Allegheny National Forest

Welcome to the Alegheny National Forest, an oasis of over half a million acres sprawled across the plateau country of northwest Pennsylvania.

Forest History: Over 200 years ago, when our nation was still in it's youth, the region that is now the Allegheny National Forest was dotted mostly with American Beech Trees, Eastern Hemlock Trees, and a few white pine trees. Black cherry trees accounted for less than 1% of the forest. There were believed to have been fewer than 10 deer per square mile and thus the forest floor was lush with vegetation. In the early 19th century, European settlers arrived in the region and began clearing the forest to set up farms and villages. In time, water-powered mills and portable steam engines sparked a logging boom. The tanning industry, which used hemlock bark as a source for curing leather began to take root. The Civil War brought a huge business boom for the region's tanneries and by the end of the century it was a major forest industry in the State of Pennsylvania. The building of cities and railroads meant a huge boom for all of the state's forest industries.

In the late 19th and early 20th centuries the wood chemical industry began to put even more stress on the forest. Once most of the forest was gone many businesses began moving westward. Local economies were devastated and the changed landscape made floods and wildfires a major problem.

In 1911, after seeing many National Forests and National Parks established in the western United States, Congress passed the Weeks Act which gave the Government power to buy land in the eastern United States. In 1923 the Allegheny National Forest was established. Many citizens called it the "Allegheny brush patch," fearing the land would never recover. Fortunately, they were wrong. With deer populations being as low as they were, vegetation began to rebound quickly helping to create a different forest than it's predecessor. The lack of canopy also brought a lot of sunlight to the ground and new sun-loving trees such as black cherries, red maples, black birches, and sugar maples, began to flourish. The National Forests of the eastern United States are different from those in the western United States. Most of the public land in the western United States has never been privately owned and thus it consists of mostly virgin forest. In the eastern states however, much of the land has been in private hands and been used for farming and other activities. Thus, these reforested lands are known as second growth forests.

Wildlife: Today the Allegheny National Forest helps protect the home of numerous wild critters including deer, squirrels, and many others. Please treat their home with respect. For the lover of the outdoors the Allegheny National Forest boasts many miles of multipurpose trails, numerous lakes and rivers, and so much more. Come on out and explore.