Pine Creek Gorge is Grand Canyon of PA

No one is lost. There really is a Pennsylvania Grand Canyon. Otherwise known as Pine Creek Gorge in Tioga County, it can be found within the 165,000 pristine acres of Tioga State Forest. Once you see the views of this gorge, you will be hard pressed not to answer to the call of the outdoors. And activities abound - horseback riding, canoeing, rafting, hiking, biking, cross-country skiing, fishing and hunting - are available for enthusiasts of all skill levels.

The almost 60-mile hard-packed gravel Pine Creek Rail Trail has a 2 percent grade and travels through the gorge from Ansonia to Jersey Shore, PA. Most of the trail is for hikers and bikers but there is a special section for horses, too. Or take a leisurely covered-wagon ride along the trail. Mountain biking trails can be discovered in the Tioga State Forest. And the Barbour Rock Trail is a hiker’s path to a gorgeous view of the West Rim of the Gorge.

Tioga County offers plenty of chances to play in the water. Whether your sport is fishing, waterskiing, swimming or boating, you will be able to find a lake to accommodate. Beaches on Hills Creek, Hammond and Cowanesque lakes are perfect spots for the family.

Campers will find a perfect site in a state or federal park or at a private campground. But Tioga County offers more than camping. Rustic cabins, hotels, and bed & breakfast inns dot the area and give the visitor an array of accommodation choices.

Scenic driving tours - beautiful any time of the year but perhaps more traveled during the fall foliage season - can be downloaded from the Tioga County Website. The Woods and Vistas route, which includes the Pennsylvania Grand Canyon, is a rugged course that takes drivers on dirt roads that they warn aren’t easily managed in the rain or snow. They even have to remind drivers that they are actual roads that vehicles use - including log trucks. But the sights will be breathtaking for the explorer who takes this road less traveled. Other tours include the Farmlands Tour, featuring Mansfield and Whitneyville, home of the Tioga County Fair held in August, and the Lakes & Scenic Tour which will lead drivers past all seven lakes in the county. The downloads include a description of the area, GPS coordinates, mileage and route numbers.

But if you want to sit back and leave the driving to the professionals, the Tioga Central Railroad, three miles north of Wellsboro on Route 287, offers scenic excursions from May-October on climate-controlled or open-air cars.

Tioga County hosts many festivals that celebrate the arts, outdoors and agriculture. The Endless Mountain Music Festival, August 1 - 17, will present "Classical Latin Fiesta." The artistic director is the internationally renowned Maestro Stephen Gunzenhauser, who is the conductor and music director for the Lancaster Symphony Orchestra. World-renowned musicians perform classic and contemporary music for two weeks in various locations in Mansfield and Wellsboro.

The Cowanesque Valley Outdoors Festival in Knoxville, PA., will be held on August 30 on more than 30 acres filled with outdoor adventure in mind. Take a carriage, hot-air balloon or bi-plane ride, visit a Civil War encampment and hear cannons boom and eat in camp. The Pennsylvania Apple-Cheese Festival, October 4 - 5 at the Manley-Bohlayer Farm in East Canton, features arts, crafts, food, entertainment, art & photography show, family events and, of course, apples and cheese!

Discover quaint Victorian towns that time seems to have forgotten. Eat a hearty meal in the Log Cabin Inn or experience fine dining at the Penn Wells Hotel and Lodge, to name a couple. Shop for fine arts and crafts "Made in Tioga County" and tempting maple syrup treats, which visitors will be able to find in stores throughout the area.

Tioga County is about 2.5 hours from Harrisburg and is a grand way to spend a few days getting back to simpler times with family and friends. For information about Tioga County and the Pennsylvania Grand Canyon, call 1-888-TIOGA28.

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