{"id":192158,"date":"2026-05-14T11:13:42","date_gmt":"2026-05-14T11:13:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/192158\/"},"modified":"2026-05-14T11:13:42","modified_gmt":"2026-05-14T11:13:42","slug":"these-pittsburghers-explored-all-of-pas-state-parks-in-retirement","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/192158\/","title":{"rendered":"These Pittsburghers explored all of PA\u2019s state parks in retirement"},"content":{"rendered":"

Joseph Brosky retired on May 31, 2017. Exactly one year later, his wife Donna followed suit. The very next day \u2014 June 1, 2018 \u2014 the couple found themselves at Laurel Hill State Park, one of their longtime favorite places in the Laurel Highlands. It was familiar terrain, perfect for easing into their first day of \u201cfreedom as a couple.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Inside the park gift shop, they spotted a slim green booklet: the Pennsylvania State Parks and State Forests Passport<\/a>, published by the Pennsylvania Parks and Forests Foundation. \u201cCollect stamps as you go,\u201d it suggested.<\/p>\n

They bought it on a whim.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was like the universe handed us a calling card,\u201d Joe recalls. \u201cThat was the moment. We bought the book, set a goal, and jumped into this new chapter headfirst.\u201d<\/p>\n

Or, as he puts it in his book, \u201cAdventures in Penn\u2019s Woods<\/a>,\u201d \u201cWe came face to face with kismet.\u201d<\/p>\n

That impulse buy would launch a five-year journey to all 124 state parks and 20 state forests in Pennsylvania, one forest loop and jaw-dropping overlook at a time.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\t\tMap courtesy of the Pennsylvania Parks & Forests Foundation<\/a>. Find an interactive version from the PA State Department of Conservation and Natural Resources<\/a>.<\/p>\n

What followed was more than a retirement goal. It was a way to chart the end of one life chapter and the bravely start another.<\/p>\n

The passport that changed everything<\/p>\n

Joe grew up in Ross Township near Perrysville and was born at Allegheny General in 1952. After 45 years of work \u2014 including 20 with the Department of Justice, which he joined at 45 \u2014 Joe finished his federal career as a Cell Lead for the Field Intelligence Support Team-Central. He and Donna now live full-time on Laurel Hill Mountain just outside Ligonier.<\/p>\n

The couple has always been outdoorsy<\/a>. They\u2019ve biked the Great Allegheny Passage, hiked the TMB (Tour of Mont Blanc) trail in Europe, which involved hiking from France to Italy to Switzerland and back to France. They\u2019ve even crossed the Grand Canyon Rim to Rim<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Decades of hiking, biking, kayaking and geocaching has kept them constantly moving. Even then, nothing about the state park quest was premeditated. \u201cWe were already the kind of couple who liked being outside, who hiked and biked and paddled,\u201d Joe says. \u201cBut this goal gave us direction and joy, structure and silliness.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"Balanced Rock at Trough Creek State Park near Raystown Lake in Huntingdon County. Photo courtesy of Joseph Brosky. <\/p>\n

Buying that passport was the line in the sand. \u201cIt was our way of drawing a line through our work experiences,\u201d Joe says, \u201cand metaphorically holding hands and jumping feet first into a new existence punctuated by all the magic the natural environment has to offer.\u201d<\/p>\n

They kicked things off by hiking a newly added section of Laurel Hill State Park. \u201cIt had this gorgeous viewing tower we\u2019d never been to, even though it\u2019s one of our \u2018home parks,\u2019\u201d he says. \u201cThat tower really set the tone. It reminded us there\u2019s always something new to discover, even close to home.\u201d<\/p>\n

There was never a question of whether they\u2019d finish. \u201cWe were committed from day one,\u201d Joe says. \u201cAt one point, we even promised each other: If one of us passed before the end, the other would carry it through.\u201d Their motivations were many, and in his book, Joe details all the systems \u2014 funny, practical, heartfelt \u2014 that kept them going.<\/p>\n

\"\"Kooser State Park in Somerset, September 2022. Photo courtesy of Joseph Brosky.<\/p>\n

Awe, sweat and turkey vultures<\/p>\n

Over the course of five years, the Broskys visited parks in every corner of the Commonwealth. Joe is quick to say the journey wasn\u2019t all waterfalls and peaceful overlooks. \u201cOh, we got our butts handed to us a few times,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

They were walloped by heat and humidity on the Spike Buck Hollow Trail at Little Pine<\/a> \u2014 a brutal, grinding hike that pushed even these seasoned trekkers to their limit. The worst they\u2019ve ever endured? A 2005 scorcher through the Havasupai Indian Reservation near the Grand Canyon, where heatstroke felt just a few miles away.<\/p>\n

They got (hilariously) lost in Bald Eagle State Forest, following a hand-drawn map from \u201csome old guy\u201d they met in a parking lot, an adventure that involved a totaled motorcycle, a CR-V with \u201cpinstripes\u201d from tree branches, and lunch beside a white-knuckle drop-off. \u201cWe looked like minnows caught in a trap,\u201d Joe says.<\/p>\n

But for every logistical disaster, there were dozens of magical moments.<\/p>\n

\"\"Donna Brosky near the Frances Slocum Lake at Frances Slocum State Park in Kingston Township, Luzerne County, in August 2022. Photo courtesy of Joseph Brosky.<\/p>\n

Like the time at Ralph Stover State Park, watching turkey vultures ride thermals and land in the trees at eye level. \u201cWe were mesmerized. Within a few feet of us, they spread their massive wings to soak up the sun. It was awe-inspiring.\u201d<\/p>\n

Or their 42nd wedding anniversary on Flat Rock in Colonel Denning State Park, where the trail magically cleared for a 30-minute window of solitude. \u201cWe shared gifts and lunch and took a photo that became the cover of Donna\u2019s state park photo book. Everything just lined up. I think about that day every anniversary.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe admits he thought he knew what he was signing up for: sweeping views, mountain lakes, the chirp of warblers and the crunch of leaves. \u201cI expected the beauty,\u201d he says. \u201cBut I didn\u2019t expect to stumble into so much history.\u201d<\/p>\n

He points to parks like Caledonia<\/a>, once the site of Congressman Thaddeus Stevens\u2019 ironworks and a stop on the Underground Railroad. And Fort Washington, where Washington\u2019s Continental Army held its ground against British troops. \u201cI thought parks like Buchanan\u2019s Birthplace and Washington Crossing would scratch the history itch. But it turned out nearly every park had something to teach us.\u201d<\/p>\n

A book for the grandkids (and the old kids, too!)<\/p>\n

In 2023, they arrived at Point State Park, back in Pittsburgh, for their final stamp. Their full-circle moment.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\t\tThe Broskys at the Point in Point State Park in May 2023. Photo courtesy of Joseph Brosky.<\/p>\n

Encouraged by Donna, Joe began putting pen to paper.<\/p>\n

\u201cAdventures in Penn\u2019s Woods,\u201d released in March 2025, is part trail journal, part how-to guide, and part love letter to aging boldly.<\/p>\n

He relied on Donna\u2019s five hand-bound photo books, his daily journals and his memory. \u201cPhotos are like portals,\u201d he says. \u201cThanks to Donna\u2019s photos, I was time traveling the whole time I wrote.\u201d<\/p>\n

The cover image? Their granddaughter Sophia, sprinting down a forest path. \u201cIt\u2019s whimsical,\u201d he says. \u201cIt tells adults to loosen up and run free like a kid, and it tells parents to let the kids play in the mud, wade in some streams and watch as they fall in love with the outdoors.\u201d<\/p>\n

Cupa Joe with Joe: where virtual hikes build real friendships<\/p>\n

Joe\u2019s adventures weren\u2019t limited to the woods. In 2020, grounded by the pandemic, he began logging onto the Virtual Senior Academy hosted by the Jewish Community Center in Pittsburgh<\/a>. What started as a participant spot in \u201cCoffee Connect\u201d quickly turned into his own program: Cupa Joe with Joe.<\/p>\n

Every other Thursday morning, he leads virtual hikes using Donna\u2019s photos \u2014 everything from trailhead to tree bark to the sandwich they packed for lunch. \u201cIt\u2019s funny how something so small can feel so big,\u201d he says. \u201cWe\u2019ve built a real community there.\u201d<\/p>\n

Attendees tune in from Pittsburgh and beyond, some from as far as Wisconsin and Maryland. \u201cWe\u2019ve grieved together, celebrated together, even visited museums together when we could meet in person,\u201d Joe says. \u201cThis little Zoom window turned into a lifeline.\u201d<\/p>\n

He hopes it shows others that adventure is still possible, even with mobility challenges or limited access to the outdoors. \u201cPBS nature docs, a terrarium, a Zoom hike, it all counts,\u201d he says. \u201cYou don\u2019t have to scale mountains. You just have to stay curious.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"Joseph Brosky at Colton Point State Park in Wellsboro, April 2021. Photo courtesy of Brosky. <\/p>\n

What\u2019s next?<\/p>\n

These days, Joe and Donna are casually visiting America\u2019s national parks with their daughter and grandchildren, \u201cnot as a quest, just a lifestyle.\u201d<\/p>\n

He\u2019s also digging into his Polish roots. \u201cAll four of my grandparents came over before Poland was Poland again,\u201d he says. \u201cI\u2019ve just begun this quest, and I\u2019m looking forward to all the wonderful surprises I find.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ask Joe what he wants people to take away from his story, and he doesn\u2019t miss a beat.<\/p>\n

\u201cI want people to understand: retirement isn\u2019t the end of the road,\u201d he says. \u201cIt\u2019s just the trailhead to something new. You just have to be willing to lace up your boots and take the first step.\u201d<\/p>\n

Most of all, he hopes his grandkids will read his book as teenagers, and again with their own children. \u201cI want them to see that \u2018old farts\u2019 like me can still bring it,\u201d he says. \u201cAge is just a number, not a speed limit.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Joseph Brosky retired on May 31, 2017. Exactly one year later, his wife Donna followed suit. The very…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":192159,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[1958,73,75,74,14774],"class_list":["post-192158","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-pittsburgh","tag-parks","tag-pittsburgh","tag-pittsburgh-headlines","tag-pittsburgh-news","tag-state-parks"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/192158","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=192158"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/192158\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/192159"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=192158"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=192158"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=192158"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}