CLARION, Pa. (EYT) — Cook Forest State Park has officially announced a massive schedule of summer programming that will bring the region’s history to life and offer visitors unique ways to explore the Forest Cathedral, the Clarion River, and the diverse wildlife that calls the park home.

The upcoming season at Cook Forest features a blend of educational opportunities and recreational excitement designed to engage people of all skill levels. Guests can expect to participate in specialized hiking series, celebrate the upcoming 250th birthday of the United States through living history events, and learn about the nocturnal habits of local bats and moths. Registration is already opening for popular boating programs on the Clarion River, ensuring that the community has plenty of chances to connect with nature throughout the warmer months.

Sunday, May 17 at 5:00 p.m. – ‘Women’s Hiking Series’

Sunday evenings, nurturing your mental and physical health, moderate level hiking, approximately 2hrs long, open to all women ages 14 & up, dogs on a leash, rain or shine. Starting at Nuthole Pavilion. For more information, please contact Meredith Reinhart (814) 319-4621. (2 hrs)

Friday-Sunday, May 22-24 – ‘Cook Forest Living History Weekend’

Please join us for a fun filled weekend of living history as we celebrate America’s 250th birthday as we journey through various historical eras of the United States: French & Indian War, Colonial Period, Revolutionary War, and Civil War. Living historian and master story-teller Paul Stillman, historical interpreters Dave Clark and John King, and Grammy nominated singer-song writer-storyteller, Ray Owen, with special guest appearances from President Abraham Lincoln and Benjamin Franklin, will take us through noteworthy periods of American history through first-person character portrayals, hands-on demonstrations, and song.

Friday, May 29 at 1:00 p.m. – ‘Fire Tower/Seneca Point Historical Tour’

Please bring your binoculars and meet at the Fire Tower Parking Lot for an historical interpretive tour of the Fire Tower and Seneca Point by DCNR Conservation Volunteer, Greg Burns. Learn about local logging history, observe Indian sign, and take a breathtaking view from the top of the Fire Tower. (1.5 hrs)

Sunday, June 7 at 1:00 p.m. – ‘Children’s Fishing Derby’

Children 12 years and under are permitted to fish freshly stocked Tom’s Run from the Swinging Bridge to the Children’s Fishing Pond. Registration and prize give-away will be held at the Children’s Fishing Pond behind the Park Office. This event is sponsored by the Marienville Rod & Gun Club, PA Fish & Boat Commission, Cook Forest Vacation Bureau, and Cook Forest State Park. All prizes donated by area merchants. (2 hrs)

Friday, June 12 at 8:30 p.m. – ‘Bats & Moths!’

Please meet at Shelter #2 to learn about our crepuscular friends while helping scientists survey bats and moths along Tom’s Run. Please bring a light (headlamps with a red or green night-vision filter are best) and a refillable water bottle. We’ll have bat and moth masks for the kids to color. Program is free – no registration required. Sponsored by the Cook Forest Conservancy, Pennsylvania Game Commission, and Pennsylvania Bureau of Forestry. (3 hrs)

Saturday-Sunday, June 13-14 – ‘Cook Forest French & Indian War Encampment’

Cook Forest State Park will host a series of living history events depicting life during the French & Indian War. Highlights of this full two-day encampment include woodland natives, cannon and musket firing, cooking, primitive skills, blacksmithing, tinsmithing, pottery, children’s games, sutler camp, renown living historians, French & Indian War Era artisans, and live tactical engagements. Every battle is different! Take a walk back in time along the Black Bear Trail by the Sawmill Center for the Arts during open camp hours to view British, Colonial, French, and Native American re-enactors as they portray lifestyles of the 18th century.

Sunday, June 14 at 5:00 p.m. – ‘Women’s Hiking Series’

Sunday evenings, nurturing your mental and physical health, moderate level hiking, approximately 2 hours long, open to all women ages 14 & up, dogs on a leash, rain or shine. Starting at Nuthole Pavilion. For more information, please contact Meredith Reinhart (814) 319-4621. (2 hrs)

Friday, June 26 at 8:30 a.m. – ‘Clarion River Boating Program: Gravel Lick-Mill Creek’

Please join us for an interpretive guided float down the National Wild & Scenic Clarion River. Wildlife and lumber history abound along this secluded stretch of the river. Fishing is excellent. Help us document wood duck nesting success, river otter sign, and bald eagle nests while we kayak through the Steel Trap. This is a true wilderness boating experience. No sign of human occupation until we get near the end. Only experienced boaters permitted. Please meet at the Park Office where we will drive to the starting point. Folks must pre-register by 6/22 by contacting the Park Office at (814) 744-8407. Registration limited to 10 boats. Cost is $50/boat payable by cash, check or money order made out to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. All boats, gear, and lunch provided. Prior Cook Forest kayak training participants receive a 50% discount. Register early, available spots go fast. See you on the river! (8 hrs)

Friday, July 3 at 8:00 p.m. – ‘Night Hike: Fire Tower, Seneca Point Caves & Rocks’

Please join us at the Fire Tower parking lot for a night hike in, around, and under the rocks of Seneca Point. We’ll be looking and listening for animals that go bump in the night, and exploring the caves and crevices they live in. One never knows what we’ll find on this challenging hike at night. Creepy cave crickets abound. Bring your hardhats and headlamps! (2 hrs)

Saturday, July 4 at 3:00 p.m. – ‘A Walk Through the Forest Cathedral’

Please meet at the Log Cabin Inn Environmental Learning Classroom for an interpretive hike into the Forest Cathedral, a registered National Natural Landmark. Learn how to identify old growth forest characteristics, and observe different types of environmental disturbance that are an integral part of old growth forest ecosystems. (2 hrs)

Saturday, July 4 at 8:00 p.m. – ’America250PA GeoTrail: Old Growth Forest Cache at Night’

Please bring your headlamps, GPS units, and phones to the park amphitheater to help us celebrate America’s 250th birthday. Come help us find DCNR’s new old growth geocache with a new twist, trying to find one at night! (2 hrs)

Sunday, July 5 at 11:30 a.m. – ‘Fire Tower/Seneca Point Historical Tour’

Please bring your binoculars and meet at the Fire Tower Parking Lot for a historical interpretive tour of the Fire Tower and Seneca Point. Learn about local logging history, observe Indian sign, and take a breathtaking view from the top of the Fire Tower. (3 hrs)

Sunday, July 12 at 5:00 p.m. – ‘Women’s Hiking Series’

Sunday evenings, nurturing your mental and physical health, moderate level hiking, approximately 2 hours long, open to all women ages 14 & up, dogs on a leash, rain or shine. Starting at Nuthole Pavilion. For more information, please contact Meredith Reinhart (814) 319-4621. (2 hrs)

Saturday, July 18 at 9:30 a.m. – ‘Searchin’ for Herps’ in the Clarion River Valley’

Late spring and early summer are a great time of year to go out looking for snakes, frogs, salamanders, and turtles. We will start our carpool at the Park Office to help the park naturalist survey herp’ hot spots along the Clarion. Participants must be able to traverse steep muddy slopes and rocky terrain. Sturdy walking stick and hiking boots are advised. (4 hrs)

Friday, July 24 at 8:30 a.m. – ‘Clarion River Boating Program: Clear Creek-4-mile Launch’

Cook Forest & Clear Creek State Park will be conducting a 7.3-mile interpretive float down the National Wild & Scenic Clarion River from Clear Creek’s boat launch to Cook Forest’s 4-mile launch. Odds are pretty good we’ll see plenty of otter sign. Along the way we’ll go past remnants of the old bridge, dam, and raft building sites at Clarington, go through the ripple and past rock cliffs of the Hogback, and talk about the rafting tragedy at Maze Gap. Fishing is good along this stretch, don’t forget your poles! Only experienced boaters permitted. Please meet at the Clear Creek canoe launch near the playground. Participants must pre-register by 7/20 by contacting the Cook Forest Park Office at (814) 744-8407. Registration limited to 10 boats. Cost is $50/boat payable by cash, check, or money order made out to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. All boats, gear, and lunch provided. Prior Cook Forest kayak training participants receive a 50% discount. Register early, available spots go fast. See you on the river! (8 hrs)

Saturday, July 25 at 8:30 a.m. – ‘Hike Cook Forest Series: Davies Black Cherry & Tall Pines’

Please meet at the Park Office where we’ll take a moderate often off-trail hike to the tallest known black cherry in the Northeast, the Davies Black Cherry, at over 140 feet tall. Then we’ll double back across the Swinging Bridge to view exemplary 160-foot tall white pines along the picturesque Tom’s Run Valley at the base of the Forest Cathedral. (2 hrs)

Friday, July 31 at 1:00 p.m. – ‘Fire Tower/Seneca Point Historical Tour’

Please bring your binoculars and meet at the Fire Tower Parking Lot for a historical interpretive tour of the Fire Tower and Seneca Point by DCNR Conservation Volunteer, Greg Burns. Learn about local logging history, observe Indian sign, and take a breathtaking view from the top of the Fire Tower. (1.5 hrs)