Wild Beils

Pine Grove Furnace State Park in Cumberland County, PA is a great place to learn about the Appalachian Trail! 🥾 The park marks the halfway point of the famous 2,190 mile trail 🥾The park is home to the Appalachian Trail Museum, where visitors can learn about trail’s history and culture 🥾It’s a tradition for AT thru-hikers to stop by the park’s General Store to attempt the “Half Gallon Challenge” — where they eat a 1/2 gallon of ice cream in one sitting then chronicle their feat in in a log book. It was fun to read the entries from the season’s first thru-hikers who had already passed by before our visit in early May! Is hiking the AT on your bucket list?? #PAOCC24 #FoundItInCV #VisitHersheyHarrisburg #KeystoneTrailsAssociation #PAParksAndForests #PAStateParks #appalachiantrail #hemlockstohellbenders

Imagine you’re picking someone up from the @pitairport…but instead of driving in circles around the airport grounds or parking illegally on the side of the road, you stop for a hike! Sounds way better, am I right?  Each of these parks is 20 min or less from the airport and have miles upon miles of hiking trails to explore. So next time you’re on “airport duty”, make sure to build a little extra time into your trip to check out one of these trails:  🌳Settlers Cabin Park 🥾Waterfall Trail This Allegheny County Park is located just off I-376 in Robinson Twp. To complete the full hike, take the Waterfall Trail (.44mi) to the Green Loop (1.3 mi)  The waterfall is located right about where the two trails meet, you can shorten this to a 1 mile hike, but I recommend the full loop. Both trails are rated moderately difficult due to the elevation gain/loss to get down to the waterfall.  🌳Hillman State Park 🥾Wetlands Trail Located southwest of the airport, Hillman State Park has an interesting history.  The ~2.5 mile Wetlands Trail loops around several small lakes, remnants of the strip coal mining activities that occurred on the land before it was donated to the state in 1969.   As the name implies, the trail is wet and muddy.   This is a popular hunting area so make sure you’re visible if you’re there during fall or winter. I would generally avoid this park during big game season.  🌳Raccoon Creek State Park  🥾Mineral Springs Loop  Another spot with an interesting history, Frankfort Mineral Springs used to be home to a resort where visitors would come to drink or bathe in the spring’s waters which were believed to have medicinal properties. This easy 1.2 mile hike takes you to the springs where you’ll find a small waterfall and “cave” you can climb around in. It’s beautiful in any season, and worth a visit in winter when the overhang is covered in icicles.  A few creek crossings can be muddy during wet seasons. Complete

Did you know the @alleghenycountyparks has its own trails app? The app has been around for several years, and is a great resource for hikers in the Pittsburgh area!  This free app allows you to see the entire 200+ mile trail system throughout the county’s 9 parks. What I really love about this app is its simplicity. It has everything you need, and nothing you don’t.  The app’s top features include:  *Color-coded trails *Distance and elevation information  *Ability to record your hike *Ability to track your location *Downloadable maps for offline use *Easy to use I would definitely recommend this app to anyone planning to explore the Allegheny County Parks!  Do you use local parks apps for your hikes?  (Thank you to @mmspaulo for introducing me to this great resource!) #outsidepittsburgh #getoutsidepittsburgh #westernpa #hikepittsburgh #hikealleghenycounty #westernpahikes #hikewesternpa #womenwhohike #sheexplores #womenwhoexplore #sheadventures #womenwhoexplorepennsylvania #womenwhoexplorepittsburgh #explorepatrails #getoutsoorspa

I love discovering new outdoor resources for our family to explore, and this place is a true gem! Powdermill Nature Reserve is the Carnegie Museum of Natural History’s environmental research center, and is nestled in the Laurel Highlands between Ligonier and Donegal. Admission to Powdermill is FREE to visit, and there is so much to do in and around the nature center, like: 🦉Learn about animals native to our area; 📚Read in the book nook (stocked with exclusively nature-focused books!); 🖍Do some coloring; 🚽Walk through the “Marsh Machine” and learn more about how it works to recycle the facility’s water! 🥾Head outside for some great family friendly hiking trails alongside Powdermill Run. These trails are well marked and maintained, and are great for baby carrying, toddler wandering and even for older explorers (*but not great for wheels). ✨BONUS✨ 🐦Powdermill is also home to an Avian Research Center, which conducts bird-banding and other research programs. Plan your visit during one of their Open Houses for a behind-the-scenes experience where you can watch and learn how the researchers capture and band the birds! Check their calendar for events during spring migration. Powdermill updates its Events on its page which I’ll link to in my “Nature Center” stories bubble above. For a full review of Powdermill Nature Reserve, head to our BLOG link in our bio! Have you visited Powdermill Nature Reserve? #outsidepittsburgh #getoutsidepittsburgh #westernpa #hikepittsburgh #kidsburgh #pittsburghkids #laurelhighlands #explorepatrails #getoutsoorspa #pastateparks #golaurelhighlands #laurelhighlands #paparksandforests #naturecenter #naturereserve #carnegiemuseum #powdermill

We’re already a week into December! Have you run out of outdoor activities to complete with your kids this holiday season?! When it comes to spending more time outside with your kids, coming up with ideas can be half the challenge! Don’t worry, I’ve got you covered - and by that I mean I’m sending you straight to two phenomenal resources for ourdoor and/or nature activities for kids!! First up, @1000hoursoutside has created an Outside Advent Calendar (actually, they’ve created TWO calendars - one for each cold and warm weather locations!! So darn thoughtful!) We had so much fun working our way through these activities last December, and with this list posted on our kitchen wall, we were never without an idea for what to do on any given day. (A link to the advent calendar is in my bio above!) If you’re looking for super sweet and creative nature crafts to do with your kids, then you MUST check out @littlepinelearners . Here you will find truly creative ideas for crafts that incorporate nature and celebrate the spirit of the season! What outdoor activity are you most looking forward to doing with your kids this season?? _________________________________________ Follow @wild_beils for more outdoor family content to help you to get outside with your family! _________________________________________ Outdoor Kids, 1000 Hours Outside, Get Outside with Kids, Outdoor Childhood, Nature Kids #getkidsoutside #getoutsidewithkids #wildandfreekids #naturewithkids #runwildmychild #1000hoursoutside #optoutside #raisethemwild #outdoorchildhood #getoutsideandplay #optoutdoors #exploringnaturewithchildren #outsideisbetter #outdoorparenthood #outdoorparenting #pittsburghmomblog #outsidepittsburgh #getoutsidepittsburgh #westernpa # natureactivities #kidsburgh