Cook Forest, one of the most eminent forests in the US, is located in Northwestern Pennsylvania on route 36.
Pennsylvania’s weather condition favors the uncontrolled growth of trees and forests. And around 58% of the land of Pennsylvania is forest area.
Plenty of National and State Parks are there in Pennsylvania since it is a place with the oldest trees and is home to many beautiful trees.
Cook Forest is one of the topmost parks among them. It is one of the United States of America’s top 50 parks and Pennsylvania’s must-see top 20.
Cook Forest’s 315 acres Forest Cathedral is a registered National Natural Landmark in Pennsylvania.
This State Park is an all-in-one-place park with an abundance of beautiful landscapes and plenty of outdoor activities with lodging facilities.
Here are the 15 things you must do in Cook Forest.
1. Cook Forest – The Enchanting Hiking Place
Cook Forest is one of the finest places for hikers, as around 50 miles of hiking trails are here. These trails are of different levels – easy, moderate, and challenging.
The highly hiked one is the Longfellow trail.
Whatever the difficulty levels, all the trails here spell the magic of Black Forest on visitors. The lush forest is home to the oldest trees in the US.
Whether hiking, trekking, or tramping, Cook Forest never disheartens the wandering hearts.
Places like Cook Forest need to be on the planet forever because they have many stories to share.
2. Picnic Tables & Family Outdoor Activities
It is a perfect place for family outings, so paid and unpaid picnic pavilions are available. The state park is a potpourri of games for all age groups.
The availability of a variety of water sports and winter sports attracts families without worrying about seasonal hardships. Pet lovers need not be worried here because it is a pet-friendly park.
The Forest Family Fun Park, the picnic table, and the fishing pond will entertain the kids as much as the family members.
3. Pitching Tents / Forest Cabins
Cook Forest shelters overnight visitors. Everything is here: cabins, Hotels, Restaurants, Motels, campsites, Festivals, Education, and Arts.
Staying in the forest listening to the rhythm of river water or the whispering of wood is exquisite. 4 to 12 guests can stay at a time, and the lodgings here provide minimal facilities for their visitors.
Coin-operated laundry facilities, a campground, showers, and sanitary dump stations are some of the provisions. Cabins are pet-friendly as well.
4. Clarion River & Aqua Sports
Aside from camping and hiking, Cook Forest is one of the prime places for Aqua Phils. It is a land of diversified aqua living, and the streams here are incredibly cool and worth relishing.
Clarion River is loaded with water sports that put forward almost every fun activity, like Fishing, Swimming, Canoeing, Kayaking, Tubing, and an aqua game.
Trout, panfish, and warm water game fish are the Clarion River’s main species for fishing, whereas a fishing pond is there for children.
5. Environmental Learning Center- Education
Environmental Learning Center is the education center in the park that conducts many hands-on activities and training.
It is a display center, too, which displays taxidermy animals, lumberjacking tools, models, and many more.
This Learning center was built for the Conservation Corps and was their living quarters. Later, it became a restaurant, then the Learning Center.
6. Riders’ Place
Bikers need not be disappointed here as Cook Forest offers bike routes from easy to challenging levels.
Riding through the tallest or oldest trees in the United States is worldly. Deep wood riding is exciting; whether easy or challenging, controlling steers along the Clarion River Road is thrilling.
Remember that bikers are not allowed on hiking trails, helmets are compulsory for children under 12, and lights on the bike must be mandatory for night riders.
7. Hunting – Trapping
The forests of Pennsylvania and its State Parks permit hunting facilities.
Deer is the most popular prey as deer hunting helps to reduce the overpopulation of deer species. Black bears, squirrels, pheasants, rabbits, and waterfowl are some other game species.
Caution: Groundhog hunting is forbidden here.
Approximately 4000 acres are left for hunting, trapping, and dog training. However, a hunting license is mandatory, and one must follow the regulations.
8. Saw Mill Center for the Arts
Once John Cook – the first American settler, had prospered in his lumber business and turned into a fascinating place of arts.
It is a craft emporium with exceptional craft items; it is a live theatre and an excellent learning center of pure arts other than craft items.
Many people come to relish festivals and theatre performances every year. All in all, it is an ideal place for family gatherings.
9. Swinging Bridge
Cook Forest State Park is famed for its years-old virgin white pine and hemlock trees.
Another attraction of the lush forest is the Swinging Bridge, which also helps you to connect with nature. Tucked between trails, it is a favorite spot for hikers.
10. Fire Tower & Seneca Point
One can sacrifice anything in return for the breathtaking view of Seneca Point. Clarion River Valley’s scenic view will stay forever in the core of your hearts.
Seneca is a fenced rock that offers exotic views; the 85-foot Fire Tower is one of the most sought-after spots in the park, as the stunning riverscape must make anyone feel fortunate.
11. Saw Mill Dam
This Sawmill Dam witnessed the peak and failure of the sawmill. Though the sawmill is no more, the tantalizing dam is still here.
Visitants will fall in love with the dam at the very first sight. Beautified with weathered rocks, the only waterfall in the forest is easy to find when hiking from Gravel Lick Road.
12. Horseback Riding
The growth forest is a promised land for horse riders as it has plenty of discovered and undiscovered trails.
It welcomes all kinds of horse riders; visitors are allowed to avail of the exciting and appropriate opportunities on their horseback.
13. Sledding and Ice Skating
Cook Forest is welcoming to its visitors every season; one can visit here at any time of the year.
River Road awaits visitors in the winter for icy larks like sledding, skiing, and skating. Three groomed ski trails are available – Fire Tower Road, Toms Run Road, and Part of Forest Drive.
Other than the perks like Snowshoeing or hiking through the oldest trees in winter, cabins and hot beverages are the other appendages.
14. The Memorial Fountain
These 8500 acres of fairytale landscape continued to be threatened with disappearance once.
But when in the 1920s, the Cook Forest Association was formed, they raised funds to protect the virgin white pines and the hemlocks. Because of those naturalists, the forest is still here.
Cooks Forest Association Memorial Fountain was established in 1950 to remember those eco-nuts.
15. The Real Occupants
Regular visitors can casually watch amazing visitors-friendly animals anywhere in the Cook Forest since it is a house to thousands of animals, birds, mammals, insects, and reptiles.
Cook Forest offers year-round accommodation for wildlife watching. Raccoons, otters, opossums, squirrels, blue herons, red foxes, and coyotes are some of the animals found in Cook Forest.
The streams here are sheltered by the hemlock trees, which helps the water get a cooling capacity, leading to the diversity of aqua life. Almost 18 different species here are over 150 years old.
Hemlock trees play indispensable roles in the ecosystem as some birds strongly depend on hemlock trees to live, and some can’t even survive without these trees.
So, the extinction of the hemlock trees will lead to the disappearance of many species. A recent issue was found in the insect attack on hemlock trees.
Bottom Line: The Blooming Beauty
Cook Forest never disappoints its visitors, despite the season. Astounded by its beauty already? Then visit and fall in love!
Last Updated on by Sathi Chakraborty, MSc Biology
