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The\u00a0Pennsylvania Wilds cover about one quarter of the Keystone State. That’s more than 2 million acres of public land in\u00a0Pennsylvania protected by both on the federal and the state level in the forms of a national forest, national wild and scenic rivers, and state parks, forests, and game land. There’s so much to explore that it’s hard to know where to start. But\u00a0Youngsville, with its quiet trails and stunning mountain views, might be the perfect kickoff spot.<\/p>\n
This part of northwestern Pennsylvania is called the Brokenstraw Valley. It’s what the Seneca and Delaware peoples called “Cushanadauga”\u00a0for the unique tall grasses that covered the flat land before it rose into hills and mountains. It was here, along Brokenstraw Creek,\u00a0a tributary of the mighty Allegheny River,\u00a0that Matthew Young started building a logging town in 1796. Access to the water and forests were essential to the spot that ultimately became Youngsville. The small community, dubbed “the Biggest Little Town on the Map,” is now home to 1,800 people at time of writing.<\/p>\n
Despite its remote location, it isn’t difficult to reach Youngsville from two small airports. The closest one,\u00a0Bradford Regional Airport (BFD), roughly 40 miles away, only receives nonstop flights from Pittsburgh and Washington, D.C.\u00a0As you head west from Lewis Run, you’ll merge onto Longhouse Scenic National Byway, a stunning, forest-shrouded scenic drive<\/a>. Or you can fly to Erie, a charming haven of lakefront beauty, walkable trails, and quirky art<\/a>.\u00a0Its Erie International Airport (ERI), where fights from four other cities land, is\u00a065 miles in the opposite direction.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n Follow the trails through Youngsville<\/p>\n When you arrive in\u00a0Youngsville, you’ll find a\u00a0borough that straddles Brokenstraw Creek (a premier fishing spot), rises into the Northern Allegheny Mountains, and borders the Allegheny National Forest<\/a>, a half-million acres that make up Pennsylvania’s only national forest. It’s a picturesque spot with trails winding right through its center. Pennsylvania Route 6<\/a>\u00a0is\u00a0a 400-mile scenic road that crosses the state from east to west. Bikers stop in Youngsville at mile 86 to go fly fishing and kayaking. From the road, it’s easy to reach the Brokenstraw Bike\/Hike Trail. The easy, 2-mile gravel path winds through the woods along the southern shore of the creek.<\/p>\n Along the outskirts of Youngsville, you’ll find additional trails along the Allegheny River’s west bank. Buckaloons Recreation Area<\/a>, surrounded by water, is a popular spot to boat, fish, and camp. It also has a trail with uninterrupted water views. The Buckaloons Scenic Trail<\/a>\u00a0is an easy, 1-mile loop that circles the campground. Then, less than 2 miles south of Buckaloons, you’ll find the longer Anders Run Trail Loop<\/a>. This moderate-difficulty, nearly 2-mile trail twists through old-growth forests in\u00a0Cornplanter State Forest<\/a>, a more than 1,500-acre state forest that was named after Seneca Chief Cornplanter.<\/p>\n