Marsh Creek State Park - Oct 2026
Clear Skies and Fall Colors

Just before the Sun got above the horizon; the horse were more focused on breakfast than the Fall colors really beginning to shine. Shot with the Sony A99II and CZ 24-70 f/2.8 lens, camera mounted on a RRS tripod & head with a 3 Legged Thing universal mounting plate.

New Hope, PA - Oct 2026
8218

Engine #8218 pulling the first Fall Foliage train of the morning. The fireman doesn't look like he's enjoying working on a Sunday morning. Shot with a Sony A99II and Tamron 70-200 f/2.8 lens, camera mounted on a RRS tripod & head with a 3 Legged Thing universal mounting plate.

I’m an avid outdoor adventurer and have never been. I’m not a big fan of crowds and tend to avoid the touristy trails in my local area. But we booked a weekend camping trip at RG this weekend and I’m wondering if it’s all hype or if it’ll be a good time. I assume the thing to do is hike the falls trail. And I assume it’ll be busy. Any other tips for making the weekend fun and not overly touristy? I’ve got a teenager that will begrudgingly hike, but we try and keep the mileage small. I don’t want to go in with a bad attitude, just wondering what I should expect from this place. Lots of beautiful waterfalls, of course. What else? Thank you!

French Creek State Park - Oct 2026
Out for the Season

Scott's Run Lake at French Creek State Park, while the breeze stirred the waters, and moved the colors across the lake, this large branch isn't participating this year. Shot with a Sony A99II and CZ 24-70 f/2.8 lens using a Lee100 GND filter. Camera mounted on a RRS tripod & head with a 3 Legged Thing universal mounting plate.

I was thinking about going in the Kinzua dam, it’s easy to access and big enough that they’ll be able to spread out and not get in each other’s way.
What is biting in there this time of year? And how should we fish it from the shore? I’ve never done much in the lake myself, always the river, and would like to do the best possible. Other options in the area would be tionesta lake or Chapman dam. Idk if those would be better this time of year. Please give advice! TIA!

French Creek State Park - Oct 2026
A Walk in the Woods

The Fall colors are really starting to show now. The recent cooler temps will help that to continue as we head towards the end of October. Shot with the Sony A99II and CZ 24-70 f/2.8 lens, camera mounted on a RRS tripod & head with a 3 Legged Thing universal mounting plate.

Hello Folks,

I would like to hike tilbury knob at some point in the near future, however, I do not know who owns the land around it. Who owns the land that is circled in the image? It appears to be a series of abandoned strip mines/industrial waste type of thing.

Much appreciated :)

Anyone know the history and location of these old tanks in Allegheny National Forest?

This was a beautiful 60+ mile ride through Adams and Cumberland county. Saturday was certainly approaching peak fall colors, but the area will still be prime for leaf peeping for several more days! Some of this route will take you through Michaux State Forest where the roads can get a little rough so something with ample ground clearance is highly suggested. The view from Hammond's Rocks is simply incredible! I've included a link to the route folder which starts and stops from the Gettysburg WWII Experience museum, which is a worthwhile visit, and has a cafeteria and restrooms. There are also restrooms at the King's Gap Environmental Education Center and Mansion. Enjoy the ride!

Nothing better than a crisp October weekend in the woods

High Rocks Vista at Ralph Stover State Park - Oct 2026
No Parking on Tory Road

As the sun was just rising over cliffs down the hill to my left, the early light added a glow to the Fall colors along Tory Road. No laws were broken in the capture of this image. Shot with a Sony A99II and CZ 24-70 f/2.8 lens, camera mounted on a RRS tripod & head with a 3 Legged Thing universal mounting plate.

Some pictures from a brief trip to BESF last week

Edit: Bald Eagle State Forest

New Hope, PA - Oct 2026
Sunday Morning Foliage Tour

New Hope Railroad's first Fall Foliage train of the day heading out from the station this morning. Was hoping for a steam locomotive, but they were pulling the train with Diesel Locomotive #8218. Shot with a Sony A99II and Tamron 70-200 f/2.8 lens, camera mounted on a RRS tripod & head using a 3 Legged Thing universal mounting plate.

We have amazing state parks.

Yesterday was a great day to enjoy some fall foliage in Central PA

Hi Everyone,

I'm planning to thru-hike the Laurel Highlands Hiking Trail in two weeks. I'm also on a quest to primitive camp in every PA State Forest. I've already camped in all 19 except Forbes. I did camp at the Grindle Ridge shelter last winter, so technically I've camped in all 20, but I digress...

Since the shelters are technically on State Park land, and based on my own completely arbitrary, self-defined rules, I was planning to find a primitive campsite within Forbes State Forest.

Does anyone know of an established primitive/dispersed/unofficial campsite on State Forest land in the area shown in the picture below? I marked a few waypoints that I think might be suitable for camping. I'm aware that camping east of Laurel Summit Road and north of Cox Road is off-limits. The shelter waypoint is labeled Turnpike.

Any insight is appreciated!

Great hike on the Lincoln and Marion Brooks Loops last weekend.

Has anyone been in the area the last couple of days? Trying to decide if I should make the trip this weekend or next. Hoping to get as close to peak foliage as possible. Thanks!!!!!

I spent a few days in the Elk Country area of PA Wilds this summer and thought I would share for anyone planning to visit during the rut this year.

The first part of my trip was camping in Parker Dam, though it is probably too cold to camp or paddle there now it was really beautiful and peaceful, so I would recommend it for next summer. They say its a good place to see elk in the PA Parks passport, but I didnt see any there.

The second half of my trip, I stayed at a bed and breakfast in Emporium. The owners told me there is a lookout over the city where you can sometimes see an elk herd, but when I went up it was overcast and I couldn't see anything so I didn't spend much time there. It was a really charming bed and breakfast called Hygrade Inn that was decorated really cool, with dark academia/fantasy vibes that reminded me of Over the Garden Wall (a cool 10-min 10-episode cartoon series perfect for October vibes!). The breakfast was amazing each morning, and I'm glad I reserved dinner my first night because the mushroom sauce was to die for.

Not too far away is St. Mary's where I believe is PA's oldest independently owned brewery called Straub Brewery. They have an "eternal tap" during business hours where you can get a free draft brew right in the warehouse, and also offer free tours of the brewery. Fun and unique. I didn't have time to explore more but it looks like a cute town with little shops to visit.

I also tried to get a few hikes in, but during my visit it was raining a lot so I didn't get to do as much as I had wanted. I love exploring the PA Wilds though and have been to a few different spots in this region over the years. I really want to come back and see more of Allegheny forest and Cook Forest further west.

If anyone is interested, I wrote a full weekend itinerary that might be good for elk viewers: https://theadventuresabound.com/elk-country-weekend-itinerary/

The blog post was part of working with the PA Wilds but this post is not, I just wanted to share in case people were looking for a personal recommendation and more stuff to do in the area. I thought it was really cute, and want to help support these rural communities - they can really use our support!