The Great Outdoors: Now is the Time to Plan Your Cook Forest Vacation

| March 29, 2017

17309528_1449894091729265_5356709429112778645_nCOOKSBURG, Pa. (EYT) — If you haven’t made your plans for vacation, now is the time. Trust me, planning ahead is a great way to really enjoy your time off.

(Photo courtesy MacBeth’s Cabins)

Beginning with this week’s blog, I’m going to write about several recreational areas in the region that are great places to spend a day, weekend, a week, or even longer.

They offer many activities for outdoor-lovers of all ages, including fishing, hiking, horseback riding, boating and tubing, sight-seeing, and many others.

I decided to start with the crown jewel of the Great Outdoors – Cook Forest State Park.

Cook Forest and the surrounding area really does have it all. 

Fishing, boating, hundreds of campsites, rustic cabins, five-star resorts, nearly 50 miles of hiking trails, the Sawmill Center for Arts, fun parks, picnicking areas, local stores to get your gas, food, and anything else you might need.

My family and I have spent many days there enjoying everything it has to offer over the last several decades.

The first smallmouth bass I ever caught was in the Clarion River within the boundaries of the park. It’s hard to beat having a 1-pound smallie, a great fighting fish, on the other end of the line for the first time!

We’d rent canoes at one of the local liveries, of which there are three, and take the ride upriver in one of the passenger vans before floating back down to the takeout.

For the less-adventurous in the family, they’d have the fried potatoes and hot dogs cooking in the frying pan on the portable Coleman stove.

For those who are looking to gain a bit of knowledge while on vacation, park naturalist Dale Luthringer always has some outstanding programs where you can learn about the natural world of the park.

Easter weekend is also the same weekend as the first day of trout season, so don’t delay in getting ready for that long holiday weekend.

To begin planning, go to the Pennsylvania Great Outdoors site at VisitPAGO.com

They have all the information you need to plan your next adventure.

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“The Great Outdoors,” sponsored by the Pennsylvania Great Outdoors, is a weekly blog by exploreClarion.com’s Scott Shindledecker. Plan your next outdoor adventure at VisitPAGO.com or call (814) 849-5197 for more information.


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