Some of the animals renters have reported seeing are deer, bear, river otters, bobcats, mountain lions (3 sightings), skunks, porcupines, raccoons, opossums, muskrats, beaver, rabbits, squirrels, chipmunks, coyotes and foxes.

Some of the birds renters have reported seeing are bald eagles, ospreys, herons, mergansers, geese, ducks, grosbeaks, gold finches, red tailed hawks, goshawks, owls, bluebirds, blue jays, orioles and many more common birds.

The Pine Creek Rail Trail runs for over 25 miles in either direction from Blackwell. The cabins are within a quarter mile of the trail and within a mile of the public access areas at Blackwell and Rattlesnake Rock. The trail is nearly level and is said to be one of the most scenic bike trails in the eastern U.S. Click here to see a map of the trail.

Bikes can be rented from Miller’s Store in Blackwell or from Pine Creek Outfitters in Ansonia.

The most popular boat trip is from Ansonia to Blackwell through the wilderness section of the PA Grand Canyon. The distance is 18 miles and it normally takes 4-5 hours to run. Boat rentals and shuttle services can be purchased at Pine Creek Outfitters in Ansonia. The prime time to run the canyon is March through May, because good water levels are very likely. Be sure to use a wetsuit during the early spring.

If you don’t have time for the canyon trip, there are several shorter excursions. Our family members love to take a leisurely afternoon float from Blackwell to Rattlesnake Rock or to Cedar Run during the summer. Because Babbs Creek flows into Pine Creek at Blackwell, this stretch has adequate water for boating during most of the summer. Don’t forget to stop for ice cream at the Cedar Run General Store!

The closest and best place to swim is at the Rattlesnake Rock Access Area. From either cabin, turn right onto Rt 414. Rattlesnake Rock is about a mile from the Waldhaus and about a half mile from the Ponderosa. At the access area, turn left and drive down to the parking area close to the stream. There is no life guard, so swim at your own risk. We recommend swimming just below Rattlesnake Rock at the boat access area, rather than in the large hole in front of Rattlesnake Rock. The large hole can be dangerous, especially when the water is high. Please do not swim alone or in high water conditions.

he most popular fishing streams in the Blackwell area are Pine Creek, Cedar Run (trophy trout regs), Slate Run (fly fishing only), and Stoney Fork, but there are also many native trout streams in the area. The formula for catching stocked trout is to fish any holes or deep riffles within 200 yards downstream of the bridges and access areas. As the water warms up the trout in Pine Creek move to areas with cold water flowing into the stream and fishing for bass and pan fish becomes more popular.

For more adventurous fisherman, there are excellent streams in the area for brook trout fishing. The Fish Commission can provide an extensive list of streams with wild trout reproduction. Generally, the further you hike from the nearest road, the larger and more aggressive the trout will be. Fishing for wild trout in remote areas can be as easy as making a quiet, downsteam approach to the pool and making a good first cast. Please limit your kills when fishing on these pristine streams, in order to maintain adequate populations for future reproduction.

The Slate Run Tackle Shop is an excellent resource for fishing supplies and information on stream conditions and fly hatches.

Obviously, the Pine Creek Rail Trail is a very popular hiking option. It’s flat and very scenic. The segment between Blackwell and Rattlesnake Rock (shown above left) is a beautiful hike of just 1.8 miles each way.

Another interesting hike is the trail to Gilespie Point. To get to the trail head, go back to Blackwell, cross the two bridges and turn right onto Big Run Road. The trail starts at the first right turn on Big Run Road only a hundred yards from Rt 414. This trail is a gradual uphill climb to a summit overlooking Pine Creek, Babbs Creek and the town of Blackwell. The climb takes about 45 minutes. Make sure you bring your camera!

Another rewarding hike is the trail to the Sand Run Falls. To find the trail, go to the Babbs Creek Inn in Morris. Take the gravel road behind the hotel and drive 6.8 miles. Look for a high bank on the left, then a small parking area followed by another mound of dirt on left. The trail starts below the parking area on the left. You will hike about 30 minutes and arrive on a small plateau above the falls, so stay back from the edge. Follow the trail, cross the creek above the falls and hike down the steep bank on the far side of the creek to the large pool below the falls. This is not a hike for small children or people who are afraid of heights. The falls is shown in the picture above.

Available Hunting Lands - Blackwell is surrounded by tens of thousands of acres of state forest and state game lands that are available for hunting. These forests have an abundance of oak and beech trees that provide good food sources for local wildlife. In addition there are several large clearcuts in the area in various stages of regrowth. These clearcuts provide both cover and diverse food sources for deer, bear, turkey and grouse.

Deer Hunting - Deer are common throughout the area, but tend to be concentrated in areas with good food sources, nearby water and escape cover. Archery hunters are most successful hunting near food sources in the early evening. Muzzleloader and rifle hunters do well hunting at the tops of ravines and the edges of steep hillsides that deer use as escape routes. Areas with farm crops have the highest concentrations of deer. The nearest farming areas are the Oregon Hill area and Delmar township area.

Turkey Hunting - The Blackwell area has good populations of wild turkeys. The cabins are in prime turkey habitat and turkeys frequently roost just a few hundred yards above the cabins. Another good area for turkey hunting is in the hills around Big Run Road on the other side of Pine Creek. Pre-season scouting by listening for gobbling in the early morning is the best way to increase your odds.

Bear Hunting - The unofficial mascot of Blackwell is the black bear, because bears are very abundant in the Blackwell area. Bears can be seen moving early and late in the day, but they like to bed during the midday in thick cover or in dens on steep hillsides. Successful hunters either put on drives or hunt in areas overlooking potential escape routes in high ravines or benches near the mountain tops.

Grouse Hunting - The best strategy for grouse hunting in the Blackwell area is to hunt the clearcuts. There are productive clearcuts in the gamelands near Big Run Road and in several areas on the left side of West Rim Road.

The Tyoga Country Club is the nearest golf course to Blackwell. It is located just outside of Wellsboro, about 25 minutes from the cabins.

The Corey Creek Golf Club is located near Mansfield, PA. It is about a 40 minute drive from the cabins.

When there is adequate natural snow, the Pine Creek Rail Trail is a nice, level trail for cross country skiing. For current conditions, you can call Ludwig’s Trailside Bed and Breakfast at 570-353-2013.

There are also two downhill ski areas in the vicinity of our cabins: Ski Sawmill is a great little skiing area that is just 15 minutes from the cabins.

Ski Denton Hill is a larger skiing area that is about an hour and 15 minutes from the cabins.

We rent out the Waldhaus cabin in the winter by the month to snowmobilers. The Waldhaus cabin is located on West Rim Road, which is a forestry road that is legal for snowmobiling. West Rim Road gives snowmobilers access to many miles of additional forestry roads and logging roads for snowmobiling.

Tioga Central Railroad - Take a step back in time and enjoy a scenic ride from Wellsboro to the NY border aboard a classic passenger train. Trains operate during summer months and offer optional dining trips.

Oregon Hill Winery - European style winery just a few miles south of Blackwell. Winery is owned and operated by an Austrian family, who are very cordial hosts and proudly serve their award winning wines to visitors.

Corning Glass Museum - Tour the Corning Glass Works museum and outlet store. The museum is located in Corning, NY. It is about an hour and 15 minute drive from the cabins.

Covered Wagon Tours - This company offers covered wagon rides through the PA Grand Canyon during the late spring, summer and fall.

Tioga Vistors Bureau Calendar - The Tioga Visitors Bureau website provides a month by month calendar of events in Tioga County. It contains the most complete list of upcoming events in the area.

Here are some of the most popular annual events in Tioga County:

Laurel Festival - The Pennsylvania State Laurel Festival is held each year in Wellsboro in mid-June.

Morris Rattlesnake Roundup - The rattlesnake roundup is a very popular event in this area. It is held around the second week of June. Contestants compete to catch the largest, male rattlesnake during a period of a few days. The event also has a large number of vendors on hand selling outdoor oriented art and other merchandise.

Endless Mountains Music Festival - This music festival consists of 16 concerts conducted in various towns around Tioga County during a two week period in late July and early August.

PA Grand Canyon Marathon - A marathon and half marathon are held annually in late July. The race route is along the western rim of the canyon.

Dickens of a Christmas - Every year during the first weekend of December Wellsboro is transformed into an early Victorian marketplace with lots of foods to try and unique gifts to buy.

PA Canyon - This is one of the most popular websites for visitors to the PA Grand Canyon. It contains lots of information about attractions, shopping, restaurants, and things to do. It also provides maps and links to other area websites.

Potter Tioga County Visitor’s Bureau - This website has lots of useful information about the area, including local attractions, recommended itineraries, restaurants, shops and parks. It also has a calendar of events that can be referenced by year and month.

Pine Creek Outfitters - For outdoor adventures in the PA Grand Canyon, Pine Creek Outfitters is an excellent resource. They rent bikes, rafts, canoes, wetsuits, and kayaks. They also run shuttles between the access areas above and below the wilderness section of the canyon. So, if you want to raft or bike down through the canyon, they can rent rafts or bikes for you to use and they can shuttle you from Blackwell back to their facility near Ansonia.

Wellsboro Chamber of Commerce - For information about Wellsboro, including shopping and dining information, select “Vacation Wellsboro” on this website. There is also some interesting historical information under the “Our Area” selection.