Visit Pennsylvania's Endless Mountains and Grand Canyon

Story and Photos
by Kathleen Walls

Pennsylvania has some unusual options for a road trip. The Endless Mountains have their own Grand Canyon. Plan a trip with a variety of adventures ranging from a stagecoach ride through history along a trail at the base of the canyon, to seeing the stars at a dark skies park. Stepping towards the history, you can visit a family winery with a historic home or tour French Azilum, where Marie Antoinette was supposed to take refuge. For adventure, take a ride to the top of a mountain on an ATV. There is something here for everyone.

State Parks

Leonard Harrison State Park

There are lots of state parks in the area. Leonard Harrison State Park gives you a great view of the Grand Canyon was from above. The scenery from the east rim is breathtaking. From here you can see the road the covered wagon ride would take along Pine Creek. The park is known for eagle sightings, and lots of hawks soaring above. There's a trail called Turkey Path that leads down to the canyon floor.

The visitor's center has a small museum featuring exhibits highlighting the significance of lumber in the mountains and showcases some local wildlife. When I visited the park, it was filled with gorgeous goldenrods in full bloom.

Near the lookout point, they have a pavilion with a map of the park and canyon dedicated to the memory of the Civilian Conservation Corps, who helped build this park and many others. Workers were busy restoring an old log cabin that was originally constructed by the CCC when I visited.

Ricketts Glen State Park 

If you are a fan of hiking and waterfalls, head to Ricketts Glen State Park. From the Evergreen Parking Lot, it's just a few hundred feet to Adams Falls. Be sure to wear good hiking shoes as the terrain is rocky and uneven. You can visit twenty-one waterfalls along f the Falls Trail within the Glens Natural Area.

For campers, Rickets Glen has cabins and a campground with 120 tent and trailer campsites, many with electric and water and a few that are full hookups. Lake Jean is popular for fishing, swimming, and boating. The boat rentals are available during the summer. In winter, it is a playground for snowmobiles, cross-country skiing, and snowshoeing.

Cherry Springs State Park

If you live in a city, lights block a good view of the night sky. Cherry Spring State Park is rated one of the top dark sky destinations in the world. You can visit on your own or book a Nightscapes Photography Workshop with Pennsylvania Wild's Juried Artisan, Curt Weinhold. Try to visit when the moon is at its smallest crescent and there are no clouds in the sky. It's a good idea to bring a flashlight covered with red cellophane to help acclimate your eyes to night vision. Also, wear comfortable clothes and good walking shoes. There is a covered pavallion if it rains.

Adventure

Denton Go

For the adventurous, Denton Hill State Park is a 700-acre park that was once a top ski resort with elevations ranging from 1800 to 2400 feet. It closed as one season adventure was not profitable. Todd Brown, Scott Carts, and Jason Holmberg, the new concessioners, are revitalizing the park as Denton Go. They plan to make it an all -season destination. The isolation of the mountains offers a perfect place for visitors to enjoy a dark night. Trails cut in the mountains are perfect for mountain biking and skiing and the sky lift is being brought back. The big attraction for me is the Polaris UTV rentals. There are currently 8 razors that can be rented and driven up the rugged mountainside. Todd took us for a ride to the mountaintop in one of them.

There is a large and well-equipped event building for weddings and events. This is a spot for hiking, biking, and other downhill activities. The park has overnight camping with 10 RV sites along the 9-mile creek and plans for an ATV campground higher up the mountainside. They are planning five cabins for the non-campers.

Ole Covered Wagon Ride

The Ole Covered Wagon ride kicks off from their ranch-style base. There were two wagons the day we took our trip. My guide, Donna, was very knowledgeable about local history. They hitched up Peanut and Patches to our wagon. The other one was pulled by two brothers, Reuben and Jessie.

We headed out from the outpost and crossed Marsh Creek, with a gate that keeps cars off the wagon trail. Then we were Pine Creek Rail Trail, that parallels Pine Creek and allows only hikers, bikers, electric bikes, and horses, but no motorized vehicles. You can primitive camp along the trail. The railroad that once used this route shut down in 1988. Today, the old rail bed is one of the most popular rail trails in the country.

There are still a few cabins scattered across the creek. When the state took over the land, they allowed families already living there, along with their immediate descendants, to stay but, the property couldn't be sold or leased, and once the last heir is gone, the state reclaims it.

We passed a few fly anglers casting in the calm waters of Pine Creek. Donna told us that this spot is famous for trout fishing and hosts an annual derby each spring just before Memorial Day. The most popular catches include rainbow trout, brown trout, and golden or palomino trout. Three presidents have fished here: Theodore Roosevelt, Dwight Eisenhower, and Jimmy Carter.

The trail is lined with shrubs, trees, and flowers. The goldenrod, and some striking flowers called yellow wing stems, are beautiful.

Lumber was once the big business here. Extensive logging led to the destruction of the forest, leaving behind charred stumps of the harvested trees that created wildfires and scorched the mountainsides down to bare earth. In 1845, Pine Creek had 145 sawmills and in the1920s, the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) stepped in to replant the forest you see today.

You'll pass the Darling Run Campsite, the only public camping area along Pine Creek in this vicinity. From 1935 to 1941, this site was a CCC camp. Until early 2020, thanks to the efforts of the Outdoor Corps, a group of young people associated with the national Student Conservation Association renovated it. The camp's stone foundations and an old flagpole have been preserved, and it offers six campsites complete with fire rings, picnic tables, and rustic benches.

We made a stop at a restroom, one of which is located about every five miles, before we came to the waterfalls at the end of our ride. The drivers unhitched the horses for a well-deserved break and we crossed a small wooden bridge and ascended a rugged staircase—rumored to have 208 steps—towards the top of Little Four Mile Falls.

Pro Tip: Be sure to check times and make a reservation ahead for the Ole Covered Wagon ride. They offer two tours. The one I took was the waterfall tour. If you can get it, it is well worth it. It goes all the way to the waterfall and takes between three and four hours. The other is shorter and only takes two hours.

History

Lumber Museum

History mingles with so many attractions there. The Lumber Museum tells the history of the trees you see all over and how they affected the history of Pennsylvania. The museum's director, Joshua Roth, showed us around. There's a video to get you started.

The exhibits of the trees are beautiful but some of the history isn't. As Joshua said, "There were times early in our history when the Native Americans were here and the early colonists, where Pennsylvania was mostly forest covered. And then when we get back to the depleted forest section in the around the turn of the 20th century, we have cut down most of our forest but then I'm happy to say when we get today into tomorrow's forest, we have done a much better job at restoring our forest and sort of striking that balance."

The museum has interactive exhibits where you can saw a log or steer a log raft on the river. One section tells about the CCC (Civilian Conservation Corps) role in preventing forest fires and building our parks.

Outside there is a recreated lumber camp showing what life in a typical lumber camp in the Pennsylvania North Woods would have been like at the turn of the 20^th century. A working sawmill, a CCC cabin from 1937, a birch still, and a Brookville Steam Locomotive that was used to transport bark to a tannery, are all there.

French Azilum

The French Azilum, where the curving Susquehanna River forms a horseshoe, is where an unusual French settlement once stood. It was planned at the start of the French Revolution as a haven for Marie Antoinette and French nobles fleeing the guillotine.

Deborah Courville, our guide, showed us through the one remaining home in what was once a settlement of about 50 houses, shops, a church, and a school. There was a Grand Mansion where Marie Antoinette was going to live when she escaped from France. She never made it here. The home is not original but was built as a summer home by a grandson of the former store owner, Bartholomew La Porte, on the site of the settlement.

When Napoleon later pardoned everyone who'd been against the revolution, around 1800, the colony disbanded and many of the settlers returned to France.

Inside the home, there're many artifacts of the original settlement. Paintings include Marie with her necklace, a picture of Napoleon painted by John's great-granddaughter, and many others. You will see some of the actual clothing worn by French nobles and a replica of Marie Antoinett's famous necklace.

One room is dedicated to the early 1800s Napoleonic Empire Regency Period. There's a Napoleonic army hat and some army uniforms. Each room is furnished as it would have been in the early 1800s. There're a ladies' parlor children's rooms and I particularly loved the kitchen. There's an open brick fireplace for cooking, a bread oven, a hand water pump, cast-iron pots, and assorted dishes and utensils.

Forksville Covered Bridge

As you drive to Eagles Mere, you'll drive over the Forksville Covered Bridge on State Route 4012 on Loyalsock Creek. It was built in 1850 and is one of only three remaining covered bridges in Sullivan County.

Shopping

Eagles Mere

Eagles Mere Historic Village fits for both shoppers and history buffs. It was founded in the 1800s as a glass factory town and morphed into a resort town perched on the banks of Eagles Mere Lake. Today, it's like taking a step back in time.

The historic clock in front of the porch of the restored general store stands out. There's an information center in the museum shop and six galleries.  

Feick's Vintage Finds at Eagles Mere is more than an antique store. It's filled with remembrances as the town once was and a perfect place to find a unique souvenir. There is a good mix of new and antique items here.

 A Stroll Down Memory Lane

A Stroll Down Memory Lane in Galeton is like visiting a general store of years gone by or discovering hidden treasures in your grandmother's attic. Michelle Petito, the store's co-owner, told how she decided to open it. "My husband and I did crafts, and built furniture and that type of thing. I wanted to quit my job. And my sister, Paula Hayes said 'Let's open a store.' So that's exactly what we did. We bought the building with it. It was a hardware store and the gentleman that owned it was selling the building.”

The store is still going strong. There were so many items on the three floors and basement. They have multiple sellers, so there is a tremendous variety of items from antique dolls to pottery jugs to lots of glassware.

Food and Drink

Grovedale Winery

Even if you're not a wind drinker, you don't want to miss Grovedale Winery. The taproom is inviting with a counter, tables, and a shelf displaying over 20 of their award-winning wines. But It is more than a winery.

Kim, co-owner with her husband, Jeff, greeted us with a tasting before we began exploring. I love one of their specials named Sh!tShow. Kim explained the origin of the name. "The name came about during the pandemic when we were shut down." A former wine maker said, "Wouldn't it be great if we had a wine and shit show?" The name took off big and was featured on the Rachel Ray Show and Food and Wine Magazine.

My favorite wine is Optimism Peach Sangria, a white wine blend, infused with peaches, with a light citrus finish. Even the label is unique. It's a cute pig.

We learned the label portrayed Simon the Pig, who lived outside with a slew of other animal friends. Naturally, we had to go visit him. Besides the animals' pens, the yard is an event space with a picnic table and benches, a wood stove, a circle of Adirondack chairs around a cozy fire pit.

There was a majestic rooster parading around a giant chess set with large pieces. The rooster was first named Oscar, but since he like hanging out with Simon; they renamed him Heihei for the rooster in the Disney movie Morana that was friends with a pig. Besides Simon, there were goats, peacock, more chickens, and some adorable rabbits.

After visiting with the animals, we toured the Old Red House, which has been in Jeff's family for eight generations. The home was abandoned for almost 70 years. It is now on the National Historic Registry and tours are offered regularly.

The home was built in 1940 and served many purposes. It was once a funeral parlor and still has a coffin in what was the viewing room. One of their wines is named for an antique hand-blown glass cane from Corning Glass Company popular at the turn of the 20th century. It hangs on the wall over the coffin. There are lots of pictures of the family and other artifacts.

Grovedale is a special treat that's worth a visit for any of the three areas. Plus, they have an Airbnb cabin, or if you are an RVer, they are members of Harvest Hosts.

Shores Sisters Farmer's Market

If you're looking to pickup a snack or picnic meal, Shores Sisters Market is a good stop. It's owned by sisters, Raya and Renee Shores, and housed in a large barn-style building that has a giant water tower in front. It's the place to buy lots of fresh produce and some unusual herbs from their greenhouse. There's a cafe if you want to dine in.

Martin's Pantry

Martin's Pantry is another grab and go place to get a bagel, panini, or wrap, and dine in or take it on the road. They cater to your sweet tooth with some fantastic donuts and other pastries.

Pam's

For a good lunch in Dushore, Pam's is a good choice for home style meals. I had a meatloaf with a thick slice of Texas toast with a side of potato salad. It's family owned by three sisters who make visitors feel like family.

Jolly Trolley

Jolly Trolley, just catty-corner from Pam's, is a restaurant and shop combined. The booths are traditional diner red vinyl with black and white tiled floors. They have a large choice of wraps, sandwiches, and salads.

Kaytee's

Kaytee's is another family diner style restaurant with a huge menu. Here I had the Grilled Shrimp Dinner consisting of two shrimp skewers with seven shrimp each. It was delicious grilled and served with cocktail sauce and a roll. I added a baked potato and saved room for the lemon merengue pie for dessert.

Oliver's Pub & Grill

If you're looking for something more upscale, have dinner at Oliver's Pub and Grill. The exposed brick wall and natural wood decorated with some vintage pieces give it a New Orleans style feel. I enjoyed the Fried Shrimp Basket and saved room for the fantastic Crème Brulé. My Peach Mohito was the perfect cocktail to end the day.

Lodging

Canyon Motel

We stayed at the Canyon Motel. It has a friendly old-style ambience but all the modern amenities. My suite had a front porch and a back door leading out to a grassy yard. I had a full kitchen with a full sized fridge and stove. The bed was very comfortable. The living room had a place to work on my computer or relax on the sofa.

Pioneer Campground

Another great lodging choice is Pioneer Campground. You can camp, park an RV on a full-service site, or stay in a furnished or primitive cabin. It's family owned by John and Stacey Kwieraga, and sits on 80 acres atop Sonestown Mountain in beautiful Sullivan County.

Amenities include heated swimming pool, playground, game room, softball field, horseshoes, RC vehicle course, hiking trail, dog park, open pavilion, store, laundromat, LP gas, and more.

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