Indoor/Outdoor Adventurer

From pristine trout streams to untrammeled wilderness, our area has wonderful natural areas to explore. Hikers and bicyclists love it here because of the rich trail networks and vibrant community of enthusiasts with which to share their passion. We also have numerous lakes and streams in which to drop a kayak or a fishing line.

Let’s explore many of the places where outdoor enthusiasts can get outside in and around Centre County!

Bald Eagle State Park

Location: Just off Rt. 150 in Howard, mid-way between Milesburg & Lock Haven.

Description: Based on the banks of the Foster Joseph Sayers Reservoir in the Bald Eagle Valley, Bald Eagle State Park is a popular destination in the summer for family fun in the sun, with a large public swimming area and several boat launches. Nice loop for family biking, public campground, permitted fishing.

Supported Activities: Swimming, Boating, Windsurfing, Hiking, Fishing, Camping, Lodge for events.

Black Moshannon State Park

Location: At the intersection of PA Route 504 and Beaver Road (Julian Pike).

Description: The 250-acre Black Moshannon Lake in Black Moshannon State Park is fed by clear springs and small streams which flow through the bogs that stretch in most directions from its shores. As the clear water flows through sphagnum moss and other wetland plants, it becomes colored by naturally occurring tannins. The lake provides habitat for warm water fishing. Black Moshannon Creek, below the lake, contains trout. Trout anglers can also enjoy their sport in several nearby streams including Six Mile and Black Bear runs.

Supported Activities: Swimming, Canoeing, Kayaking, Hiking, Camping, Picnicking.

Poe Paddy State Park

Location: Off US 322 near the top of the Seven Mountains Scenic Area, then follow marked state forest roads.

Description: At the confluence of Big Poe Creek and Penn's Creek, Poe Paddy is a trout angler’s paradise, featuring the nationally recognized green drake mayfly hatch in June. The Mid-State Trail, popular with hikers, passes through the park.

Supported Activities: Hiking, Picnicking, Fishing, Snowmobiling, Organized Group Tenting, Camping 

Poe Valley State Park

Location: 1405 New Lancaster State Rd, Milroy

Description: Poe Valley is small state park with Poe Lake as its centerpiece. It's nestled in a rugged mountain valley in Centre County surrounded by seemingly endless Bald Eagle State Forests. 

Supported Activities: Hiking, Picnicking, Swimming, Boating, Fishing, Hunting, Education, Cross-country Skiing, Snowmobiling, Ice Fishing, Camping Cottages, Deluxe Camping Cottage, Camping

Stone Valley

Location: 325 Charter Oak Road, Petersburg

Description: Stone Valley Recreation Area is a natural treasure nestled in the rolling hills of Central Pennsylvania. Scenic mountains, wooded trails, and abundant amenities make Stone Valley a favored destination.

Supported Activities: Hiking, Picnics, Vertical Adventures, X-country Skiing, Boating, Fishing

Whipple Dam State Park

Location: Off PA Route 26, Huntingdon

Description: Whipple Dam is a delightful and quiet place to visit. The lake is the perfect place to indulge in a refreshing dip, bird watch or just relax. The beautiful day-use area is wonderful for a picnic or hike.

Supported Activities: Picnicking, Swimming, Boating, Fishing, Hunting, Cross-country, Skiing, Snowmobiling, Ice Skating, Ice Fishing

Colyer Lake

Location: Off 322 outside Boalsburg

Description:  Colyer Lake is a 77-acre impoundment owned by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and managed by the Fish and Boat Commission for public fishing and boating.

Supported Activities: Fishing, Boating, Bird-Watching

Rothrock State Forest

Location: Rothrock State Forest has entrances all over the ridge. A couple of popular staging areas for hikers, bikers, and forest lovers of all kinds include parking lots near Tussey Mountain and Whipple Dam.

Description:  Rothrock State Forest comprises 96,975 acres that spread across the rugged ridges of Huntingdon, Centre and Mifflin counties. Many hiking and mountain biking opportunities exist within its boundaries.

Supported Activities: Hiking, Mountain Biking


Floating in the sky or floating on the water, maybe it’s time to see the outdoors from a whole new perspective.

Ridge Soaring Gliderport

Location: 3523 S. Eagle Valley Road, Julian

Description:  Customers can experience unpowered flight from one of the premier gliding ports in America. Several gliding world records have been set using this gliderport as a starting point. Fly like a bird on silent wings with a licensed pilot to guide you.

The Sky’s the Limit Balloon Company

Location: Lemont

Description: Centre County's only balloon company, specializing in hot air balloon rides, advertising & instruction.

Tussey Mountain Outfitters

Location:  308 W. Linn St. Bellefonte

Description: Canoes, Kayaks, Sales, Rentals, Trips, Instruction, Repairs. Demo Canoes & Kayaks any time at the paddle park.


If you or one of your customers ever want to go fishing, we have some premier trout streams in Centre County. Check out some of our streams here, and notice where they are in relation to other things. Many of these streams and lakes can be destinations for kayakers. Check the Visitors Bureau website (www.visitpennstate.org) for links to each oversight organization as well as directions to public access points. If you need to rent a boat, visit Tussey Mountain Outfitters located on the banks of Spring Creek in Bellefonte.

Little Fishing Creek

Short Description: This 12-mile trout fishery arises from springs on the slopes of Nittany Mountain at the head of Greens Valley in Centre County. The stream flows through a heavily forested valley to Mingoville where it enters a limestone valley and eventually sinks. The stream re-emerges near Hublersburg and flows through a large intensively farmed valley before joining Fishing Creek near Lamar. The upper section of Little Fishing Creek flows through predominately public land (Bald Eagle State Forest) and access is somewhat poor, limited to Greens Valley Road, which parallels the stream but only crosses it at one point.

The upper reaches of Little Fishing Creek contain species typical of PA coldwater streams - mostly wild brook trout with slimy sculpin, blacknose dace and a few wild brown trout also present.

Black Moshannon Creek

Short Description: Black Moshannon Creek flows 6.5 miles near the town of Phillipsburg in Black Moshannon State Park. Perched on the top of the Allegheny Plateau, Black Moshannon Creek features portions that are highly accessible and portions that are walk-in. A moderate number of trout are stocked in the creek with low numbers of wild brook and brown trout in the mountain plateau setting. Special regulations apply to 1.3 miles upstream of Huckleberry Bridge. Upper and lower reaches have roads closely paralleling the stream.

Big Poe Creek

Short Description: A trout angler's paradise with both wild brook and brown trout as well as spring-stocked trout. Near Poe Valley State Park on the gravel Big Poe Road.

Bald Eagle Creek

Short Description: Bald Eagle Creek is a limestone-influenced, 43-mile long tributary to the West Branch Susquehanna River. It runs through the Bald Eagle Valley at the foot of the Bald Eagle Mountain ridge to its confluence with the West Branch Susquehanna River near Lock Haven.

The upper reaches of the creek are good for fishing trout, rock bass, and smallmouth bass. At the outflow of F.J. Sayers Lake to the confluence with Beech Creek, anglers fish for smallmouth bass and pumpkinseed. Bald Eagle Creek is stocked with trout and has some wild brook and brown trout.

Penns Creek

Short Description: Penns Creek is Pennsylvania’s largest, and longest limestone stream and is as close to a wilderness limestone stream as exists in Pennsylvania. Bubbling from Penn’s Cave located about 15 miles east of State College, the stream stays modest in size until it reaches Spring Mills where it is joined by Sinking Creek. At this point, Penns Creek becomes larger in size, and an excellent trout stream for wild and stocked brown trout, as well as stocked rainbows.

To many anglers, Penns Creek means Green Drakes. The big, floppy mayflies appear in tremendous numbers in late May and early June and attract crowds of anglers to the stream.

Canoeing on Penns Creek is possible in early spring, but becomes more difficult as water levels decrease during the summer months.

Red Moshannon Creek

Short Description: The Class II rapids found along stretches of Red Moshannon Creek make it a great stream to hone whitewater paddling skills. The 30-mile stream flows through forests and lands with an extensive history of mining. The entire length is polluted by Abandoned Mine Drainage (AMD), which has stained the stream bed orange and given the waterway its "Red" nickname. Due to this drainage, the stream cannot sustain fish populations.

There is put in access at Peale Bridge, near Grassflat and take out access at the Red Moshannon Bridge on State Route 53.

Six Mile Run

Short Description: Six Mile Run is a highly accessible, small stocked trout stream perched on the top of the Allegheny Plateau in the Moshannon State Forest.

It can be found off PA Route 504, six miles east of Philipsburg and three miles west of Black Moshannon State Park.

Spring Creek

Short Description: Rising in the mountains about five miles east of State College and flowing in a northerly direction to its terminus in Milesburg, Spring Creek is arguably one of the finest wild trout streams in Pennsylvania. Surveys conducted by the Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission have consistently shown Spring Creek to be one of the most densely-populated wild brown trout streams in the Keystone State, and is consequently a favorite stream of thousands of anglers each year.


A more guided and supported kind of outdoor fun can be had at the following fun parks. See rare local wildlife and glimpse fascinating geological formations at Penn's Cave and Wildlife Park, check out the collection of exotic creatures at Clyde Peeling's Reptiland and try your hand at the batting cages or piloting a go-kart to victory at Tussey Mountain.

Penn's Cave and Wildlife Park

Location: Centre Hall

Description: Penn's Cave is an all-water limestone cave toured entirely by boat with an interpretive guide. An attached wildlife viewing park is also available with local hard-to-find animal species, including bears, wolves, elk, bobcats, bison, longhorn cattle, mustangs, and bighorn sheep, as well as our Penn’s Cave icon, the mountain lion.

Tussey Mountain

Location: Bear Meadows Road, Boalsburg

Description: In the winter, skiing is the focus here, but the fun continues in the warmer months with Go-Karts, a Golf Driving Range, a Bike and Skate Park, Mountain Mini-Golf, and Batting Cages.

Clyde Peeling's Reptiland

Location: Allenwood

Description: A 6,500 square foot indoor exhibit gallery houses reptiles and amphibians in naturalistic habitats. Open year-round, the gallery showcases turtles, lizards, snakes, frogs, and crocodilians from around the world. Also features a parakeet sanctuary and a butterfly greenhouse (at certain times) and an animatronic and stationary dinosaur exhibit.

Woodward Cave

Location: Woodward

Description: Take a guided tour of one of the largest caverns in Pennsylvania. See amazing stalactites, stalagmites, ribbon formations and flowstone. Wander through a naturally-formed 200-foot long room in the cave and see another chamber with a 60-foot high ceiling!

Discovery Space

Location: State College

Description: An interactive children's science museum aimed at children 2-12 years old that's fun for the whole family. Drop in, have a party, or attend a camp and learn something new that might just spark your creativity and imagination.

IQ Escape

Location: State College

Description: A new genre of entertainment that made the rare leap from video games to real life, IQ Escape features collaborative challenges for 2-10 players who must solve a complex series of individual tasks to escape a locked room, complete a perfect heist, or even save the world!

 
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