Whitetail Recreation Area Parking Creates Expanded Access to Pine Creek Rail Trail – Technologist

Press release shared by PA DCNR via the Pennsylvania Pressroom on June 21, 2024.

Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn visited Tiadaghton State Forest to celebrate the completion of the Whitetail Recreation Area parking project in the Pennsylvania Wilds.

Governor Josh Shapiro’s proposed 2024-2025 budget includes $8.5 million for additional investment in parks and forests that will make Pennsylvania a premier destination for exceptional trail experiences, benefiting the economic competitiveness of communities, tourism, and public health.

“Visitors from all over the Commonwealth come to the Tiadaghton to spend time on the popular Pine Creek Rail Trail, and this upgraded parking area is critical to expanding access to the trail and surrounding community,” Dunn said. “Investments in forest infrastructure are a tremendous boost to recreation tourism and the local economies supported by public lands.”

The $1 million project was completed in April with myriad improvements, including:

• Additional parking that now accommodates 38 vehicles
• Lifting the parking site to mitigate flooding impacts
• Removal of an unused building; a new concrete restroom
• A storage building for Pine Creek Rail Trail maintenance
• A new trailhead information pavilion to share information about the recreation opportunities on the trail.

Native plants and trees were added to the area to highlight natural beauty and to replace invasive species that were removed.

“I am happy to be here today celebrating this important project and the opportunities it provides to bring visitors, old and new alike, to the Pine Creek Rail Trail,” Tiadaghton District Forester Tom Casilio said. “We look forward to seeing the impact of the new parking area this summer and for years to come.”

State forests like the Tiadaghton and the Pine Creek Rail Trail offer fantastic outdoor experiences that truly make Pennsylvania — The Great American Getaway.

Outdoor recreation adds $17 billion to Pennsylvania’s economy, supporting 164,344 jobs, and accounting for 1.8 percent of the Commonwealth’s gross domestic product, according to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis.

Tiadaghton State Forest is named for a native-American term originally describing Pine Creek.

Most of Tiadaghton State Forest’s 146,539 acres reside in Lycoming County, some tracts extend into Tioga, Potter, Clinton, and Union counties.

It is one of eight state forests located in the Pennsylvania Wilds region.

Visit the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources’ website for more information about Tiadaghton State Forest and check out the department’s Calendar of Events​ for events on public lands.

MEDIA CONTACT: Wesley Robinson, 717-877-6315