Here are some views from my window at the Caswell-Masland Mansion at King’s Gap Environmental Educaiton Center.
There is a nice overlook on the access road.
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The King’s Gap Mansion View
Zooming in on the valley below. My Dwarf Mini smart telescope ready for duty. -
King’s Gap Celebrates Juneteenth
According to it swebsite, Kings Gap Environmental Education Center has “mountainous terrain, extensive forest, and panoramic views, which may be experienced while driving the winding road to the mansion area, or while hiking the trails. The sweeping view of the Cumberland Valley from the Cameron-Masland Mansion is impressive at any time of the year.” I concur with this assessment.
Kings Gap consists of 2,531 acres of forest on South Mountain, with more than 25 miles of hiking trails, a permanent orienteering course, picnicking, hunting, and other recreational and educational opportunities.
The mansion provides facilities for breakfast and overnight lodging on a seasonal basis, and may be reserved for meetings, weddings, receptions, and similar functions.
Kings Gap is one of several state parks specifically dedicated to provide environmental education and recreational programs to the citizens of Pennsylvania. A variety of programs are available for children, teachers, and the general public to increase knowledge and awareness of the values and function of our natural resources.
I previously visted the park, which I documented here.
A view from the access road. 
a view of the water tower on the grounds. 
The park office and education center,. 
Hummingbird feeders on the deck. 
The King’s Gap General Store at the base of the access road. 
Some tiger lillies at the Irish Gap access . 
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The Views Keep Coming
The view from Sideling Hill in the Buchanan State Forest on Bark Road. The weather was starting to turn for the worse that afternoon.
The Sideling Hill State Forest Picnic Area. 
Some panoramic shots from Sideling Hill. 
An overlook on Route 16 south of McConnellsburg. 
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A Big View
Big Mountain Overlook sits near the border of Franklin and Fulton counties. It makes for a nice, quick side trip from Route 30. It has spectacular views in the Autumn but is lovely an time of year. The Tuscarora Trail passes nearby,
I first needed to make a quick pitstop for lunch and groceries in Spring Run after exting the turnpike at Willow Hill. This partial log cabin home was an interesting site nearby. I wonder if the log section is old.
The overlook was the first official stop on my trip. I had been on the access road before but managed to miss the overlook. This overlook it not to far from the parking area at the end of the cul de sac on Tower Road.
There are siome state forest camp sites along Tower Road. 
The vegetation along the road is unusually low. 
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McCalls Dam Road Vista in October
The scenic vista on McCalls Dam Road in Clinton County provided a good overview of the area’s fall foliage. I felt this year’s foliage was not spectacular, but still nice, perhaps due to warm and dry conditions in the preceding weeks. This vista sits above Raymond B. Winter State Park, and the road is paved from that park to this location. It is also south of McCalls Dam State Park on the same road. Confusingly, there is no longer a dam at McCalls Dam. The small park is adjacent to White Deer Creek, and the surrounding forest contains pines, hemlocks, maples, and oaks. There is a small picnic area with picnic tables and and a bench next to the creek. The park also provides access to hunting, fishing and hiking.
Here is an actual dam at Raymond B. Winter State Park.
A view of the lake and the beach.
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It’s Not a Grand Canyon
Pine Creek Gorge is a 47-mile (76 km) gorge carved into the Allegheny Plateau by Pine Creek in north-central Pennsylvania. It sits in about 160,000 acres (650 km2) of the Tioga State Forest. The gorge begins south of Ansonia, near Wellsboro, along U.S. Route 6 and continues south. Its deepest point is 1,450 feet (440 m) at Waterville, near the southern end.
The Gorge has the unfortunate nickname of “The Grand Canyon of Pennsylvania.” Not only is this a wild exaggeration, but the area’s unique beauty deserves to stand on its own and does not require comparison. The area most associated with the Gorge is near Leonard Harrison and Colton Point State Parks, where it is more than 800 feet (240 m) deep and the distance rim-to-rim is about 4,000 feet (1,200 m). I visited Leonard Harrison in October.
The Visitor’s Center 
The view down into the Gorge. 
That’s Pine Creek down there. 
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At the World’s End
Worlds End State Park is situated in a narrow S-shaped valley of the Loyalsock Creek, just south of Forksville, Sullivan County. Surrounded by the Loyalsock State Forest, the 780-acre park offers visitors diverse recreational opportunities, such as hiking, fishing, camping, wildlife viewing and hunting, within a pristine natural environment. As evidenced by the Loyalsock Canyon Vista below, the rugged natural beauty of the Endless Mountains landscape provides many photo opportunities.
My cabin on this trip. It looks like another CCC creation. 
The neighbors. 
The other neighbors. 
I love this snack shop. It’s a great thing to have in Sullivan County. 
A sneak peak at the beach (which was closed) along the Loyalsock Creek. The water here is always “refreshing.” 
Another view from the Vista. 
A taxidermy paradise at the park office. 
A rare cinnamon black bear. 
This is what fisher actually looks like. If I had a dollar for every mink, weasel or whatever that someone thinks is a fisher … 
This bobcat looks surprised to be in his present condition, -
Finishing With Something I Didn’t Expect
Mount Davis (3,213 ft or 979 m) is the highest point in Pennsylvania. Located in the 5,685-acre (2,301 ha) Forbes State Forest near the hamlet of Markleton in Elk Lick Township, Somerset County, it lies on a gentle crest of a 30-mile (50 km) ridge line extending from central Somerset County southward into Garrett County, Maryland. The high point was named for John Nelson Davis, an early settler, American Civil War veteran, surveyor, and naturalist known for his studies of the mountain’s flora and fauna. During the Civil War, Davis served in Company E, 102nd Pennsylvania Infantry.
The summit of Mt. Davis may be ascended by car or a number of hiking trails. Its surroundings are noted for their patterns of unusual circular stone formed by periglacial action. A metal observation tower with a relief map of the region stands near the true high point.
I found this location surprising. It was not what I was picturing in my mind for many years. The area immediately surrounding the summit is state forest, however you can be a five minute drive from the summit and still be going through farmland, which doesn’t make the peak seem that prominent or that high. I guess the surrounding area is at a pretty high elevation.
Mt. Davis lake from the summit. 
This is actually the best view, rather than the fire tower. 
This state forest facility is near the remnants of an old CCC camp. 
Looks like an old CCC cabin. 
This young man waved hello as he passed. I found quite a few Amish farms in the area. 
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A Park With Some Significant History
Oil Creek State Park lies in northwestern Pennsylvania in the Oil Creek Valley. It is the site of the world’s first commercial oil well. The park preserves the history of the early petroleum industry by interpreting oil boomtowns, oil wells, and early transportation. The scenic creek carves a valley of deep hollows, steep hillsides, and wetlands and provides opportunities for kayaking, wildlife watching and fishing. Hiking is a popular activity here, and a 36 mile loop trail has two shelter areas that support backpackers.
At the time of my visit, work on the Petroleum Center Bridge blocked egress through the park. However, following the detour to the other side of the park is well worthwhile.
The site of the former Petroleum Center Train Station. 
Can’t get there from here. 
On the hill above Oil City is Murray’s Scenic View, overlooking the city and Oil Creek. It is a very nice view, and there is even a small restaurant for a drink or a snack.
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The Mighty Allegheny
On my travels I took a drive through the Allegheny National Forest on Route 59. I was particularly interested in the dam, which I did not remember viewing on a previous trip. Forest surrounds the 7,647-acre reservoir that spans the border between Pennsylvania and New York. In Pennsylvania, the reservoir is completely surrounded by the Allegheny National Forest, and in New York State by Allegany State Park and the Allegany Indian Reservation of the Seneca Nation. At normal summer pool level the reservoir is 27 miles long, 14 miles in Pennsylvania and 13 miles in New York, with 91 miles of shoreline, and a maximum depth of 130 feet.
The vast expanse of the reservoir. 
The dam. 
A pretty, but somewhat out of place, tree near the dam overlook. 
A couple of roadside waterfalls on Route 59. 
The 862-acre Chapman State Park includes the 68-acre Chapman Lake on the West Branch of Tionesta Creek. Adjacent to state game lands and the Allegheny National Forest, Chapman is an oasis of recreational facilities in a vast area of wilderness. There is a lake with swimming, a campground and other activities available.
