WELLSBORO, Pa. — Pennsylvania is a paradise for people who love the outdoors, and far away from the noise of small-town festivals, crowded streets and tourists is Pennsylvania's Grand Canyon.
The canyon is not in just one place. It is part of the Tioga State Forest and stretches for over 45 miles. At one point, the depth is nearly 1,500 feet.
Great places to grasp the enormity of the canyon, also called the Pine Creek Gorge, are the beautiful Colton Point and Leonard Harrison state parks. Although there are modern facilities, the parks still retain the classic rustic look of the Civilian Conservation Corps, which started work there in 1935.
The rugged overlooks offer visitors spectacular views of the gorge.
Brittany Madera is the communications manager for Pennsylvania Wilds, the unique 13-county group that has hundreds of thousands of acres with diverse conditions. The Grand Canyon is a big part of that.
“Leonard Harrison State Park really is known locally as the PA Grand Canyon or the Pennsylvania Grand Canyon,” Madera said. “It is this special place where it's the Pine Creek Valley or the Pine Creek Gorge. And you can overlook this scenic view, where you can see for miles at a time and just see, especially now in the fall foliage season, you're getting an incredible view of what scientifically really is the best place to see fall foliage in honestly, the entire world. We have this diversity of trees and they're all kind of popping at different times.”
And Madera said fall isn’t the only great time to explore the area.
“It's a great place to see fall foliage, but even if you come back in the spring, there's this immense amount of greenery,” Madera said. “In the summer, of course, it's beautiful weather. And even in the winter, for the folks who are brave enough to come up to Leonard Harrison State Park in the winter, you've got the rolling hills covered in snow. You can't beat that.”
Never heard of this area? Join the club! Still, once visitors get a peek at this beauty, the wow factor kicks in. Madera said they get thousands of visitors from across the U.S. and around the world.
“I think they really are surprised sometimes at how beautiful it is, how peaceful it can be, especially for people who are maybe coming from bigger cities, and they're not used to being able to hear the birds or see the birds circling up ahead over them, or to even just see a little chipmunk going right across their feet,” Madera said. “For some people, that can be a really great experience.”
There is plenty of viewing space above the gorge, but many explore deeper with miles of hiking trails along the canyon. Without question, though, most people see this natural beauty from above, and while taking in the view, tourists also check out the visitor center, which has a unique relationship with local artisans and artists.
Chuck’s Big Adventure in Pennsylvania: PA Grand Canyon and the Pennsylvania Wilds
Madera said that is by design.
"It is immensely important to reinvest that money within a rural community,” Madera said. “It makes a big difference for those artisans to have real dollars put back into their pockets and be able to continue living here and not just surviving, but thriving.”
Madera said she believes investing in local communities during your travels can have a big impact on those regions – and enrich your experience.
“Being able to go to those small mom-and-pop stores, to visit those artisans to get their real, authentic story, that can mean the world for that person who's building a business there, but it also makes a better experience for you,” Madera said. “Whenever you're traveling, you get to know the real place that you're visiting.”
Meredith Hill is the director of the Pennsylvania Wilds program for the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation & Natural Resources. She hopes the curious will see the Grand Canyon and then venture to the other properties in the system.
“We have 2.4 million acres of public land, and that includes state parks, there are 29 state parks in the region,” Hill said. “And there is also eight forest districts. Many of the parks are surrounded by state forest lands. This is the Tioga State Forest, and we are here in Leonard Harrison State Park. That again, is surrounded by the state forest."
Hill also noted that because of its location, the Pennsylvania Wilds is largely accessible to many, and has been a tourist destination for a long time.
“If you see the gorge, it's just a spectacular view,” Hill said. “What the gorge also has is at the bottom is Pine Creek. That is a destination for kayaking and canoeing.”
Alongside Pine Creek is the Pine Creek Rail Trail, an almost 70-mile rail trail that runs from Wellsboro, the community just outside Leonard Harrison, down to Jersey Shore, Pennsylvania. It’s one of the most popular rail trails in the state.
“We ever hear that...it draws people from all around the U.S. and internationally,” Hill said. “I think there were just some visitors here from Germany that we talked to. A lot of people really enjoy riding their bike on the Pine Creek Rail Trail."
Visiting is a unique touch with nature. The views from 1,500 feet, the hike along a gorge with changing leaves and the simple fresh air on an autumn morning make this a memorable trip to this part of Pennsylvania. Hill wants more people to take the trip.
"I'd say come and experience what the PA Wilds has to offer because I think there will be something for you, something for everyone,” Hill said.
The Pennsylvania Wilds and the Grand Canyon are so beautiful, so vast and so diverse that a trip here could be a vacation by itself or as part of a vacation that would include other state destinations.
Either way, a trip here is a reminder that Pennsylvania has some of the country's most beautiful views.