30 Group-Friendly Activities to Try in Pennsylvania’s Great Outdoors

The good folks over at Pennsylvania Great Outdoors often get requests from visitors asking for things they can do as a group. Sometimes locals have guests visiting, others are looking for activities for youth organizations, and many are families vacationing together.

Here are 30 suggestions for group activities in Pennsylvania’s Great Outdoors region.

1. Cook Forest State Park: Hike through giant ancient timber in Forest Cathedral. Climb the fire tower and take in the commanding view of the Clarion River Valley from nearby Seneca Point.
2. Elk Country Visitor Center: Premiere elk-viewing location with 4D theater, educational exhibits, gift shop and more in Benezette.
3. Gobbler’s Knob Visitors Center & Phil’s Burrow: Gobbler’s Knob Visitor Center houses many historical and rare Groundhog Club, Groundhog Day, and Punxsutawney Phil items. For hours of operation, visit www.groundhog.org. Meet Punxsutawney Phil at Phil’s Burrow located at Barclay Square in the Punxsutawney Memorial Library.
4. Wildlife Center at Sinnemahoning State Park: This educational state-of-the-art facility offers exhibits highlighting the history and ecology of First Fork Valley. View eagles, elk, and other wildlife. The park staff offers many fun activities for guests, including pontoon boat eagle and osprey spotting tours on George B. Stevenson Dam.
5. Wine, Beer, & Shine Pour Tour: Sample products from 16 wineries, 4 breweries, and 5 distilleries. Collect stickers from all 25 participating tour members for a free Pour Tour Survivors shirt.
6. Lighthouse Island and Peace Park: Located in Tionesta on the Allegheny River, this 22.5-acre island features a Peace Park, boat launch, fishing pier, one-mile walk/bike trail, and the Sherman Memorial Lighthouse. See Pennsylvania’s only working inland lighthouse. It is 7 stories, 55 feet tall, and 16 feet in diameter at the base. The Tionesta Lions Club offers public tours several times throughout the year.
7. Pale Whale Canoe Fleet in Cook Forest and Lazy River Canoe Rental in Ridgway offer kayak, canoe, and tube rentals on the Wild & Scenic Clarion River.
8. Foxburg Tours: Enjoy a relaxing pontoon boat tour on the Allegheny River or rent a bike and ride the trail in along the river in Foxburg.
9. Flying W Ranch in Tionesta and Cook Forest Scenic Trail Ride and Dude Ranch offer guided horseback riding trail rides through some beautiful country.
10. Peirce Planetarium: On the campus of PennWest University in Clarion.  This 40-foot dome has a precision-engineered star ball that combines optical and electro-mechanical technology to provide an accurate view of the night sky and its motion.
11. Cook Forest Fun Park: Have fun in the forest with Go-karts, bumper boats, mini golf, water slide, and the Fun Park Grill.
12. Double Diamond Deer Ranch: Bring your dear family to meet their deer family in Cook Forest. They have 3 color phases of white-tailed deer for you to meet and learn about: brown, white, and piebald. Bottle feed fawns in the morning and give adult deer apple treats in the evening.
13. Jefferson County History Center: Home of a replica Twyford automobile which was the first 4-wheel drive vehicle made. Enjoy history exhibits and the Bowdish model railroad in down Brookville.
14. Scripture Rocks Heritage Park: Hiking trail through more than 60 engraved boulders carved by Douglas M. Stahlman in the early 1900s, including Chapel Rock, where he lived and penned his journals. Located on Route 28 near Brookville.
15. Beartown Rocks: The “best-kept secret” in the Clear Creek State Forest. Hike amongst massive house-sized boulders with breathtaking scenic views. Near Sigel and Clear Creek State Park.
16. Farmers Inn in Sigel has wildlife park, petting zoo, bulk food store, and great country cooking.
17. Swift Safariland: See 100 different exotic animal mounts from around the world. Try axe throwing or their virtual shooting range. Located inside Long Shot Ammo & Arms in Fairmount City.
18. Punxsutawney Weather Discovery Center: This is perfect for school age children. The science and folklore of weather come alive with fun interactive exhibits, a theater, and gift shop in a historic post office building in downtown Punxsutawney.
19. Pine Spring Pottery: Schedule small group day at a working potter’s historic home studio near New Bethlehem and see how she creates unique artisan stoneware, handmade to serve your life beautifully.
20. West Creek Wetlands Learning Center: Walking trail with wooden observation deck and interpretive educational signs providing information on wetland functions and species located in St. Marys. Open dawn to dusk June-October.
21. The Little Museum: One of PA’s top 10 seasonal museums with more than 15,000 items including tools and photos from lumbering and dynamite industries, personal effects from Tom Mix and General Joseph McNarney. Operated by the Cameron County Historical Society in the town of Sterling Run.
22. Woodring Farm Elk Viewing Area: Interpretive 3/4-mile easy hiking trail, encircling 81 acres of prime elk-viewing habitat with educational panels featuring artwork from local high school students. Located in Benezette.
23. 9 Worlds Axe Throwing and Escape Room: A unique and interactive entertainment experience that’s great for couples, groups, & families. Enjoy axe throwing and escape rooms all in one building in Clarion.
24. Moonlite Drive-In Theatre: This historic Drive-In features a new digital projection and sound systems with movie audio through your car’s FM radio. Located on Route 322 west of Brookville.
25. Redbank Valley Trail: Hike through the Climax Tunnel on Pennsylvania’s first ever “Trail of the Year.” 51 non-motorized miles from Brookville through New Bethlehem to Armstrong Trail along scenic Redbank Creek with bridges, tunnels, art, and history.
26. Coolspring Power Museum: See more than 500 historically significant internal combustion engines depicting 150 years of development of Industrial America. Located off Route 36 in Coolspring.
27. Greenberg Cadillac Museum: The museum hosts USA’s largest privately owned Cadillac Collection from 1905-present in Brookville.
28. Forest County History Center 1875 Victorian Eastlake-style home in Tionesta is filled with artifacts from Native Americans and early settlers, tools, products from county businesses, and genealogies of local families. Visitors can also tour a Replica Lumber Camp.
29. Hummingbird Speedway in Reynoldsville and Knox Raceway in Knox offer fans the high-speed thrills and spills of dirt track racing on weekends May through September.
30. Lewis Painter Memorial Trout Nursery: Come feed these fish. The Heath Township Sportsman’s Club raises trout for a kids’ fishing derby each May at Clear Creek State Park and to stock local streams. Located along the Clarion River near Belltown.

*Please check online for hours of operation before visiting.

Find more great places to explore and fun things to do online at VisitPAGO.com.