The Old-Growth North: A Guide to Pennsylvania's Cook Forest and Allegheny National Forest

Most people associate Pennsylvania with the Pocono Mountains or the battlefield at Gettysburg. Fewer know the state also contains one of the last substantial stands of old-growth forest in the eastern United States, a 500,000-acre national forest, and a network of quiet river towns that run through both.

This corner of the state sits roughly three hours from Pittsburgh, four from Cleveland, and six from Philadelphia. It is rural in a way that much of the Northeast no longer is, and the pace reflects that.

Cook Forest State Park: Ancient Hemlocks and White Pines

Cook Forest State Park, established in 1928, preserves one of the finest remaining stands of old-growth hemlock and white pine in the Northeast. Some of the trees are more than 350 years old, and the tallest exceed 180 feet.

The Forest Cathedral, a designated National Natural Landmark within the park, is the heart of the old growth. The trail through it is less than a mile and follows a soft needle-covered path between trunks that are too wide to wrap with two arms.

Standing in this grove gives a sense of what the eastern forest looked like before the 19th-century logging era, when white pines were felled for ship masts and hemlocks for their tannin-rich bark. Very little of that original forest remains anywhere east of the Mississippi.

Practical Notes on the Park

The park's Log Cabin Inn Environmental Learning Center serves as an orientation point for first-time visitors. Free maps are available, and rangers lead short walks on summer weekends.

The Clarion River, which forms the park's southern boundary, is one of the cleanest rivers in Pennsylvania. Canoe and kayak liveries along the river shuttle visitors upstream for paddles of four to eight hours.

Allegheny National Forest: Scale Without Crowds

North of Cook Forest, the Allegheny National Forest covers 513,000 acres across four counties. It is the largest public land holding in Pennsylvania and one of the quietest in the eastern national forest system.

The North Country Trail, which runs from North Dakota to Vermont, passes through the forest for more than 90 miles. Shorter loop trails branch off it at regular intervals, allowing day hikes of almost any length.

The Kinzua Bridge Skywalk, at the northern edge of the forest, is the remaining span of a railroad trestle damaged by a 2003 tornado. The skywalk ends at the point where the bridge broke, with a glass floor overlooking the 225-foot gorge below.

River Towns and Rural Villages

The towns around Cook Forest are small and unpretentious. Cooksburg, Marienville, Tionesta, and Kellettville each have a general store, a restaurant or two, and a canoe livery, and not much else.

This is part of the appeal. There is no resort infrastructure here. Travelers looking for practical cabin rentals in northwestern Pennsylvania will find the majority clustered within a 15-minute drive of the park entrance.

Clarion, about 20 minutes south, is the nearest larger town with a full grocery store and restaurant district. Many visitors make one supply run there and otherwise stay inside the forest.

Seasonal Character

Summer is the main visiting season, but each season offers something distinct. June through August brings full canopy cover, warm river water, and long daylight hours. Weekends fill up at the park; weekdays stay relatively quiet.

Fall foliage in the region is as strong as in any famous leaf-peeping destination, with the advantage of far fewer tourists. Peak color typically arrives in the first or second week of October and shifts with elevation.

Winter brings snow from late December through March, and the park grooms cross-country ski trails when conditions allow. Many of the cabins stay open year-round, though a subset closes between November and April.

Wildlife

White-tailed deer are abundant, and black bears are common enough that trail advisories recommend standard precautions. Elk, reintroduced a century ago, now number around 1,400 and draw crowds during the fall rut.

Getting There

The nearest commercial airport is Pittsburgh International, about 100 miles southwest. Erie International, 90 miles north, is smaller but sometimes more direct for travelers coming from the upper Midwest.

Once on the ground, a car is essential. The two-lane roads through the forest are scenic but slow; a 40-mile drive can take over an hour, which is part of the region's character.