Allegheny National Forest

Pennsylvania's sole national forest, the Allegheny encompasses 513,175 acres of the Allegheny Plateau in the northwestern corner of the state, a landscape of broad ridgetops, deep valleys, and one of the most productive hardwood forests in the eastern United States. The forest contains the world's largest concentration of black cherry trees, prized for fine-grained timber, alongside sugar maple, red oak, white ash, and eastern hemlock. The 27-mile-long Allegheny Reservoir offers 91 miles of shoreline for boating, fishing, and swimming.\n\nTwo remarkable old-growth areas -- Hearts Content Scenic Area and Tionesta Scenic and Research Natural Areas -- preserve stands of virgin white pine and eastern hemlock that have never been logged. The 96-mile North Country National Scenic Trail traverses some of the forest's most scenic terrain. The Hickory Creek Wilderness and Allegheny Islands Wilderness provide federally designated wilderness experiences.\n\nThe Allegheny offers over 600 miles of trout streams, exceptional fall foliage viewing, and a rich petroleum heritage evident in historic oil wells -- this region was the birthplace of the American oil industry in the 1850s. Over 200 bird species have been recorded including nesting bald eagles and cerulean warblers.