Discover the forests of Pennsylvania on National Forest Day
(WHTM) – There are 20 state forests in Pennsylvania with miles of woods to explore where people can reconnect to nature on National Forest Day on March 21 and beyond.
Each forest in the 2.2-million-acre system in the Keystone State offers different outdoor activities for nature lovers to indulge in.
Bald Eagle State Forest
Counties: Snyder, Union, Centre, Mifflin, Clinton
At Bald Eagle State Forest, visitors will be surrounded by old trees while they walk through the 194,602 acres. Explorers can fish in Penn Creek in the summer and break out their snowmobiles in the winter on the 300 miles of trails.
Buchanan State Forest
Counties: Franklin, Fulton, Bedford
The 71,683 acres of Buchanan State Forest are made up largely of oak trees including white oak, red oak, chestnut oak, scarlet oak and black oak. There are also sweet birch, blackgum and white pine trees.
There is an area known as the Sweet Root Natural Area which is an old-growth forest.
There are many things history buffs will enjoy exploring in Buchanan State Forest. There are pre-Civil War cemeteries and a cave where saltpeter for gunpowder was mined for the Revolutionary War. In the Oregon Road area is a stone aqueduct built in the 1880s for a railroad project that never came to fruition. The abandoned PA Turnpike project is also open for hikers and bikers to explore.
There are also beautiful scenic overlooks within the forest that are perfect for fall foliage drives.
Clear Creek State Forest
Counties: Jefferson, Clarion, Venango, Forest, Mercer
Clear Creek State Forest has parts right next to the Clarion and Allegheny rivers. Its 16,716 acres are made up of red oak, white oak, red maple, birch, beech and tulip poplar trees.
Visitors can take on the adventure of paddling the Clarion River or enjoy the view of the Allegheny Plateau from the Bear Town Rocks vista. There are spaces to mountain bike, horseback ride or camp too.
Cornplanter State Forest
Counties: Forest, Crawford, Warren
The 1,585 acres of Cornplanter State Forest offers the opportunity to hike the Allegheny Plateau and has areas for cross-country skiing and miles of trails to hike.
Delaware State Forest
Counties: Pike, Monro, Northampton, Carbon
Explore the natural beauty of the Poconos in the 83,519 acres of the Delaware State Forest and discover glacial lakes that can be paddled and bogs filled with plants and wildlife. During the winter there are 115 miles of snowmobile trails. There are also three designated ATV trails totaling over 28 miles. Horseback riders have plenty of space to spend the day too.
The bodies of water in the forest offer opportunities for batting, kayaking and canoeing.
Elk State Forest
Counties: Elk, Cameron, Potter, McKean
As the name suggests, the Elk State Forest is the perfect place for wild elk sightings. In August an Elk Expo is held annually. There is a 127-mile looped drive called Elk Scenic Drive where visitors can take in views and wildlife.
The 217,000-acre forest has places for adventure such as Thunder Mountain where visitors can horseback ride.
Forbes State Forest
Counties: Fayette, Somerset, Westmoreland
Forbes State Forest is known for being home to the tallest mountain in Pennsylvania, Mount Davis at 3,213 feet. Hikers can enjoy the challenge of the climb with a 5.7-mile loop trail where a 50-foot observation tower is located.
Visitors can also hike some of the 59,000 acres, ski on the North Woods Trail or fish for trout on Indian Creek.
Gallitzin State Forest
Counties: Somerset, Bedford, Cambria, Indiana
Gallitzin State Forest is comprised of 24,370 acres with scenic overlooks, a natural bog and plenty of trails. The second-highest peak in Pennsylvania, Blue Knob, can be viewed from some of the scenic vistas.
Wolf Rocks, which is a unique rock formation, is viewable from the John P. Saylor Trail in the Babcock forest area. There are also waterfalls in Clark Run Gorge.
Loyalsock State Forest
Counties: Sullivan, Lycoming, Bradford
The 114,552 acres of Loyalsock forest offer many sights and have endless opportunities for outdoor fun. There are big trees located on the Loyalsock Trail and waterfalls perfect for photographers in the McIntyre Wild Area.
Visitors can kayak and canoe, go horseback riding or mountain biking or enjoy a relaxing picnic by the water.
Michaux State Forest
Counties: Cumberland, Franklin, Adams
Michaux is special because it is the site of Mount Alto, the first forestry school. The land of the forest is largely on top of metavolcanic and quartzite rocks. The trees that make up the forest are chestnut oak, scarlet oak, northern red oak, black oak, white oak, red maple, black birch, black gum, hickory, pine and tuliptree.
Within the 85.500 acres visitors can hike to Chimney Rocks and on many other trails, go horseback riding, fish, try a shooting range, go ATV riding or mountain biking.
Moshannon State Forest
Counties: Clearfield, Elk, Centre
There are 190,031 acres of the Moshannon State Forest on the Allegheny Plateau. Visitors can snowmobile, cross-country ski, go horseback riding or mountain bike to get their adrenaline rush.
Pinchot State Forest
Counties: Lackawanna, Luzerne, Wyoming, Susquehanna, Wayne
With waterfalls to photograph, places to kayak, snowmobile, cross-country ski, horseback ride and hike there are endless places to explore and activities to try in Pinchot State Forest which spans about 50,000 acres.
Rothrock State Forest
Counties: Huntingdon, Centre, Mifflin
Take in the 400-year-old hemlocks, wildlife watch in Bear Meadows or hike Tussey Mountain in Rothrock State Forest. Visitors can also boat, horseback ride, mountain bike, hike, kayak, snowmobile, cross-country ski and more in the 96,975-acre forest.
Sproul State Forest
Counties: Clinton, Centre
Sproul State Forest is the largest state forest in Pennsylvania, covering 305,450 acres and about 476 square miles.
Visitors have plenty of trails to hike, horseback ride, ride ATVs, mountain bike and participate in winter sports. There are also opportunities for primitive camping and canoeing.
Susquehannock State Forest
Counties: Potter, Clinton, McKean
Susquehannock State Forest is known for being home to some of the most fruitful black cherry trees in the world.
In the 265,000 acres of forest, visitors can try and find the historical logging camps in the Hammersley, mountain bike, hike, snowmobile and more.
Tiadaghton State Forest
Counties: Tioga, Potter, Clinton, Union
Tiadaghton State Forest has many mountain streams including the famous Pine Creek and Slate Run. Visitors can enjoy kayaking, ATV riding, horseback riding, mountain biking or hiking on the more than 600 miles of year-round open trails. Visitors can also white water raft or kaya in the forest.
Tioga State Forest
Counties: Bradford, Tioga
Tioga State Forest is home to the Pine Creek Gorge, also known as the “Pennsylvania Grand Canyon”. Visitors can white water raft or kayak in the forest on the Owasee and search for otters on the Pine.
Tuscarora State Forest
Counties: Cumberland, Franklin, Huntingdon, Juniata, Mifflin, Perry
Tuscarora State Forest is a nature enthusiast’s oasis. There are many wildlife species, multiple different types of trees and plenty of prime birding spots. The forest is home to 1,300-year-old huckleberries as well. West Virginia University has researchers monitoring the migration of golden eagles on the ridges of the forest.
For adventure seekers, the 96,025 acres of forest have options to mountain bike, horseback ride, cross-country ski and more within the forest.
Weiser State Forest
Counties: Dauphin, Carbon, Columbia, Lebanon, Montour, Northumberland, Schuylkill
Weiser State Forest spans about 30,000 acres and encompasses the Sheets Island Archipelago, which is a series of islands on the Susquehanna River. Visitors can kayak out to Sheets Island to explore.
Those seeking a thrill can hang glide on the Haldeman.
William Penn State Forest
William Penn Forest has unique attractions such as the Goat Hill Serpentine Barrens and the Little Tinicum Island Natural Area on the Delaware River. The barrens have many uncommon plants and species for Pennsylvania within them due to their geological uniqueness.
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