7 Winter Activities to Enjoy in Pennsylvania This Month
Winter is a beautiful time in Pennsylvania with its ice-frosted trees and snowfalls. It’s also a time to do some great winter activities, from skiing to ice fishing.
1. Skiing or Snow tubing in the Poconos
Skiing in the Poconos is possible at many resorts such as Camelback and Blue Mountain. If you have no special skills or equipment, snow tubing can offer a fun-filled adventure in the snow. It’s a great family-friendly activity. Camelback Resort in the Poconos is a snow tubing park with over 40 sledding lanes.
Today, PA online gambling is legal, and after spending a day out in the snow, a quiet night playing casino games is an excellent way to relax.
2. Snowmobiling in state forests and parks
The state forests and parks provide thousands of miles of roads, fields, and trails where you can go snowmobiling. Most of the routes are open from mid-December through to early April. McKean County has over 140 miles of trails that connect to pathways within the Allegheny National Forest.
Bald Eagle State Forest in Central Pennsylvania is another popular place for snowmobiling with 250 miles of trails. In Northern Pennsylvania, Tioga State Forest has about 177 miles of trails. After a day of exhilaration out in the cold, your face may need some treatment to restore radiant skin.
3. Vintage train riding at Strasburg Rail Road
In Lancaster County, you can go for a vintage train ride. This has been a tradition for 65 years at the historic Strasburg Rail Road. Strasburg Rail Road is the oldest continuously operating railroad in the United States.
Choose from a ride on Santa’s Paradise Express and various other experiences. On Santa’s Paradise Express, Santa will welcome you aboard and you can enjoy a Christmas meal. This is a festive and celebratory experience you will remember.
4. Dog sledding at Nemacolin
Nemacolin is home to more than a dozen sled dogs. These dogs have warm hearts and an enthusiasm that wins you over before you even begin sledding. The Wildlife Adventures team at the resort offers dogsledding from the end of November through March, weather permitting. When the temperatures are right and snow isn’t covering the ground, a team of 9-12 dogs will pull over grassy fields and meadows. When the snow falls to a solid thickness, the sled comes out.
5. Ice fishing
With over 2,500 lakes, ice fishing is one of the best winter sports in Pennsylvania. Traditional targets when ice fishing are perch, pike, and walleye. An hour northeast of Pittsburgh is Yellow Creek State Park where you will find perch, pike, and sunfish. When it comes to catching large perch through the ice, Presque Isle Bay on Lake Erie is one of the best locations.
Allegheny Reservoir is a 12,000-acre lake that straddles the border between New York and Pennsylvania. It is one of the best spots for northern pike and walleye. High Point Lake, southeast of Pittsburgh is one of the best lakes for pike. At Beechwood Lake in Tioga County, you can catch rainbow trout through the ice.
6. Ice Boating
Ice boating consists of a mix of ice skating, sledding, and sailing. Iceboats are basically sailing boats with sled rails. They have a skate at the fore-end of the hull and two others attached to either side at the back. These boats need ice free of snow to sail on and the wind powers them like a sailboat. They can glide up to 70 miles an hour on frozen surfaces.
A popular spot for ice boating is the Erie Yacht Club. It has a fleet of about 70 boats. Other places to go ice boating include White Deer Lake, Little Mud Pond, and Lake Harmony.
7. Ice Skating
Whether you’re a beginner or an advanced skater, there are many outdoor surfaces for ice skating in Pennsylvania. Cook Forest State Park has a lighted pond with skate rental, a fire ring, and a sledding hill close by.
In Philadelphia, the Rothman Orthopaedics Ice Rink at Dilworth Park has a hut offering hot chocolate, coffee, and snacks. There is an abundance of outdoor rinks in Pennsylvania where you can put on your skates and take a whirl on the ice.
