As the air begins to turn crisp in the evenings and the leaves start to take on their fall colors, it is a great time to take a leaf ride and view the patchwork quilt of colors in the Allegheny Mountains. I grew up in Warren County Pennsylvania and every year during the fall I try to make the journey back to visit and see the leaves. I particularly love to go to the Allegheny National Forest area and the Kinzua Dam which has the combination of water, leaves, scenic overlooks and peaceful byways for a wonderful outing that is less than two hours away.
Two of the best places to view the leaves is the Rimrock and Jake’s Rock areas in the park itself. The higher elevation of the area means the leaves change earlier than they do here, and they often are in full color early October. For maps of some of the best driving trails through the area for the better views and more information you can visit the National Forest webpage at www.visitanf.com.
One of the coolest places to visit in the National Forest is the former Kinzua Viaduct which is now the Kinzua Sky Walk. There is a great visitor center there with lots of information on the history of the original viaduct. It is an impressive engineering feat and the display is very interesting for the young and young at heart. It is located within the Kinzua Bridge State Park at 296 Viaduct Road, Mt. Jewett, PA 16740
One of my favorite memories of the area is a camping trip with the three kids one Memorial Day weekend in 2003. The kids were very young at the time and it was a fairly ambitious adventure and anyone from northwest Pennsylvania probably has a clue how this all turned out. We went to sleep in a rain storm (finding out that the new tent leaked) and we awoke to a snow storm. Since we were not to be deterred from the family outing we checked out the KOA in the area and rented a cabin for the remaining time. With a good 2” of snow accumulation we decided that a warm car ride was in order so we went to check out the then viaduct. I have some very cool photos and memories of that day, and was saddened greatly to hear that a tornado took the center section of the viaduct within the next few months.
The grand old structure has since been repurposed as a walking trail and observation platform. The leaf view is amazing and the plexiglass floor in the observation platform area will give those who like to live on the edge a great view of the former pieces of the viaduct which are far below your feet. In fact the center of the structure was 301 feet above the valley floor, to give you an idea of just how high that is, the Statue of Liberty is 305 feet and 6 inches tall. Needless to say, I am not one who likes heights and it takes a whole lot for me to step out on the Plexiglass surface.
Which ever road you chose, and however long you make your excursion, you will begin to notice the colors and the wonderful designs on the hillsides as soon as you enter Warren County which begins just on the eastern side of Titusville. Make sure you pack the kids some snacks because there are many cool picnic areas and have a camera with you for some great photos. The Visitor Center located at the Kinzua Dam area has paper maps and is a great viewing area for Bald Eagles. In the past I have seen multiple pairs soaring in the sky, and landing in the treetops not far from the parking lot.
As you drive be aware there are areas that cell phones GPS is a bit spotty, so a stop for the paper map or printing one out from the website is not a bad idea. I want you to wander, but I do not want you to get lost.
As Seen in Meadville Tribune
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