Descriptions of Places

Pennsylvania is covered with great expanses of forested, semi-rugged terrain. There is ample subtle beauty here but not the drama or wow-factor that draws in crowds. I might not advise going too far out of your way to vacation in the woods of PA, but those who do spend time there are rewarded with a seemingly endless supply of scenic, off the beaten path places to enjoy nature. The steep-sided ravine of a cascading stream on the flank of Rising Mountain, one of the long flat-topped ridges that make up the Appalachian Ridge and Valley Provence, about 40 miles west of Harrisburg, is one of those opportunities. Designated the Hemlocks Natural Area of Tuscarora State Forest, it contains old growth forest estimated at 120 acres. Parts of the ravine are in hemlocks as advertised. The archetypal image of huge old gentle dark trees with a dense cover of ferns beneath them is unfortunately somewhat complicated by the destruction due to the the Hemlock Wooly Adelgid, an introduced pest, which ha...

Mount Beacon is one of the best vantage points in the Hudson Highlands. Approach from the west and you can also get a fun rock scramble similar to nearby Breakneck Ridge on the way up. On a clear day, from the open rocky summit or the cabin of the fire tower, you'll see, going roughly counterclockwise, starting with the west: Schunnemunk Mountain directly opposite the Hudson River, formed into a wedge shape by whatever intersecting tectonic forces caused the Appalachian Mountain chain to bend at this spot. A birds-eye perspective on the Hudson Highlands : the river itself coming in and out of view between the rounded but rugged small mountains it has cut through. Rising from the opposite bank are Storm King’s steep profile and, further south, the fun hiking terrain around Bear Mountain . Down the river, getting hazy with distance, the curving Palisades ridge, its cliff face reaching the shore near the Tappan Zee . NYC’s skyline marking the mouth of the Hudson and the opening up...