It’s that time again. Temperatures are cool enough to ride comfortably, but the woods are suddenly filling up with hunters. And now the state thinks more Sunday hunting days are necessary.
Where can you ride your horses in central Pennsylvania during hunting season?
Rail Trails
While maybe not the most exciting rides, most rail trails have enough foot and bike traffic that hunters aren’t going to be right on top of them. You should still wear fluorescent gear, as many trails run along State Game Lands or state forest.
Around State College and Altoona, consider:
Check out our Horse Riding Guide: PA Rail Trails for info on these and other rail trails open to horseback riding throughout Pennsylvania.
State Parks
While most state parks are largely open to hunting, areas around picnic grounds, swimming beaches, etc. are usually excluded from hunting and may give you enough space for a short ride.
Prince Gallitzin Park
Bollinger Trail runs mostly in the open, along the lake from Pickerel Pond across the dam. While one stretch is in the woods north of the road, it’s close to the road and unlikely to be favored by hunters.
Canoe Creek Park
Check out the park map. A considerable area is off-limits to hunting, so you could walk around a bit. And one corner with a few trails is restricted to archery hunting.
R B Winter Park
The park map shows a reasonable area around the main parking area which is excluded from hunting. Sand Mountain road and Keystone road are available, and you could get down to Lipko Trail which is close to the road and unlikely to be hunted.
Township Roads
It might be a good time to explore some remote gravel or even dirt roads in out of the way places. State forest and state park roads are certainly an option, though you surely want to wear your blaze orange in those areas.