Trip Ideas

A Word About Camp Life
The word "camp" has many meanings.  Around here, camp means a place in the woods offering seasonal or year-round relaxation, and a lifestyle that some folks would just as soon keep a secret. For some, "camp" conjures up hunting.  For others, it's place where you put your technology aside in favor of human interaction.  Camp is where kids go outside for fun and campfires bring us back together at the end of the day for marshmallows and laughter.  Whether you're here for the first time or returning where generations of your family have vacationed before, you'll know how rejuvenating it can be to spend a little time in Forest County.


Family Fun
It's all about the simple pleasures when you bring kids to Forest County.  Eat someplace unusual: have a picnic! Get up close and personal with the (stuffed) wild animals at the Allegheny National Forest (Marienville District) Ranger Station.  Watch water gush out of the Tionesta Dam Outflow Area. Visit the Double Diamond Deer Ranch - lots of fun for young ones. Climb to the top of the Sherman Memorial Lighthouse with its extensive  collection of mini lighthouse replicas on display as you ascend/descend, and then walk around Lighthouse Island and find the animal statues.
Bad weather got you down? See Rainy Afternoons, below.

Driving Tours
When you're hungry for fresh air and a change of pace - literally! - nothing satisfies like country drive.  No matter what vehicle you hop into or onto, we have a multitude of choices. Is your aim leaf peeping on a crisp autumn afternoon?   Biking winding backroads?  Or just rolling down the windows on a summer's day and breathing deep? Take a paper map, as cell reception is spotty in places, and scout out gas stops before you begin. 
  Map of ANF Scenic Tours

Outdoor Adventures
Combine a kayak or canoe adventure with Allegheny Islands Wilderness camping, and you'll not only experience paddling and camping -- you may also be lucky enough to see bald eagles, great blue heron, and the occasional deer, while you drift lazily down the Allegheny River's currents. 

Animal Adventures
Try a pack trip on horseback and, at the end of day's ride through the peaceful backwoods, discover the joys of a hearty meal by the campfire and a night under the stars.  Or take just part of your day to experience a short trail ride.

Rainy Afternoon
Stuck indoors when you hoped to get out and stretch your legs?  Don't overlook two of the finest gems in Forest County: our public libraries in Marienville and Tionesta.  Call ahead to find out about story hours, movies and special happenings:  staff at both libraries are wildly imaginative, and heavily invested in serving their communities. If limited internet connectivity is making you crazy, both institutions have free connectivity.   The Forest County Historical Society in Tionesta is another engrossing raining day trip.  Call them at 814-755-4422 to check their hours of operation.

Nearby Gems
Just beyond the borders of Forest County you can take in these special attractions:  

Moore's Garden Shoppe
15834 Route 62, Tidioute   814-484-7500 
Located along the Allegheny River, Moore's offers unique gifts, garden decor, plants and trees, as well as a wide variety of homemade pies to take home and bake.  It also has a scenic and inviting back deck, with comfy chairs, binoculars and bird feeding stations.

Simpler Times Museum 
11 Simpler Times Ln, Tidioute  814-484-3483
A one-of-a-kind glimpse into regional history, with everything from vintage vehicles to tools from the heydays of the timber and oil industry.  It's more fun than you might guess!

Cook Forest Tower The view from atop  is worth the climb, in nearly any season. 

Folks flock to the Leeper Flea Market for the thrill of the hunt, if on a quest for something specific, or just for the joy of browsing. You can even rent a space for a day and have your own garage sale.