Discover Clarion County: Forests, Water and Culture

Explore Clarion County through its forest landscapes, river routes and culture. When planning your trip, it helps to distinguish between the different nature experiences: Cook Forest State Park is known for its vast forest areas and tall trees, while rivers and trails offer other highlights. Events and arts offerings add to the picture. If you’re looking for a hotel for your stay, you could first consider whether forests, water, outdoor activities or a festival visit will take up most of your time.

Forests, Trails and River Landscapes

In northwestern Pennsylvania, Cook Forest State Park covers 8,500 acres. Tall eastern white pines and hemlocks grow in the Forest Cathedral Natural Area; the tallest pines reach nearly 200 feet. Both the park’s size and its distinctive tree species are part of the natural experience. The park has more than 47 miles of hiking trails and 4.3 miles of multi-use trails. These separate figures provide two different points of reference as you consider how much space trails and outdoor activities should take up in your trip plans.

The water-based offerings also vary in scope. A scenic 13-mile stretch of the Clarion River flows through Cook Forest State Park and is used for canoeing, kayaking and tubing. The Clarion River Water Trail extends for 110 miles, runs through Forest, Jefferson and Clarion Counties, and offers opportunities for boating and fishing. Nearly 52 miles of the Water Trail are designated “wild and scenic”; almost the entire trail follows a Class I river. This gives you a choice between a specific stretch of river in the park and a waterway spanning several counties, with its own designation and classification.

The hiking and trail offerings also have different features to help guide your choices. The Clarion Highlands Trail runs across the Allegheny Plateau. The Redbank Valley Trail System runs between the Allegheny River and Brookville; along the way, there are views of Redbank Creek and its tributaries, rock formations, flowers and wildlife. If you’re more interested in the landscape, the plateau is the defining feature of the Clarion Highlands Trail. For the Redbank Valley Trail, the route and the specific views named above offer more concrete points of reference.

Arts, History and Events

For cultural activities, the Cook Forest Sawmill Center for the Arts offers classes in traditional art forms. Its Craft Market brings together work by more than 85 local artisans. In Foxburg, the clubhouse of the Foxburg Country Club houses the American Golf Hall of Fame. Also located in the historic village of Foxburg on the banks of the Allegheny River is the Allegheny RiverStone Center for the Arts. Its offerings include a ten-month concert season at venues in Foxburg, as well as regional art exhibitions. The center’s Red Brick Gallery displays works by regional artists.

You can also take in architectural history: the Sutton-Ditz House was originally built in 1847 and remodeled in 1909–1910. The two dates mark distinct phases in the building’s history. Together with the arts offerings, they add a cultural dimension alongside outdoor activities that you can consider when planning your stay.

The Autumn Leaf Festival dates back to 1953. The nine-day festival in Downtown Clarion includes the Tournament of Leaves Parade, a carnival and arts and crafts vendors. If you’d like to plan your trip around the festival, check the dates for the edition you’re interested in attending.

Discover more destinations: Clarion, Lancaster, Clinton County, Philadelphia, Beaver, Bradford County, Monroe, Mifflin.

For the main travel overview: Pennsylvania.