2022 was a banner year for PA fall foliage!
I was fortunate to have been able to visit so many regions of the Commonwealth this past October, capturing many scenes of amazing PA fall foliage at its peak.
So with Thanksgiving upon us and the long, cold winter yet to come, I thought this would be a perfect time to take a look back through some of my favorite, most colorful fall foliage photos of 2022.
What I’m going to share with you with here are 20 of my favorite PA fall foliage destinations from this past year, so that you can refer back to this article over the winter as you formulate your own 2023 travel plans.
I’m going to present these 20 destinations in the order I encountered them this past October, rather than try to “rank” them, which would be an impossibly difficult task.
I hope you enjoy the photos, and best of luck planning your 2023 fall foliage road trip adventures!
1. The Pine Creek Rail Trail
The Pine Creek Rail Trail is a 65 mile-long trail which runs from just north of Wellsboro in Tioga County south to Jersey Shore in Lycoming County.
I rode a few stretches of the Tioga County portion and encountered excellent early season fall foliage along the way.
2. Ole Bull State Park
2022 was my first time visiting Ole Bull State Park during fall foliage season, and what a treat that was!
Ole Bull State Park in Potter County is named in honor of Ole Bornemann Bull, a famous Norwegian violinist who attempted to develop a Norwegian colony there in 1852.
3. Boone Run Vista
Boone Run Vista is one of several roadside vistas I visited in Potter County this past October.
Because it’s relatively easy to get to, Boone Run Vista is a popular photo-op for vehicles of both the two and four-wheeled variety.
4. The Pennsylvania Lumber Museum
The Pennsylvania Lumber Museum along Route 6 in Potter County documents the history and technology of the lumber industry in PA.
On the day I visited in October, the fall foliage reflections off the sawmill pond at the museum were incredible!
5. Denton Hill State Park
2022 was the second year in a row I visited Denton Hill State Park during the fall foliage season.
What makes Denton Hill so unusual is the remains of an abandoned ski resort, seemingly frozen in time amongst all the mountains and trees.
6. Wellsboro
Downtown Wellsboro in Tioga County is beautiful year-round, and fall foliage season is certainly no exception.
The Green, a public park featuring several statues, historical monuments, and a fountain, is a particularly photogenic spot.
7. Leonard Harrison State Park
Leonard Harrison State Park is one of the most-visited spots on the eastern rim of the PA Grand Canyon.
I happened to visit early enough on an October morning when the valley fog was still lifting, an extra treat on top of the foliage.
8. Cook Forest State Park
Cook Forest State Park covers an 8,500-acre expanse across portions of Clarion, Jefferson, and Forest counties in northwestern PA.
Located just a short hike from the park office along Route 36, the Swinging Bridge at Cook Forest State Park is one of the most popular attractions at the park.
9. Beartown Rocks
I’d been to Beartown Rocks a few times, but never in the fall, and all I can say WOW!
I happened to visit on may have been THE peak fall foliage day there in 2022, and it was a sea of yellow and gold in every direction.
10. Clear Creek State Park
I visited Clear Creek State Park mid-week on a beautiful October afternoon, and had the place seemingly to myself!
Everywhere I went at the park, I was treated to some exceptional Jefferson County fall foliage scenes.
11. Ralph’s Majestic Vista
Ralph’s Majestic Vista in Centre County is named in honor of Ralph Seeley, founder of the Allegheny Front Trail and the Quehanna Trail.
The entire Moshannon State Forest around Ralph’s Majestic Vista is equally colorful in the fall.
12. Black Moshannon State Park
Black Moshannon State Park is comprised of 3,394 acres of forests and wetlands in Centre County.
At the heart of the park is the 250 acre Black Moshannon Lake, a fantastic spot for swimming, boating, fishing, and bird-watching.
13. Ohiopyle State Park
Ohiopyle State Park is a place I visit EVERY October, with good reason!
Home to some of the finest fall foliage views anywhere in PA, Ohiopyle State Park was magnificent once again in 2022.
14. Beam Rocks Overlook
Beam Rocks Overlook is one of the most scenic mountain vistas in the Laurel Highlands of western Pennsylvania!
Once the sun broke through the considerable cloud deck on the October morning I visited, the vibrant foliage of the forest really came alive around the rocks.
15. Wolf Rocks Overlook
Wolf Rocks Overlook in the Forbes State Forest is an outstanding scenic vista high above Westmoreland County.
16. Linn Run State Park
I happened to catch the fall foliage at Linn Run State Park at its peak in 2022.
I stopped off at a roadside display dedicated to the history of the Pittsburgh, Westmoreland, and Somerset Railroad, a logging railroad that once ran up through what is now the park.
17. Laurel Hill State Park
Laurel Hill State Park in Somerset County, another spot I visit every October, was good again this year.
18. Laurel Ridge State Park
At Laurel Ridge State Park, I hiked to Laurel Run Overlook, with fall foliage views in the direction of Westmoreland County.
19. Prince Gallitzin State Park
Prince Gallitzin State Park is a 6,249-acre recreational area in Cambria County.
This was my first time visiting Prince Gallitzin State Park in October, but it certainly won’t be the last.
20. The Johnstown Flood National Memorial
The Johnstown Flood National Memorial may seem an unlikely fall foliage destination, but the remnants of the breached South Fork Dam (cause of the 1889 Johnstown Flood) glistened in the late afternoon sun on the day I visited.
The fall foliage on the bed of what was once Lake Conemaugh was also remarkable.
So there you have it – 20 of my favorite PA fall foliage destinations of 2022!
Feel free to bookmark this post and use it to help plan your 2023 fall foliage adventures.
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