PA Wilds!
I’ve never had an opportunity to explore the PA Wilds, a huge stretch of wilderness trails and areas covering 2 million acres between New York and Chicago!
So when Ben from CORE 4x4 organized a trip out there, I was excited to join in and check out the area for myself!
We met at a campground in Black Moshannon State Park which Ben had reserved for us. It was a really nice group site, with a very robust pavilion and fireplace! This turned out to be a huge win, because we were met with some pretty rainy and sloppy weather for the whole weekend. Nothing that would deter us, as wheeling in the rain can be a lot of fun!
It was an absolutely gorgeous drive from Elkridge to the campground! The weather had made for some interesting cloud and fog in the mountains, and the twisty windy roads are always enjoyable!
Once I made it to camp, Ben and his family had already gotten a fire going in the fireplace. We were very thankful for that, as the rain and cold had made the warmth and dryness of the fire very welcome!
Photo Courtesy of Ben Dunkerton
I then set up my tent, had a quick burger for dinner, and relaxed with the guys.
Photo Courtesy of Ben Dunkerton
The next morning, we packed up, and Ben led us out to do some exploring. He had a pretty extensive route planned out, and we saw a decent mix of dirt and paved roads.
After a bit, we got into a pretty slick and muddy path, that absolutely covered my Jeep in clay mud! It was so comprehensive that it actually was keeping me from opening my door handles!
As we continued on, we got to the top of this amazing ridgeline with a commanding view of the mountains, at Bucktail Overlook (Top of the World).
From there, we made our way down, and over to explore another area. This was a fun ride up the mountain, where we met a dead end, blocked by some large fallen trees. From there we turned around and headed back down, crossing some shallow streams.
Photo Courtesy of Ben Dunkerton
Photo Courtesy of Ben Dunkerton
We wrapped the trip up, heading over to the Elk County Visitor Center, where they had a lot of great information about the Elk populations in the area, as well as providing nice clean restrooms and a good place to air our tires back up and prepare for the 4 hour drive home!
Photo Courtesy of Ben Dunkerton
This was a great trip in a beautiful area, and I look forward to doing some more exploration out there! Thanks Ben for organizing an awesome trip!
