Allegheny National Forest OHV

Anthracite Outdoor Adventure Area (AOAA) is an off-highway vehicle park located at 4100 State Route 125 in Coal Township, Pennsylvania, spanning approximately 7,500 acres of county-owned forest and reclaimed coal lands that were mined in the 1950s and later restored for recreational use. AOAA accommodates ATVs, UTVs, dirt bikes, and full-size four-wheel-drive vehicles across hundreds of miles of trails. The terrain reflects the park's anthracite coal region setting, with reclaimed mining landscapes, forested sections, and open riding areas. Formed in January 2013 to manage recreational riding on the property, AOAA offers day passes and annual memberships. On-site amenities include a pro shop, equipment rentals, a youth riding area, and guided rides for full-size vehicles. Driver training programs are available through an Off Road Consulting partnership. Waivers are required for all riders. The park has been cited as one of the top ten OHV destinations in the United States by national powersports publications.

Bald Eagle State Forest encompasses 196,000 acres of the Ridge and Valley physiographic province in Centre, Clinton, Mifflin, and Union counties in central Pennsylvania — the folded ridge and valley terrain that defines the Appalachian mountain character of central PA, with the parallel sandstone and shale ridges of Bald Eagle Mountain, Nittany Mountain, and the Tussey Mountain escarpment defining the forest's boundaries and interior. The state forest ATV trail system threads through the forest's interior on designated corridors, providing public-land ATV riding access to the central PA ridge and valley country that sits between the major I-80 and US-322 corridors and serves the State College, Lock Haven, and Lewistown riding markets. The trail network utilizes forest roads, old logging grades, and purpose-built ATV corridors through the second-growth hardwood forest that covers Bald Eagle — mixed oak-hickory on the ridge tops and south-facing slopes, mixed mesophytic hardwood in the protected hollows, and the hemlock and rhododendron galleries along the stream courses of Spring Creek, Penns Creek, and the First Fork Sinnemahoning that drain the forest interior. Terrain is moderate Appalachian ridge and valley character — sustained ridge climbs, hollow traversals, and the occasional rocky outcrop section on the quartzite ridge exposures that give the ridges their character. ATVs and off-highway motorcycles are permitted on designated routes; Pennsylvania ATV registration required. The state forest closes ATV trails during the November deer firearms season — a hard closure that coincides with hunting season overlap and must be planned around. Pennsylvania Bureau of Forestry Bald Eagle District Office at Millheim (570-922-3344) manages current trail status and seasonal closures.

Moshannon State Forest in Clearfield and Centre counties offers 75+ miles of designated ATV trails on state forest roads and purpose-built single-track through second-growth hardwood and mixed forest in the Pennsylvania Wilds of central Pennsylvania — the broad swath of state forest and wild land that makes the north-central part of the state the least-developed region in the Mid-Atlantic. The Moshannon system occupies the ridge-and-valley Appalachian terrain of the Allegheny Front's central section: forested sandstone ridges, the creek drainages flowing toward the West Branch Susquehanna, and the rolling basin terrain between the plateau edges where trails can move at a pace that rewards the full range of ATV and UTV riders. A key feature of the Moshannon network is its connectivity: the trail system connects with the adjacent Bald Eagle State Forest, creating one of the larger contiguous public ATV trail networks in the Mid-Atlantic region — riders who cross the forest boundary move seamlessly into the Bald Eagle system without retracing their route. ATVs and UTVs up to 50 inches wide and registered dirt bikes are permitted on designated routes. A Pennsylvania Bureau of Forestry OHV permit is required for all machines; no per-day trail fee beyond the permit. Primitive camping is available at designated state forest camping areas throughout the forest. Season runs April 1 through December 31 on designated trails. PA ATV registration is required. Contact the Moshannon State Forest Service Center for trail conditions (814-765-0821).

Rausch Creek Off-Road Park is a 3,000-acre four-wheel-drive facility located at 453 Molleystown Road in Pine Grove, Pennsylvania, accessible from Interstate 81 Exit 107. The park is reserved for trucks, Jeeps, and SUVs — quads, motorcycles, and side-by-sides are not permitted. All trail use requires a minimum group size of two vehicles. Trails are rated on a four-tier system: green (easy), blue (intermediate), black (hard), and red (extreme), with bypass options so mixed-ability groups can ride together. Trails are well-marked and available on the Maprika and OnX apps. The park operates Friday through Sunday year-round, with midweek visits available by reservation. Primitive camping is included with admission; amenities include fire rings and picnic tables, with firewood and ice available for purchase. RV and trailer parking is available on site. Day passes, annual memberships, and season passes are offered. Children 15 and under ride free.