Imagine driving seventy-five miles through a giant, green trench. That is Bucktail. It hugs Route 120 all the way from Emporium down to Lock Haven. You basically trace the same water route that Civil War volunteers used. These guys, the Bucktails, tied deer tails to their hats and floated down the Susquehanna River on timber rafts to enlist. Pretty wild history. But today, you go for the sheer scale of the mountains rising right out of the riverbank.

Grab a kayak. The West Branch of the Susquehanna offers some serious isolation. You will paddle past steep, forested canyon walls without seeing a single house for miles. Keep your eyes peeled for bald eagles perched in the sycamores. You might spot elk wading in the shallows. Actually, October is prime time. The hillsides explode. Just do not expect reliable cell service out there. It is just you and the hemlocks. Perfect.

Imagine hills completely shaved bald. Back in the nineteenth century, logging companies owned these steep slopes and chopped down every single giant white pine they could find. They floated these massive logs down the West Branch to hungry mills downstream. It was dirty, dangerous work. But then, the companies just abandoned the ruined terrain. Sparks from passing trains regularly ignited the leftover branches, creating massive forest fires that cooked the soil. Actually, the government bought these scorched, useless acres for next to nothing in the early 1900s just to let the trees grow back.

History buffs will find some cool relics along this seventy-five-mile stretch of highway. Look closely at the town of Driftwood. In 1861, a colorful guy named Thomas Kane recruited local woodsmen to fight in the Civil War. These tough guys put white deer tails on their wool hats. They didn't take a train to enlist. Instead, they built wooden rafts and floated downstream. Today, a stone monument marks the spot where those soldiers embarked. You can still see old stone bridge abutments and remnants of the old canal system poking through the weeds if you know where to look.

There are no entrance fees or day use fees for any state park in Pennsylvania.