{"id":190174,"date":"2026-05-12T14:18:24","date_gmt":"2026-05-12T14:18:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/190174\/"},"modified":"2026-05-12T14:18:24","modified_gmt":"2026-05-12T14:18:24","slug":"visit-pa-invites-travelers-to-spend-a-day-in-the-boots-of-a-pa-state-park-ranger","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/190174\/","title":{"rendered":"Visit PA invites travelers to spend a day in the boots of a PA State Park Ranger"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Sunset<\/a>Sunset at Presque Isle State Park, Erie, PA. Photo by Joel Natalie, TalkErie.com.<\/p>\n

New \u201cPA Ranger for a Day\u201d Sweepstakes Offers One Lucky\u00a0Winner\u00a0an Exclusive, Behind-the-Scenes Adventure.<\/p>\n

Today,\u202fVisit PA<\/a>\u202fannounced the launch of \u201cPA Ranger for a Day,\u201d\u202fa first-of-its-kind campaign giving one lucky winner the chance to experience Pennsylvania\u2019s iconic state parks through the eyes of the people who know them best \u2014 the\u202fDepartment of Conservation & Natural Resources (DCNR)\u202fteam members who call them home.<\/p>\n

Beginning\u00a0May 8, 2026, and running through\u00a0June 12, 2026, residents and visitors alike can enter for the chance to win a full-day, DCNR staff-led experience at one of the Commonwealth\u2019s most stunning state parks.<\/p>\n

\u201cPennsylvania\u2019s state parks are one of our greatest gifts \u2015 125 stunning destinations that are free, open, and ready for adventure,\u201d said\u202fAnne Ryan, Deputy Secretary of Tourism, Pennsylvania Office of Tourism. \u201cFrom chasing waterfalls and hiking scenic\u00a0overlooks to\u00a0paddling quiet lakes and spotting wildlife,\u00a0there\u2019s\u00a0no shortage of ways to explore.\u00a0There\u2019s\u00a0simply no better way to fall in love with Pennsylvania than by getting outside and experiencing the wild, beautiful spaces that make it so unique.\u201d<\/p>\n

This is no ordinary park visit. In partnership with DCNR, the\u202fPA\u202fRanger for a\u00a0Day\u202fwinner\u00a0will spend a day branching off the beaten path and discovering some of PA\u2019s most treasured\u00a0outdoor experiences \u2014 guided by a true expert who lives and breathes the outdoors. No crowds, no rush, just one-on-one time with park experts and the wild spaces that make Pennsylvania\u2019s parks so legendary.<\/p>\n

\u201cPennsylvania\u2019s state parks are already second to none,\u201d said\u202fDCNR Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn. \u201cSpecial programs like\u202fPA Ranger for a Day\u202fbring that magic to life in such a personal way. Our experts are the heartbeat of these parks and\u00a0we\u2019re\u00a0proud to offer the chance for visitors to spend a day exploring the great outdoors alongside them.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Details<\/p>\n

Participants can visit\u202fvisitpa.com\/ranger\u202f<\/a>to browse featured Pennsylvania parks and meet the local experts, learning about their favorite spots and insider tips.<\/p>\n

Enter for a chance to win a PA state\u00a0parks\u00a0experience, including customized, guided tours by DCNR experts.<\/p>\n

One lucky winner will be announced after the entry period closes (June 12, 2026) and invited to spend the day hiking,\u00a0learning\u00a0and connecting at the park of their choosing later this summer.<\/p>\n

Pennsylvania spring is a season unlike any other, with color bursting from every\u00a0corner,\u00a0trails coming alive and the promise of fresh discovery at every turn. Visit PA\u2019s programming celebrates the full spectrum of what the Commonwealth has to offer, and\u202fPA Ranger for a Day\u202fis just the beginning. To enter and explore, visit\u202fvisitpa.com\/ranger<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Governor Josh Shapiro\u202frecently joined\u202fSecretary Dunn\u202fto announce\u202fLaurel Caverns State Park as Pennsylvania\u2019s 125<\/a>th<\/a>\u202fstate park<\/a>\u202fand the first subterranean park in Commonwealth history. Approximately 50 miles from Pittsburgh, Laurel Caverns is a 435-acre park centered around the largest and deepest limestone cave in Pennsylvania, which includes four miles of wide cave passages that go as deep as 476 feet and the largest bat shelter in the Northeast.<\/p>\n

Pennsylvania\u2019s outdoor recreation industry is made up of 6,400 local parks \u2014 including 125 state parks \u2014 more than\u00a014,000 miles\u00a0of trails, and over\u00a084,000 miles\u00a0of waterways. Under the\u202fShapiro Administration\u2019s\u202fleadership, the industry has\u202fadded\u00a0$3.5 billion\u202fand approximately\u202f12,000 new jobs\u202fto the Commonwealth\u2019s economy.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Sunset at Presque Isle State Park, Erie, PA. Photo by Joel Natalie, TalkErie.com. New \u201cPA Ranger for a…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":190175,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[12],"tags":[136,138,137],"class_list":["post-190174","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-erie","tag-erie","tag-erie-headlines","tag-erie-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/190174","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=190174"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/190174\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/190175"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=190174"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=190174"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=190174"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}