Pennsylvania’s Allegheny National Forest: Ideal for Outdoor Adventures

If you are looking for some of the best scenery in the eastern part of the USA, you might want to take a trip to Pennsylvania’s Allegheny National Forest. It’s an ideal place to get some fresh air and participate in several outdoor activities while enjoying the area’s immense natural beauty.

The national park was originally established back in 1923 as a way to protect the region’s diverse wildlife and timberland. The park offers some excellent campgrounds, hiking trails, picnic areas, and fishing locations, making it quite attractive for lovers of the outdoors.

Allegheny National Forest(photo credit: sheepguardingllama)

The forest lies in the north eastern region of Pennsylvania and is home to some of that state’s most beautiful overlooks. One of the most popular is known as Jake’s Rocks. This is a hiking spot that sits just off of Forest Road 160, a side road of the local Longhouse Scenic Byway. If you head over to Jake’s Rocks you’ll be treated to some fascinating views of Kinzua Dam and the Allegheny Reservoir. The picturesque scenery and landscape is simply spectacular when viewed during the fall foliage.

Another popular overlook in the park is Rimrock Overlook. This features wonderful sandstone cliffs as well as more tremendous views of the Allegheny Reservoir. This is an ideal location for a hiking trip and/or a picnic. This overlook was built originally back in 1964 and it showcase some of the forest’s most interesting and fascinating rock formations. It provides some of the parks best hiking trails.

Rimrock Overlook sits close to the Morrison Hiking Trails. These are located on Route 59 just a few miles down the road. It’s a popular spot with hikers from all over North America as thousands of them set out for an adventure there on the Morrison Loop each and every year. The hiking terrain might be considered pretty challenging by some people in certain areas as it’s a loop which is about 11.5 miles in length. However, it can be quite leisurely if you take your time and camp out for a night or two while enjoying the adventure.

When you start at the trailhead you can either hike the entire loop or try out a shorter route on the Morrison Trail Loop, which is just over five miles in length. If you decide to take the long hike you’ll head down towards the Morrison Campground. This campground is semi-primitive and you can only get to it by taking a boat from Kinzua Creek or by hiking the trail. The campground offers modern washrooms for the park’s hikers and campers as well as water pumps.

The Allegheny National Forest isn’t really too far from some of the areas’ major cities. You can reach it in just a few hours from Pittsburgh, Cleveland, and Buffalo. It’s an ideal destination for a weekend as well as longer camping trips. It’s also a great spot for a day trip if you would just like to hike through the park and soak in the scenery and natural beauty. You’ll be able to find accommodations in the nearby towns of Bradford and Warren, Pennsylvania.