private wedding. While never actually specified, the forbidden fruit in the biblical Garden of Eden was never specified until John Milton’s revolution...
Read MoreWelcome to Winter in PA: We Call It Ski Season
10/20/2019 - 9:11pmWith ski season officially here, we’re getting ready for three months of snow, hot chocolate, and a cozy fire. But we’re also gearing up for the outdoors and hitting the slopes. With the Alleghenies to the west and Poconos to the northeast, PA is a winter adventurer’s wonderland. From cross-country skiing and snowshoeing to an Olympic-size half...
Read MoreCool Off in One of PA's Lazy Floating Rivers
09/07/2019 - 3:42amWith 86,000 miles of rivers, floating downstream with a whole lot of sun, fun, and some friends is the best way to stay cool this summer during your visit in Pennsylvania. Head to the Delaware and Schuylkill Rivers and pick up an inner tube for an unforgettable day full of the kick-back-and-relax kind of lifestyle.
SCHUYLKILL RIVE...
Read MoreExplore Pennsylvania's Hidden Caverns
08/30/2019 - 11:29amThere’s no doubt Pennsylvania has one of those signature landscapes, instantly recognizable with its wide rivers, endless forests, and rolling hills, valleys, and mountain ridges covered in greenery. But it’s beneath the ground that you’ll find some of our state’s most interesting geography. And just when you thought delving into Penns...
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