Millheim

Millheim, the heart of Penns Valley, is a town that surprises. Look at the bare description – 900 people, a traffic light, named for mills that have been gone for a hundred years – and you wouldn’t expect much. A quick drive-through town probably wouldn’t change your mind.

But this little village offers rural quiet and unexpected attractions, a friendly combination that’s worth your time. Slow down and take a look at Millheim; really, you have to, the traffic light is the only one in 35 miles on Rt. 45!

Right in the center of town is a local brewery and music venue, whose restaurant also operates farm-to-table. Just south of the brewery is a local winery by the millrace that still flows through town. If the weather’s warm, grab a table outdoors by the water and meet Millheim’s ducks. There’s often live music here, too. 

Two of Pennsylvania’s finest ‘primitive’ state parks are just south of town: Poe Paddy, and Poe Valley. These are old CCC parks, preserved and protected, and a treasure we hold close to our hearts. The swimming lake at Poe Valley is a green-girdled gem.

Drive dirt roads or hike trails to visit two excellent panoramas, at Bell’s Majestic View on the Sieglerville-Millheim Pike, and Penns View on Poe Paddy Drive. Right below you at Penns View is one last thing we love, the Coburn Tunnel, an old hand-drilled railway tunnel that cuts across the neck of a loop of Penns Creek, making for a great tubing situation in the summer. Float half a mile, cut through the tunnel, repeat.