The Allegheny National Forest is a half-million acre playground for wildlife viewing, cultural history and outdoor recreation
To be among the ancients–some of the oldest and largest tracts of virgin hemlock and pine–is at once biological and mystical. There spread across the rugged plateau of northwestern Pennsylvania is the Allegheny National Forest, the largest natural attraction and only national forest in the state offering 513,000 acres of outdoor recreation, more than 1,000 campsites and over 360 miles of trails for hiking, biking, horseback riding, ATVing and snowmobiling. Mother Nature offers you a playground with four-season trails, pioneer tales and outdoor adventure.
For more experienced canoeists and backcountry campers, the 372 acres of the Allegheny River Islands Wilderness give way to prime exploration, wildlife viewing and amazing scenery.
The Longhouse National Scenic Byway, a 29-mile loop through the forest, was recently ranked by USA Today as one of the top 51 drives in the U.S. And in a land where the sky is more vast and the mountains and trees compete for height, autumn is the ultimate time to witness a canopy of colors across the region. Travel Savvy magazine named the Longhouse Byway as one of the top six fall foliage drives in the country.