Moshannon State Forest

See the sights from Moshannon State Forest. According to the PA Department of Conservation and Recreation, the Hoover Farm wildlife viewing site as well as the Beaver Run Viewing site offer excellent opportunities to see wildlife. These sites provide an opportunity to see white-tailed deer, an enormous variety of songbirds, eastern wild turkey, predatory birds, foxes, coyotes and possibly an occasional elk, along with many other species of mammals, reptiles, insects, flowers and grasses. This forest is an excellent spot for leaf peeping in the fall. 

Moshannon State Forest boasts an extensive 244-mile hiking trail system, including portions of the 75-mile Quehanna Trail. One of the most popular trails for backpackers in Happy Valley includes the Allegheny Front Trail. 

If mountain biking is more your outdoor activity of choice, find that mountain bikes may be used on all the roads and most of the trails in Moshannon State Forest.

For hunters, Moshannon State Forest is home to deer, turkey, grouse, rabbits, and black bear, and hunting is a popular use of the forest during designated seasons. Other than a few safety zones around buildings, hunting is permitted throughout the state forest. If solitude is what you’re after for a camping trip, Moshannon State Forest is a great option. Camping can be booked through the DCNR, and in the forest does not include any modern amenities.

Part of the 2.2 million acres of public lands maintained by the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.