Tioga State Forest ATV Trails
Tioga State Forest encompasses 160,000 acres of the Pennsylvania Wilds in Tioga and Lycoming counties in north-central Pennsylvania, the northernmost of the great Pennsylvania state forests that together comprise one of the largest blocks of public forest land in the eastern United States. The forest is known as the Pennsylvania Black Forest for the dense, remote, and rugged character of the northern hardwood forest that blankets the Allegheny Plateau terrain: sugar maple, yellow birch, American beech, and black cherry dominate the upland forest; hemlock and rhododendron line the deep stream gorges; and the wild character of the forest genuinely earns its Black Forest name in a way that few eastern forests do. The ATV trail system within Tioga State Forest utilizes the extensive forest road network and designated ATV corridors that traverse the plateau and the deeply incised ravine terrain, providing riding access to some of the most remote and least-visited public land in Pennsylvania. Pine Creek Gorge, the Pennsylvania Grand Canyon, borders the western edge of the forest, with the creek cutting a 47-mile gorge up to 1,450 feet deep through the plateau. OHV riders based at Wellsboro or the Leonard Harrison State Park area can combine ATV riding in the forest with hiking access to the canyon overlooks. ATVs and off-highway motorcycles are permitted on designated routes; Pennsylvania ATV registration required. The forest closes ATV trails during the November deer firearms season. Tioga State Forest headquarters at Wellsboro (570-724-2868) manages current trail conditions and the map resources riders need to navigate the extensive forest road network.