COOK FOREST, Pa. (EYT) — A children’s hiking adventure written by Potter County resident Richard R. Impriano Jr. is rooted in a family tradition that stretches back 75 years in Cook Forest.

Billy’s Big Adventure emerged from generations of summer reunions at Macbeth’s Cabins and the origin story passed down from Impriano’s grandparents, whose overnight stop in Cook Forest during the early 1950s sparked an annual family gathering that continues today. Years of hiking, horseback riding, fishing, and evenings around the campfire shaped the forest setting in the book and guided Impriano’s goal of introducing young readers to the basics of outdoor preparation while honoring the place that has defined his family’s shared history.

Impriano said the idea for the book came naturally because Cook Forest had long served as the backdrop to many of his earliest and most meaningful memories.

“Seventy-five years ago my grandparents stopped here looking for a place to stay for the night, and that one decision created a family legacy,” Impriano said. “We’ve had reunions in Cook Forest every summer at Macbeth’s Cabins ever since.”

Each year, multiple cabins were rented for a week, bringing generations together in the same wooded setting.

“We grew up hiking the trails, riding horses, fishing, and ending every day around a campfire,” he said. “There was always something new to discover in the forest.”

Those traditions became the foundation for Billy, a fictional young character who prepares carefully before heading out on his first overnight hiking trip. The story highlights packing essentials, safety awareness, and respect for nature, themes Impriano said reflect how he was taught to approach the outdoors.

“My goal is to teach kids the basics of being prepared for a hiking trip while camping overnight in the forest,” he said. “Billy is learning as he goes, just like I did.”

Impriano incorporated Cook Forest’s Bridle Trail into the book, even recreating the experience from personal visits.

“With the setting already part of my life, it allowed me to relive childhood memories while writing,” he said. “It made the story feel real.”

Impriano is continuing the series, with a sequel scheduled for release in summer 2026 that will feature Billy trying a different activity in Cook Forest for the first time. Future books will also draw from recognizable landmarks throughout the forest, with small clues connecting each installment.

Billy’s Big Adventure is available through major online retailers and bookstores, including Amazon.