If you think of snow as either a test or an opportunity, try Pennsylvania.
Snowshoeing
Experience the wonders of a PA Wilds winter on a slow-paced endurance challenge. Snowshoe through Sinnemahoning State Park’s mile-long Red Spruce Trail beneath a canopy of hardwood and spruce trees. Or take the 75-mile loop of the Quehanna Trail System in Clearfield County and enjoy some of the most beautiful wilderness views in Pennsylvania.
Cross-Country Skiing
Revel in the sights and sounds of nature while cross-country skiing along Longfellow Trail in Cooksburg's Cook Forest, where the tallest eastern white pines in the Northeastern United States stand. Or explore six miles of winding roads through an old growth forest of hemlock, beech and white pine on the Hearts Content Old Growth Trail in the Allegheny National Forest.
Break out of the winter doldrums at the Susquehanna River Valley’s R.B. Winter State Park, which covers 695 beautiful oak and pine-covered acres in Mifflinburg. R.B. Winter offers chilly adventures, including a snowshoeing hike, cross-country skiing, ice skating and even a game of snow volleyball!
Snap on your cross-country skis to enjoy several miles of nature trails at Montgomery County’s Green Lane Park, as well as the forests and meadows in the iconic 3,500-acre Valley Forge National Historical Park in King of Prussia.
Sledding and Tubing
Want to try some downhill fun but don’t trust your balance? Venture to Upstate PA’s Eagles Mere to try out the celebrated Eagles Mere Toboggan Slide, the talk of the town for more than 100 years.
Bring the entire gang to AvalancheXpress Snow Tubing at Heritage Hills Resort in York County, where you can buy a combo pass and enjoy all-day snow tubing and ice skating.
Ice Fishing
There is nothing like walking on a frozen lake, carving a hole and catching that elusive fish. Hill Creek State Park provides great opportunities for ice fishing in Tioga County’s 137-acre Hill Creek Lake, abundant with yellow perch, bluegill and an occasional walleye. Go a bit further west to the East Branch Lake in Elk County’s Elk State Park and you’re likely to catch muskellunge, walleye, smallmouth bass, and brook, rainbow, brown and lake trout.
Snowmobiling
Gas up and get ready for the beautiful 114-mile Allegheny Snowmobile Loop in McKean County, where you’ll blaze a trail through the Allegheny’s majestic hardwood forests.
An All-Inclusive Winter Wonderland
Eat. Ski. Protect the environment. The Nature Inn at Bald Eagle State Park offers an all-inclusive, two-night stay package introducing guests to the inn’s sustainability efforts and the park’s many outdoor recreational opportunities. For $399 for a double occupancy suite, guests will experience snowshoeing, cross-country ski lessons and two-hour trek, an ice fishing demonstration and chance to fish on their own, plus delicious meals and a tour of the inn’s Certified Green building.