Sightseeing in the North

The Kinzua Viaduct is a National Engineering Landmark and on the National Register of Historic Places.  When this viaduct was built in 1881, it was the world's highest and longest railroad bridge at 301 feet tall and 2053 feet long. A tornado knocked down the middleof the bridge.

Steeped in CCC-era buildings, Parker Dam has three sites on the National Register of Historic Places and a CCC Interpretive Center that interprets the Civilian Conservation Corps.  Logging history is explored in the visitor center.

The diverse geology in the park provides the backdrop for the lake, forests, fields, wetlands, and streams. Old field habitat throughout the park is undergoing natural succession. Grasses are giving way to goldenrod and asters, and gray dogwood and sumacs are being pushed out by pines and maples. These fields provide homes for bluebird, monarch butterfly, woodchuck, and cottontail rabbit, while squirrel and downy woodpecker inhabit the woodlots. A mature oak and hickory forest covers the Bald Eagle Mountain and provides homes for porcupine and turkey. The edge habitat created when old fields meet woods and wetlands, allows white-tailed deer, woodcock and red-winged blackbird to thrive. Explore Bald Eagle for more information.

The wildlife you observe depends greatly on the habitat types you visit and your observation techniques. Look for wildlife in a variety of areas: wetlands, shorelines, forest openings and especially edges where one habitat borders another. Mornings and evenings provide the best opportunities for viewing many species. Be quiet and leave pets at home. Explore Black Moshannon for more information on wildlife watching.

River valleys, like the Bucktail State Park Natural Area, are important habitats in Pennsylvania. Warmer, wet river valleys usually support more wildlife that the colder, drier surrounding mountains. River valleys are natural passageways for animals and plants. Seeds that fall into rivers are carried downstream to create new populations. Trees like river birch and sycamore naturally dwell in Bucktail State Park.

Many animals live in river valleys or follow them during migrations. Osprey, bald eagle, kingfisher, many duck species, merganser and other birds, otter, deer, mink and other animals are noteworthy river valley inhabitants and can be seen in Bucktail State Park.

An elk viewing platform is at Winslow Hill, near the town of Benezette, and in Sinnemahoning State Park. Elk are often seen along the northern portion of Bucktail State Park Natural Area. The best time to view elk is at dawn and dusk in September and October during the mating season. Please remember that elk are large, wild animals and can be dangerous. Observe elk from a safe distance.

The darkest skies in the northeast make Cherry Springs a destination for astronomers. Explore Cherry Springs for more information.

River corridors are natural transportation routes and so the Clarion River corridor has a great diversity of plants and animals. Great blue heron, mergansers, kingfisher and bald eagle are common river residents.

The Clarion River is designated a Wild and Scenic River for its scenic beauty, water quality, and archaeological significance.

The Grand Canyon of Pennsylvania is a National Natural Landmark and a State Park Natural Area. Explore Colton Point for more information.

From the area of Cook Forest State Park came the famous Pennsylvania cork pine, so named because of the white pine"s thick, cork-like bark. There are four old growth forest areas in the park: Swamp, Seneca, Cathedral and Cook Trail areas. Explore Cook Forest for more information.

In the heart of the elk range in Pennsylvania, the new Elk Country Visitor Center features state-of-the-art displays and elk viewing. Explore Elk Country Visitor Center for more information.

Wildlife abounds in and around Hills Creek State Park. Along with an active beaver colony, there are other water-loving creatures including muskrat, wood duck, great blue heron, and osprey. Bald eagles are frequent visitors to the park. Explore Hills Creek for more information.

The Grand Canyon of Pennsylvania is a National Natural Landmark and a State Park Natural Area. Explore Leonard Harrison for more information.

In the spring you may see bald eagle, osprey, and many kinds of waterfowl on the lake and streams. In the summer, you can see deer and songbirds throughout the park, herons and otters in the lake and songbirds in many habitats. The fall season brings many migratory birds, such as loon, snow goose and many raptors. You may see raccoons or mink along the lake, deer and foxes in the fields, or bear or turkeys in the woodlands. During the winter, many species of birds take advantage of the various feeding stations in the park. Explore Little Pine for more information on wildlife watching.

Depending on the season, visitors can see woodland wildlife like bobcat, coyote, white-tailed deer, black bear and wild turkey. In the spring, Lyman Lake is visited by migrating waterfowl like common loon, wood duck, and common merganser.

Parker Dam State Park and the surrounding Moshannon State Forest harbor deep forests where wildlife thrives in unbroken wilderness. Look for black-throated green and blackburnian warblers and ravens in conifer forests. Explore Parker Dam for more information.

The most outstanding geologic feature in the park is Castle Rocks. Tall erosional spires of sandstone are silhouetted against the sky, like the towers of an ancient castle. You can see Castle Rocks from Mid State Trail in the southern end of the park. Primarily frost action has caused the sandstone blocks to break away at weak places in the sandstone, leaving behind isolated pillars. Additional information on the geological features are found in the 'Trail of Geology Guide' available at the park office.

Sinnemahoning offers the visitor a variety of wildlife watching experiences. Depending upon the season, one could encounter nesting bald eagles, elk nursing their calves in a small nursery group, hear the howl of a coyote as it advertises it’s territory or maybe catch a glimpse of a bobcat slinking through the thick spruce as it stalks the grassy areas for its evening meal. Explore Sinnemahoning for more information.

In the spring and summer, small woodland flowers, flowering trees and mountain laurel blossom in profusion, adding their loveliness to the park and surrounding area. During the fall, the flaming foliage of the mixed hardwood forest provides a colorful backdrop for visitors to enjoy the park. The topography of the entire park is a severely dissected plateau with narrow stream valleys.