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Cook's Forest, Pennsylvania

Written June 2001

When I was a little girl, my family vacationed every summer in Cook Forest State Park. We always rented cabin #28 from MacBeth's Cabins. It was a large cabin with room to sleep six, but MacBeth's also had smaller cabins that slept three people. It was also possible to rent a rustic cabin from the Park Service or even to bring your own tent and rent a campsite.

We never ran out of things to do while we were there. My sisters and I loved to go on the guided horseback riding trips and go canoeing or intertubing down the river. My whole family enjoyed hiking the 16 marked trails that run through the park. Our favorite was the Seneca trail, which would take us to Seneca Point and the Old #9 Fire Tower. My sisters and I raced up the stairs of the 80-foot tower to see the view. We would also spend a day at one of the small amusement parks, like Cook Forest Fun Park, where we could ride bumper boats, go-karts, play miniature golf and waterslide. At the Sawmill Art Center, we could see traditional crafts on display or take a craft class. There was trout fishing at Tom's Run (stocked weekly) and warm water game fish and panfish fishing in the Clarion River.

If you're planning to visit Cook Forest this summer, in addition to all the regular activities, there are several special events. The Kid's Fishing Program begins June 1st, so kids (12 and under) can fish for trout at the Children's Fishing Pond near Tom's Run. On June 3rd, the park is sponsoring a Children's Fishing Rodeo where children can compete for prizes. The Sawmill Art Center is celebrating the 16th Annual Herb Festival on June 2nd and 3rd, and on June 17th from 4pm-8pm, the Center is offering a spa package which includes a medicinal herb garden tour, an organic meal, and an herbal footcare treatment. Hunters might want to wait until autumn to visit the park for deer, squirrel, and turkey hunting. (Most cabins are available for rental through the end of deer season).

It takes about two hours to get to Cook Forest from State College. Just take I-80 West to Route 36 North.

Best websites:

• Cook Forest Online [new window]
• The Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Cook's Forest site [new window]