The Dark Skies / Susquehannock State Forest Purple Lizard Map is the first in a new, co-branded Pennsylvania Wilds map series designed to support exploration and connection across the rural region.
Centered in northcentral Pennsylvania, the map covers the entirety of the 265,000-acre Susquehannock State Forest along with portions of Sproul and Elk State Forests, and the surrounding communities of Renovo, Emporium, Smethport, Port Allegany, Coudersport, and Galeton.
This area of the Pennsylvania Wilds is widely recognized for its vast, undeveloped landscape and some of the darkest skies in the eastern United States.
The Dark Skies landscape offers a rare combination of expansive public lands, quiet backroads, small-town character, and exceptional stargazing opportunities.
Cherry Springs State Park is one of the most recognized Dark Skies destinations in the country, and the surrounding forests, backroads, and public lands support extensive night sky viewing across the broader landscape, including locations such as the May Hollow Skyway and many others throughout the region.
Designed for outdoor enthusiasts, including hikers, campers, cyclists, equestrians, and ATV riders, the map highlights trails, gravel roads, campsites, scenic overlooks, and long-distance routes, including the 85-mile Susquehannock Trail System and the 38-mile Bucktail Path, along with remote wild areas, backcountry destinations, and year-round recreation opportunities across this expansive landscape full of public land.
"Potter County is thrilled to see the release of this outstanding resource highlighting the incredible outdoor recreation opportunities and natural beauty of the Susquehannock State Forest. The Purple Lizard Map is a thoughtfully crafted guide that will benefit both residents and visitors for years to come,” said William Hunt, Director of Potter County Planning, GIS, & Community Development.
The release marks the beginning of a broader effort by the Center to bring more PA Wilds-branded maps and guidebooks to market as part of the nonprofit’s broader work to help sustainably grow tourism in the region to help revitalize rural communities.
“Purple Lizard is really the gold standard in recreation mapping,” said Ta Enos, Founder & CEO of the PA Wilds Center. “They have a thoughtful development process that resonates with communities and users, and did the Outdoor Recreation map for all of Pennsylvania.
“With so much public land, and limited cell reception in many of our more wild areas, detailed, consumer-friendly offline maps are just very important to helping locals and visitors alike access our region safely while also connecting them to nearby gateway communities and small businesses.
“In 2025, we completed an assessment with Purple Lizard on what it would take to map the entire PA Wilds region, and landed on a seven-map series. The Dark Skies map is the first to be completed in that series.
“We want to thank the many partner organizations, including public lands managers, that provided feedback on the map’s development. We can’t wait to hear stories from people using it in the field!”
Enos said the Center currently has a funding application into PA’s Greenways, Trails and Recreation Program to do the next two maps, the Allegheny National Forest East and West maps, which would also include adjacent state parks, forests and game lands.
That application is anticipated to go before the Commonwealth Financing Authority in the fall.
“We’re hopeful that will get funded and we can continue to build on the great momentum we are seeing in rural communities to grow tourism and outdoor recreation,” said Enos.
“There are very few places left in the eastern United States where you can travel for miles through uninterrupted forest, pass through small towns, and end your day under a truly dark sky,” said Michael Hermann, Founder of Purple Lizard Maps. “The PA Wilds is one of those places. This map helps bring that full experience together so people can find it, explore it, and stay a little longer.”
The Dark Skies / Susquehannock State Forest Purple Lizard Map is available now at PurpleLizard.com, PA Wilds Conservation Shops at Kinzua Bridge State Park, Leonard Harrison State Park, the Marienville Four Seasons Trailhead, and the PA Wilds Marketplace.
The map will soon be available through more than 350 retail partners across the eastern United States, as well as local outfitters, coffee shops, gift shops, and country stores throughout the Pennsylvania Wilds region.
This project was financed in part by a grant from the Department of Community and Economic Development, as well as financial support from the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Bureau of Recreation and Conservation, via the Environmental Stewardship Fund.
Click Here for the PA Wilds announcement.
The Pennsylvania Wilds is a 13-county region that includes the counties of Cameron, Clarion, Clearfield, Clinton, Elk, Forest, Jefferson, Lycoming, McKean, Potter, Tioga, Warren, and northern Centre.
The PA Wilds Center is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to connect people to nature, businesses to opportunities, and communities to resources, creating rooted local wealth in the Pennsylvania Wilds.
Related Articles This Week:
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-- DCNR Seeks Applicants For NextGen Advisory Council [PaEN]
-- DCNR Resource Highlights Statewide Outdoors For All Events; Wildlife Corridors; Trail Of The Year Nominations; Making State Parks, Forests More Accessible [PaEN]
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-- Penn State Extension To Host Inaugural Keystone Invasive Species Forum Sept. 16 In Boalsburg, Centre County [PaEN]
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-- PennLive Guest Essay: PA Lawmakers Shouldn’t Overturn PA Supreme Court Decision Restoring Oil & Gas Property Rights To Their Rightful Owners - By Sherman Powell, Member Of Proctor Family Who Regained Their Property Unlawfully Taken
[Posted: July 9, 2026] PA Environment Digest
