s of January 2010, the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources has invested more than $120 million to upgrade facilities and sites around the Pennsylvania Wilds. DCNR has invested in new trails, bathrooms, boat launches, signage and other improvements that can be enjoyed by tourists and residents alike. They have also partnered with other state agencies like the Department of Community and Economic Development to support communities in the region with projects related to cultural heritage and downtown revitalization. An additional $13 million in grants has been awarded directly to communities in the region.

While the state’s investments have touched every county in the PA Wilds, DCNR is also focusing some of these resources in a few key areas, which are listed below. Some of these places are getting new, state-of-the-art visitor centers that will be attractions unto themselves, with interpretive displays, new outdoor recreation programming, local artisan displays and more, helping to connect people to nature in a way that keeps them coming back to the region for years to come, boosting local economies.

(Elk, Forest, Jefferson, Clarion counties) Like other tributaries in the PA Wilds, the Clarion River is a popular place for paddling. The waterway is part of the nation's Wild & Scenic River system and draws people from miles around, with popular destinations being Cook Forest State Park and its old-growth hemlock stands; and Clear Creek Forest State Park, which has beautiful campsites situated at the river's edge. But as visitor foot traffic to the river has grown, so have concerns. The corridor suffers from not having enough well-marked and managed access points, public restrooms and other infrastructure needed to support tourism. As part of the PA Wilds initiative, DCNR teamed up with the Allegheny National Forest and county commissioners from Elk, Forest, Jefferson and Clarion counties to do a recreation assessment of the Clarion River corridor. One of the driving forces behind this effort is the Clarion River Municipal Partnership, which is made up of residents from 10 municipalities along the Clarion River. The goal of the recreation assessment study was to identify issues of concern facing communities along the river; to identify key recreational opportunities that would benefit residents and visitors and support economic development; and to develop action steps. The assessment report was released in July 2007. The Clarion River Municipal Partnership is now working to address concerns and fulfill recommendations outlined in the study, such as creating a water trail map of the river. DCNR is helping to fund these efforts.

(Elk County): One of the draws of the Pennsylvania Wilds is that we're home to the largest elk herd in the Northeastern United States. The vision for this visitor center is to create a premier elk watching and conservation education facility on the eastern seaboard through a unique public-private partnership. The new center, which is slated to open in summer 2010, will sit on a 245-acre site on Winslow Hill in Benezette Township in Elk County, adjacent to Elk State Forest and state game lands. The 8,400-square foot eco-friendly building will have a stone fireplace to greet visitors, a “Great Room” with ceilings supported by large wooden trusses and a panorama of windows looking out on elk viewing areas and food plots. It will also have a “Story Theatre” presenting a multimedia experience complete with fiber optic star ceiling, a 'smoking' campfire and other techniques and interpretive exhibits to immerse the visitor in the sights, sounds and smells of a mixed hardwood forest, the natural world of the elk and native wildlife and the heritage of the region. The site will also include a gift shop, public year-round restrooms and a series of wildlife watching trails, observation areas and viewing blinds. Annual attendance is expected to reach 160,000 visitors per year by 2016, having a tremendous economic impact on the region.

(Potter County): Just like plants, waterways and wildlife, a dark night sky is a natural resource. With its remote location in the Pennsylvania Wilds, Cherry Springs State Park happens to be one of the best places on the eastern seaboard for stargazing and studying and observing planets, nebulae, galaxies, stars and other heavenly bodies. From atop a 2300-foot mountain, visitors can view the nucleus of the Milky Way Galaxy. Recognizing that this unique resource needed to be managed and protected, DCNR declared Cherry Spring the first Dark Sky Astronomy Park in the state (the park has since been certified as an International Dark Sky Park — one of only two in world). As part of the Pennsylvania Wilds initiative, DCNR has upgraded the park to include observation domes, special low-impact lighting, interpretive signs and other amenities like restrooms with flush toilets. In spring 2009, the park will add a large amphitheatre to enhance the dark sky viewing experience. Unique programming such as “Music and the Stars” and “Stars-N-Parks,” continue to bring more and more visitors to the area. As part of the PA Wilds initiative, DCNR also completed repairs to a dam at nearby Lyman Run State Park, enabling Lyman Lake to be refilled and visitor traffic to the park restored.

(Centre county): Bald Eagle State Park is probably one of the best places in the PA Wilds for birding. Given its location, it attracts many bird species with the adjacent mountain ridge creating an excellent flyway for migrating birds. A major investment at the park is the construction of a 16-room eco-friendly nature inn — the first of its kind in the PA State Park System. Work on the inn officially began in October 2008 with a groundbreaking at the 5,900-acre park. The facility is intended to provide a unique, modern inn setting with an outdoor recreation and stewardship focus; make maximum use of green building technologies; and serve as a premier interpretive facility for bird watching. (Every spring, songbirds like warblers, flycatchers and swallows display courtship rituals and sing while searching for nesting spots in the park. Boaters and beach goers commonly see herons, gulls, geese and osprey around the park's lake. In the fall, visitors can find migrating mergansers, cormorants, and buffleheads.) The idea behind the inn is to connect visitors to nature and help them understand the role we all play in conservation. “We know there are many people who would spend more time using our parks if we offer them something beyond the traditional camping experience,” DCNR Secretary Michael DiBerardinis said at the groundbreaking. “We also believe that visitors will help support local economies for goods and services during their stay.”   

(Clearfield County): Interstate 80 is one of the busiest east-west traffic corridors in the country and it traverses the southern portion of the PA Wilds. The vision behind this potential project is to build a state-of-the-art PA Wilds welcome center right off the I-80 Penfield Exit that can serve as a 'gateway' to orient travelers to the entire region. The center would house interactive displays and information about the many distinct and varied natural resource assets and key visitor destinations throughout the PA Wilds. The center would be located within the heavily-wooded 318 acre S.B. Elliott State Park but also be visible from the highway, where some 250,000 vehicles pass daily. Surrounded by the larger Moshannon State Forest, the center would also serve as a trailhead for the many miles of existing hiking, cross-country skiing and snowmobiling trails throughout the forest.   

(Tioga and Lycoming Counties): The Pine Creek Valley is a 68-mile section of breathtaking (and mostly publicly owned) land that extends from Ansonia to Jersey Shore. The valley is home to the “Pennsylvania Grand Canyon” and the Pine Creek Rail-Trail and offers a variety of recreational experiences, such as canoeing and kayaking, bicycling, hiking, backpacking, trout fishing, camping and horseback riding. The Pine Creek Valley has been recognized in many national publications. USA Today rated the Rail-Trail one of the 10 Great Bike Tours in the world in 2001. Wellsboro was named the “Top Paddling Town” by Canoe & Kayak magazine and the “Best Sports Town,” by Sports Afield Magazine. The area's West Rim Trail was named the “Top Hike in PA” by Outdoor magazine. DCNR has invested in a number of projects along the Pine Creek Valley to help grow tourism while at the same time helping local communities protect the small town character and natural resources that makes the place so special. These projects include funding community planning studies, putting up interpretive displays, erecting better directional signage and restroom and trailhead improvements.  

(McKean County): In July 2003, one of the world's tallest bridges, the historic Kinzua Viaduct, was crumpled by a rare tornado that touched down in north central Pennsylvania. The 300-foot tall railroad structure was the tallest bridge in the world when it was erected in 1882 and its collapse more than 100 years later devastated many, including area business owners, who had come to rely on the park's foot traffic to help fill their lodges, shops and restaurants. As part of the PA Wilds initiative, DCNR plans to revitalize the park by stabilizing the remaining bridge towers and creating a “sky walk" overlook with a partially glassed floor, and building a new visitor center with interpretive displays and programming. The center will also be a trail hub between the Allegheny National Forest, local communities and the Allegany State Park across the border in New York.. The stabilization phase of the project is slated to be completed by early 2010 with the interpretive center possibly coming on line the following year or in early 2012.   

(Lycoming, Clinton and Clearfield) The West Branch of the Susquehanna River plays host to a 228-mile long water trail, meandering through three Pa Wilds counties – Lycoming, Clinton, and Clearfield. Severely impacted by acid mine drainage, a major focus of river investment has been the treatment of several highly-polluted river tributaries including the Bennett Branch of the Sinnemahoning Creek. This work is guided by the West Branch River Task Force and a comprehensive acid mine drainage remediation strategy they prepared.  Chaired by DEP, the Task Force also includes partners from DCNR, Trout Unlimited and the Susquehanna River Basin Commission. In addition to the work on acid mine pollution, several communities along the corridor including Williamsport, Lock Haven and Clearfield, are actively working in concert with the Pa Fish and Boat Commission and DCNR to increase public access to the river to enhance recreational opportunities.  

(Warren, Forest, Elk and McKean) Although not under the jurisdiction of the Commonwealth of PA, the Allegheny National Forest is an important outdoor recreation resource in the western portion of the Pennsylvania Wilds, especially during the winter months. DCNR and the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) have been working together for many years as partners, particularly regarding snowmobile trail maintenance. Under a 5-year agreement (2006-2011), DCNR will provide $500,000 to the Forest Service for trail grooming and routine maintenance needed for snowmobile trails on the Allegheny National Forest (ANF). Funds will be for an initial purchase of snowmobile trail grooming equipment, operation of trail grooming equipment, printing of snowmobile brochures and maps, acquisition of snowmobile trail signing, and snowmobile trail maintenance and contract administration related to trail grooming. In addition to this investment, DCNR has also been a grant partner to support the Clarion River Municipal Partnership and ANF’s work in the Clarion River corridor. This has included funds for installation of restroom facilities, river access and other amenities called for under their Dispersed Camping Policy.