Weekend trips

Exploring Our Outdoors: Spring Creek Park

Rising in the mountains near Penn State, Spring Creek has been named one of the finest wild trout stream in Pennsylvania.

Whether you are looking for a Park to take children to, go on a hike for the weekend, bike riding, or of course fishing, Spring Creek is a beautiful spot that you must stop at if you are in the State College Area.
Spring Creek Park offers outdoor recreation and nature preservation. A public space open to the general public. The park offers open spaces under the maintenance of State College Parks Department.
The park offers a playground with a sandbox area, 3 picnic pavilions, 2 sand volleyball courts, 4 tennis courts, walking paths, adult softball field, adult baseball field, 2 basketball courts, fitness unit, very cool covered bridge, fishing, restroom building...

Exploring Our Outdoors: Rothrock State Forest

Outdoor activities are plentiful in the region, thanks in part to public land like Rothrock State Forest.

Located just minutes from State College and Penn State University, this 215,000-acre tract of mountainous terrain in Centre, Mifflin and Huntingdon counties offers hiking, mountain biking, horseback riding, wildlife viewing and much more.

Founded in the early 20th century by neighboring Mifflin County native Dr. Joseph Rothrock, the forest was initially barren due to excessive logging and resource extraction. Concerned that the barren ridges would not regrow without proper management, Rothrock took action in 1895 when he was appointed the first commissioner of what’s today known as the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. This was the beginning...

Weekend Getaways: Allegheny National Forest and beyond

Just over two hours from State College and Penn State University is the Allegheny National Forest, an outdoor lover's paradise. 

Covering approximately 517,000 square acres, the forest lies in the heart of Pennsylvania’s oil and gas region and is the only National Forest located within the state.

Early settlers cleared the land for agriculture, but the lumber industry soon followed. Deforestation caused wildfires and floods, and by 1900 most wildlife was eliminated due to overhunting.

The Forest Service began managing the land that is now the Allegheny National Forest in 1923, and things began to change for the better.

Today, forests have regrown and animal populations have rebounded. The forest — which includes the Allegheny Reservoir — is...