– by Matthew Leverknight
The town of Bellefonte is a top destination to sip, stay, and play in Pennsylvania. Located in the scenic Nittany Valley of the Allegheny Mountains just a short drive from State College and the main campus of Penn State, this historic town (established in 1795) has a long and proud history of hosting guests, and boasts a charming Victorian-era historic district, museums, art galleries, dining options, and easy access to outdoor recreation in the mountains and valleys around the town. Every year, more people discover just how much there is to do in Bellefonte and promise to return for more great experiences. Just consider the options for things to do in the great outdoors around Bellefonte.
Mountain Trails
Some of the top mountain biking on the East Coast is located in Rothrock State Forest. As a part of Pennsylvania’s large system of public forests, Rothrock is free for all to enjoy for many recreation activities. Because it’s used for much more than biking, always do your research before you go and make sure to wear safety orange during PA’s hunting seasons.
One of the best access points for this area is the Galbraith Gap Parking Area just outside Boalsburg, about a 20-minute drive south of Bellefonte. From here, you can access multiple trails that can form almost unlimited loops for biking adventures, including the Rothrock Trailmix. This is a challenging 36-mile loop loaded with a variety of ridge-top views, technical riding sections, flow sections, and solid climbs.
If that’s more than you want to tackle, no worries! Check out Spring Creek Canyon for a much more relaxed out-and-back adventure right in Bellefonte’s backyard.
Kayaking
Tussey Mountain Outfitters on Linn St. in Bellefonte next to Spring Creek should be any paddler’s first stop before adventuring out onto the area’s rivers and streams. This full-service kayak and canoe store and outfitter offers expert advice, gear sales and rentals, shuttle service, and guided expeditions along Spring Creek as it flows into Bald Eagle Creek and the Bullit Run Access Area in Bald Eagle State Park.
A highlight of Spring Creek just downstream from the High Street put-in area in Bellefonte is the Sunnyside Paddling Park, which features approximately 30 slalom gates hung on wires stretched across the stream. This feature dates to the mid-1960s, when a local Boy Scout Troop observed the need for better paddling training opportunities for USA paddlers to compete with European canoe slalom teams. The casual paddler can either take advantage of these gates to practice their slalom skills or avoid the gates entirely. However, please don’t bang into the gates or hold on to them, as this can damage the gates.
A typical kayak trip from Bellefonte to Bullit Run Access will take about 3-5 hours, depending on how fast you paddle. Due to some challenging sections on Spring Creek, it’s suggested that less experienced paddlers start their journey at the confluence of Spring Creek and Bald Eagle Creek in Milesburg, for a slightly shorter and smoother journey.
Fishing
Bellefonte is considered one of the top fly-fishing towns in Pennsylvania. You don’t even need to leave the town to fish, as anglers have access to a section of Spring Creek for catch and release fishing within the town itself, and continuing upstream of Bellefonte, Spring Creek Canyon provides a picturesque oasis for anglers, including the Fisherman’s Paradise Area. And, there are many more prime trout streams within a short drive of town: Penns Creek, Fishing Creek, Spruce Creek, and the Little Juniata River all offer great fishing opportunities. You can also combine kayaking with fishing, allowing access to areas unreachable by anglers on foot.
All these areas are known for their year-round fly fishing opportunities thanks to the natural springs that feed them, providing pure water and a perfect habitat for wild trout. Whatever time of year you visit, no angler should miss the chance to wet their lines in Bellefonte’s streams.
Live
While Bellefonte is a wonderful place to visit and explore, it also provides the best of many worlds if you’re looking for a new place to call home. The three most important words in real estate have always been “location, location, location” and thanks to the rise of remote working, many people are finding a new level of flexibility in where they choose to locate. Now, many people can do their jobs anywhere they have reliable internet service and convenient access to transportation for occasional visits to their employers’ central headquarters.
With that in mind, towns like Bellefonte are quickly being recognized as destinations to live in, not just visit. Why limit yourself to a few days in one of Pennsylvania’s top outdoor recreation spots, which also offers all the cultural amenities of a premier university town, when you can call it home?
Bellefonte offers a variety of housing options to choose from that range from classic Victorian-era homes in the historic district to freshly built construction just outside the town. It’s a wonderful place to raise the next generation, with safe neighborhoods and quality options for both public and private education. Bellefonte Area High School and several neighboring districts all boast +90% graduation rates.
Imagine your new routine living in Bellefonte: evening walking or jogging through the historic residential district, Friday nights at local restaurants and microbreweries, and weekend adventures hiking along the Spring Creek Canyon trail or biking up Tussey Mountain. On summer Sunday evenings, while visitors are already headed home, you can be one of the locals enjoying the summer concert series in Talleyrand Park, a Bellefonte tradition since 1981.
When you need to travel elsewhere for work and for play, Philadelphia and New York City are both within a 4-hour drive by car, while the State College Regional Airport offers direct flights to major hub airports in Philadelphia, Newark, and Chicago.
So if you’re looking for a new place to call home, consider Bellefonte.
