Exploring Poe Paddy State Park, Poe Valley State Park, and Bald Eagle State Forest

If you are looking for a fantastic place to truly feel like you are getting away in Central PA, the Poe Paddy and Poe Valley State Parks and Bald Eagle State Forest is a great place to go. The rugged landscapes, incredible forests, rock outcrops, and meandering creek valleys make this a visually breathtaking place. 

The old infrastructure of the CCC, coupled with some reinvestment into the parks, over the last twenty years, including fortifying an old railroad tunnel in Poe Paddy State Park, have these place in fantastic shape and accessible for recreational access that is pretty far off the beaten path. Seemingly endless forest roads traverse the area. 

Poe Valley State Park has a beautiful and small man made lake with a beach, log cabin bathhouse and concessionaire, beautiful cabins, campground, a playground, hiking, and more. 

Countless scenic overlooks are spread throughout the area. For a list on information on many of them and how to access them, check out this article. 

Poe Paddy State Park has a beautiful rail trail through an old rail tunnel, a beautiful rustic campground, and a wonderful meandering stretch of creek. In between the state parks, and completely surrounding them, is seemingly endless expanse of aggressive roads up to breathtaking scenic overlooks with views of up to twenty miles or more. 

The renovated old rail tunnel through Poe Paddy State Park.

Back to Poe Valley State Park!

The creek outflows from the lake create some neat waterfall features that you can hear throughout the campground. 

While this area is pretty far out and off the beaten path, 30 minute drives in any direction can lead to nice small boroughs like Millheim, Siglerville, Centre Hall, and more, all with nice places to get a meal or supplies. Our wintry stay on one of the last weekends of campground operations until the spring was a quite and relaxing time. Outdoor recreational opportunities of many kinds are available in this area, one of the finest areas for outdoor exploration that the state has to offer.