Top Ten Things to Do in Cook Forest This Fall

Aly Delp

Aly Delp

Published September 8, 2019 4:50 am
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Cook ForestCOOKSBURG, Pa. (EYT) — With autumn on its way, Cook Forest State Park and the surrounding area have a lot to offer.

Here are our top ten things to do in Cook Forest this fall:

1. Cook Forest Chainsaw Carvers’ Round-up

 
From September 13 through 15, watch as talented chainsaw artists demonstrate their amazing talents, creating everything from life-like plants and animals to caricatures, furniture pieces, and more. Stay for auctions for an opportunity to bid on and purchase one of the beautiful pieces of artwork. More information is available
here.

2. Bike MS: Cook Forest River Ride

 
Set for September 14, the Bike MS: Cook Forest River Ride is a one-day charity bike ride that offers a beautiful 35-mile route along the Clarion River or a more challenging 60-mile route. Each participant receives a t-shirt and a meal at the end of the ride, and all of the money raised supports the National MS Society and goes toward research, support for people impacted by MS, and ultimately to find a cure. More information is available here.

3. Cook Forest Photowalk

 
Learn how to capture a great photograph by joining local nature photographer Kevin Kaltenbaugh for a very special walk through the woods on October 6. The cost of the event ($35.00 per person) covers breakfast, the hike, and the instruction. More information is available here.

4. Cook Forest Owl Prowl

 
On September 26, grab your flashlight and head to Cook Forest for a special evening owl prowl. Participants will meet at the new Park Office Conference Room, then head out to explore Cook Forest at night for Pennsylvania’s owls, which can include barred, great horned, screech, and saw-whet owls. More information is available here.

5. October Wine & Dine Five Course Tasting

 
The Gateway Lodge is offering a special opportunity to enjoy the flavors of the harvest season with a five-course tasting for two on October 26. The special meal will include award-winning wines and fine cuisine as well as live entertainment. More information is available here.

6. Cathedral by Candlelight

 
Looking for a different way to spend your Halloween evening?

Take a trip back in time with a candlelight walk through the depths of the Forest Cathedral with a historical character from the past. The guides for the event will be a French Marine from the 1750s who saw the massive trees 250 years ago and a lumberman from the 1800s. Candy and hot chocolate will also be provided at the Log Cabin Inn Environmental Learning Classroom. More information is available here.

7. Visit Double Diamond Deer Ranch

 
Double Diamond Deer Ranch in Clarington offers the opportunity to get up close and see whitetail deer in their natural habitat. Along with their acres of fenced natural wooded deer habitat, Double Diamond Deer Ranch also has a wildlife museum featuring over 100 taxidermy displays, as well as the Big Trucks Big Fun playground for kids, a picnic area, and a gift shop.

8. Climb the Fire Tower

 
The famous Fire Tower, originally built in 1929 but now out of operation, offers a stunning view of the Clarion River Valley, particularly once the leaves begin to change colors. The hike to the tower from the parking area is clearly marked, short, easy, and quick.

9. Take in the View from Seneca Point

Just a short distance from the Fire Tower, you can also find Seneca Point, a fenced-off rock outcrop where you can take in the expansive beauty of the Clarion River Valley, the neighboring mountains, and the Clarion River, all brimming with autumn color.

10. Check Out the Emerald Path

 
Technically called the Paved Trail, but often referred to as the Emerald Path, this trail winds from the top of a hill near Cook Forest State Park’s Sawmill Center for the Arts down through the forest. The trail not only offers an opportunity for anyone (including those who use wheelchairs) to make their way through old-growth forest, but also turns into a unique spectacle during wet seasons when lush moss grows to cover the asphalt, and the trail turns in to a vivid living green pathway, like something from a fairytale.

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