Doing a road trip through the Northern Tier/Endless Mountains, any sights we should see?

Submitted by Nvjds t3_10127d9 in Pennsylvania

Me and my brother (we live in Cleveland) are doing a 2 day road trip tomorrow to collect some counties in northern PA. I collect counties, as in when I visit a county, I’ve 'got' it, and I put it on my map. Here is my map of PA:

https://mob-rule.com/view/USA/PA/nvjds

Tomorrow, we're going to hit the 5 counties I have left. Cameron, Potter, Tioga, Wyoming, and Sullivan, in that order. I’ve been looking into sights to see along the way, but as these are some very rural areas, its winter, and we don’t hunt (I know hunting is huge in these parts), I wanted to make sure I asked this sub if theres anything really cool we should do or see while we’re there. As the map shows, I’ve never been, so its all new to me.

Currently, we’re pretty sure we want to see the Pennsylvania Grand Canyon. We think we’re staying the night in Wyoming County, either in Tunkhannock or Meshoppen. From Cleveland, we'll be exiting i80 in PA to go to Emporium (Cameron County), from there head to Coudersport, then Wellsboro, then spend the night in Wyoming County, drive through Laporte and Dushore (Sullivan County), then take i80 all the way home to Cleveland. So, ANY advice about any of these counties or towns, would be very greatly appreciated! We aren’t very hard to impress, and I’ll be looking for Birch Beer throughout my journey. Thank you in advance to all who respond!

TLDR - Me and my bro are going on a road trip through the Northern Tier/PA Wilds/Endless Mountains/Northern Pennsylvania. I’ve done research, but I feel like asking people more familiar with the areas we’re gonna visit can’t hurt. I’m really excited for this trip, and reddit has given me great travel advice in the past. Thanks again!

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Dispatcher12 t1_j2l832p wrote

There's kind of a neat old hotel in Wyalusing you could stay in, I don't know what sort of accommodation you'd find in Meshoppen but regarding Meshoppen BE CAREFUL OF THE 35 MPH ZONE. They have like one cop and he always seems to be working and gives zero breaks.

If you come into Wellsboro for lunch unfortunately the Red Lantern House is closed Mondays but Becks Bistro is decent. Another consideration - the Burning Barrel out at Rt 6 and Colton Point Road.

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Nvjds OP t1_j2l8ogf wrote

We picked Meshoppen because of its location. Its the furthest point from Cleveland in our route. In fact, it looks like we’re staying outside Tunkhannock instead, found a cheap hotel there.

THANK YOU love the speeding ticket advice. They’re the bain of my existence.

As for food, local yes yes! Me and my brother are the opposite of picky eaters. But if we’re looking for ‘local’ cuisine, what do you recommend? I guess it can be any restaurant on PA6 between coudersport and meshoppen!

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Dispatcher12 t1_j2loc4h wrote

Well, you've got Vinny's or the A & W West End Grill in Coudersport that are both good. Unfortunately the Burning Barrel is not open on Monday, in Wellsboro you've got Becks Bistro and Wellsboro House... Some of the restaurants in town don't do lunch. I don't want to be negative about my less favorite places in town but there are other options that are meh or nothing special (or, if you want both, we have a Pizza Hut). There are pizza joints and sub shops that are ok. I can't speak to the quality of the places in Wysox or Troy because anytime I'm passing through either we're on the way to my in laws and don't need to stop to eat, but I do hear good things about Oliver's in Wysox.

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Nvjds OP t1_j2qjvtg wrote

We went to Vinnys tonight! It was actually super good. We saw they had a 'vinnys sampler' where you choose 5 random entrees and get two portions of each... mind blowing, we honestly don’t have that in Ohio much. It was crazy good. Got wings with 'garbage' sauce too. We also found that the Dandy marts (which we’ve never seen before) have pretty good food. Solid so far! We’re also staying in that hotel, its a cool room, we love the old school vibe, cable tv, and tomorrow onto Sullivan! Thanks for your advice :) we're happy to have taken it!

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Dispatcher12 t1_j2qk1g1 wrote

I'm glad you enjoyed it! I hope you have a great trip!

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PsychicSarahSays t1_j2mcirm wrote

Ah, Meshoppen. Got my first and only speeding ticket there. When the police officer came up to my window, he said he “knew” I saw him at the beginning of the 35 mph and didn’t slow down (I didn’t see him). He told me where he had been sitting, allegedly, as idk he could have been lying. And he was willing to die on that hill, that I clearly looked at him and locked eyes and didn’t slow down. I had no idea what he was talking about and it just made him angrier the more I was honest with him.

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Dispatcher12 t1_j2mpr62 wrote

Ugh. That same guy alleged that I was going 70mph UPHILL out of town. In a shitty state 2001 Dodge Caravan my company bought at the Harrisburg auto auction. Not if I stood on the gas pedal, pal. Then he went on to remind me that it was Halloween and there is "a lot of drunk driving". I'm in professional clothes with a briefcase on the seat beside me in a minivan. At 2 in the afternoon.

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PsychicSarahSays t1_j2msz2k wrote

Yep that’s him, alright!

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Nvjds OP t1_j2qk5vk wrote

We’re going to Meshoppen tomorrow. How recent was this? Sounds like I need to be careful either way, I do not want a ticket at all 😵 but I figure its worth seeing another little town. They’re very cool to drive through :)

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[deleted] t1_j2lfl1o wrote

I’m assuming you be leaving emporium on 120 and heading up 872 in sinnemahoning.

Keep an eye out for elk once you leave emporium. A great place to see them is just a mile or so south of the 120/872 intersection, there is a large house in the left with some open fields around it, I’d head past 872 to check it out and then turn back to continue on your trip. It’s private property, but you can see everything just by slowing down a bit. No need ti exit your vehicle.

You’ve got a good chance of seeing an elk on 872. Direct a lot of your attention the the east side of the first fork of sinnemahoning creek, and on the west side of 872 near Lick Island Run.

Sinnemahoning state park is worth the stop. I think the wildlife center will be closed because of the observed holiday tomorrow. You can turn right at the entrance to the lake and travel the park road for several miles until it links back up with 872 north of the park office. Elk sightings are possible in the park.

The Austin dam ruins are pretty neat to see, just north of the town of Austin.

Coudersport doesn’t have much going on this time of year. There is a small Elliot Ness museum in town, not sure if the hours, but there is a connection between Ness and Cleveland. He only lived here a short time, and was pretty much a drunk.

A-W west end grill is a decent place to eat in Coudersport, as well as The Orion Inn. I’d avoid the Hotel Crittenden, it’s popular with tourists, but I’ve given it several chances and it’s never impressed me.

The PA Lumber Museum is worth the stop, but I believe they are closed as well.

If your not turned off by dive bars, the Permastone Inn east of Galeton has some good food and huge portions. You can get a 2 lb burger for like 10 bucks. Ask to see their room of odd taxidermy.

See the PA Grand Canyon from the east rim. The west rim is open to snowmobiles, and while it’s been warm for a few days, the unplowed packed down roads have turned into sheets of ice. The Burning Barrel Tavern in Ansonia is a decent place for food as well.

Personally, I’d just drive right through Wellsboro. The whole town is a tourist trap, the food is over priced and I almost lose my temper every time I have to drive through town because of the traffic.

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Nvjds OP t1_j2ljuqk wrote

Actually, and after tweaking the route just a bit, we’re going to enter Cameron through route 555, hit Driftwood, go up to Emporium, then NE into Potter County. 682 is out of the way unfortunately, but hopefully driving the length of Cameron County will provide a view of some elk.

The Austin Dam thing is insane. I’m totally adding a stop for that. It's pretty much already on the way. I’m gonna not tell my brother about it until we get there, see his take! Thats a very unusual thing to see.

Thanks for the info on food in Coudersport, and I will drive right through Wellsboro, considering we have a time crunch with the sun going down at 5pm.

As it stands, I’m heading from Cleveland to Driftwood, to Emporium, to Austin, to Coudersport, stopping at the PA Grand Canyon, to Wyalusing, to Meshoppen, to Dushore, to LaPorte, maybe we'll check out Dry Run Falls or High Knob Overlook in Sullivan, and pretty much back to Cleveland!

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OkConfection2617 t1_j2mootb wrote

Not sure if it fits your route, but kinzua. Old railroad bridge over a valley that was blown down in a tornado. They made a really cool glass bottom viewing platform..and the bridge still lies in the valley

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Nvjds OP t1_j2mpmg2 wrote

I looked into this, its really cool but its about an hour out of the way :( wish i knew about it earlier though, I’ve been to that area before, just had no idea what was nearby I guess.

We are gonna make a stop in Austin to see the abandoned dam and paper mill!

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OkConfection2617 t1_j2myi7r wrote

Bummer, super cool place to check out if you ever get there again!!

Enjoy the toad trip! Tioga/Potter are my fave!

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Nvjds OP t1_j2qkmux wrote

Actually, based on the route we’ve decided to take tomorrow, we’re currently 5 hours even away from it :0 we could probably go? Assuming we get there before the sun sets. We’re leaving Wyalusing in the am for this reason, we missed the PA grand canyon today because it was like 9pm when we got there. Hopefully we do it right this time around!

We saw Potter County during the day. Ate at Vinnys, it was a very beautiful area. Was crazy how quiet it was everywhere you went, and the amount of rivers in this area is shocking. Super cool trip so far!

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OkConfection2617 t1_j2reovd wrote

Glad you’re enjoying it! I went to college up there, and have been going there since I was 5! I think the quiet is my favorite part! I even ran an organized 5k (conquer the canyon) at the grand canyon a few years back. Def. a great spot if you enjoy the outdoors!

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vortical42 t1_j2obut0 wrote

Austin is a cool historical site, but you should temper your expectations. There are a few big chunks of the dam, but a lot of it is washed away. As for the mill, that is a different location and I'm not sure if it is accessible without trespassing. The good news is that you might be able to see it from the road this time of year.

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Wuz314159 t1_j2l8bn3 wrote

Be sure to check out the only traffic light in Sullivan County.

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Nvjds OP t1_j2l8v8l wrote

Believe it or not, thats literally one of the sights on our list 😂😅. My suburb must have 100 traffic lights alone. I think Cameron County might also only have one, streetview-ing Emporium I could only find one 🤷🏻‍♂️

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photoman2962 t1_j2myagv wrote

Actually Emporium is civilized now. We have two traffic lights now, lol.

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Nvjds OP t1_j2qkt90 wrote

Emporium was cool! Nice guy filled up our gas, and we bought souvenirs at the chamber of commerce. The lady there was super friendly and helpful! Driftwood was honestly a little eerie, wikipedia says 64 people live there but i feel like it has to be more?

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[deleted] t1_j2rq162 wrote

Most of those houses in driftwood area are seasonal cabins for downstate people.

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WorldlinessClassic94 t1_j2nbqkq wrote

In Wyoming County, town of Nicholson is the Tunkhannock Creek Viaduct. Absolutely should be on your list. Maybe 20+ minutes from Tunkhannock.

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vortical42 t1_j2ode4p wrote

If you can manage the timing and don't mind camping (or sleeping in your car) Cherry Springs is a must see. Some of the darkest night skies you can get without going out west.

Also, looking at your route, it looks like you are heading through St. Mary's? If so, Straub Brewery might be worth checking out as well. If you like beer, they do free tours and samples.

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Nvjds OP t1_j2ql0xv wrote

We really wanted to see stars, but its been overcast all night :( honestly devastating. Our waitress at vinnys actually told us about cherry springs too, but there aren’t even pockets of cloudless sky tonight.

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Blu_Skies_In_My_Head t1_j2laieg wrote

In Sullivan:

High Knob & Dry Run Falls (check road condition first though).

Eagles Mere Air/Car Museums (check hours and days open though).

There’s a cool toboggan in Eagles Mere, but I’m not sure if it’s been consistently cold enough to be running.

There’s three covered bridges around the Forksville/Highgrove area. The cheesesteak place in Forksville is great.

Wyoming County:

The Fireplace on 6 is a great restaurant - excellent bisque and prime rib

The overlook of rt 6 where you can see French Azilum is pretty. French Azilum was built to be a safe haven for Marie Antoinette.

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Nvjds OP t1_j2lbyby wrote

Wtf I just looked into the Marie Antoinette thing… thats so random?? I’ve never heard of that in my life. We’re adding a stop for that.

These restaurant tips are great too. Do places in this region tend to sell Venison? Would love to try some premium deer meat

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Blu_Skies_In_My_Head t1_j2lcotf wrote

I don’t know of one, but would love to know if one exists. Good luck!

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Nvjds OP t1_j2le1oj wrote

I’ll be sure to post about it here! Follow up question for you, is Forksville worth a visit? Our route is Meshoppen to Dushore to Laporte, then back down to i80 then back home. I’m starting to wonder if I should add Forksville and Eagles Mere to the route, give Sullivan County a few extra hours. Might use ‘worlds end road.’ Not worth it in the winter?

Info about Sullivan County has proven very hard to find, so thanks for your help!

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Blu_Skies_In_My_Head t1_j2lf15i wrote

Yeah, I’m not sure about the roads there right now, but it’s been really warm the last few days, so they should be fairly clear if they are paved.

This site has some info on PA road conditions and construction.

Eagles Mere is definitely worth it if the museums are open.

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rhiannon1001 t1_j2lf9l1 wrote

There’s a covered bridge there but not much else. Big Mike’s (cheesesteak joint) is closed for the season. Also be aware that Route 154 is closed between Worlds End Road and the park entrance. It’s just a few miles but requires a longish detour. Worlds End Road should be fine, it’s paved. Dry Run Rd to the falls and High Knob is mostly a no winter maintenance road and very spotty cell service so use caution. I recommend downloading offline Google maps for that area.

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Nvjds OP t1_j2lh2p0 wrote

Ohhhh so thats why google maps was rerouting me... where exactly is it closed? Thats actually a pretty important detail, there are so few roads that I basically would have to pick between Eagles and Forksville. I’d rather see a view/falls than a covered bridge, though. Just downloaded the map too, thank you for that, that might save my ass tomorrow 😂

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rhiannon1001 t1_j2mtz6y wrote

If you are traveling Route 154 west from US 220 you can get to Worlds End Rd. If you are traveling 154 east from Route 87, you can get to the Worlds End State Park entrance but there is no route east (at least not on accessible roads) past the park.

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Nvjds OP t1_j2ql8tu wrote

Okay great! We’d be going into it from 220. Worth a stop? We'll be by it around noon if things go to plan

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That_Checks t1_j2ld2xr wrote

Any venison you buy in PA will be farm raised, probably red deer. If it's whitetail; it's illegal to buy.

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Nvjds OP t1_j2ldd78 wrote

Oh wow thats neat, i didn’t know that at all. I mean either way, its pretty good shit. Will definitely be on the lookout!

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That_Checks t1_j2lf0yi wrote

Shafferfarms.com is one place I am aware that sells elk/venison. They are in Northumberland County. Enjoy your trip!

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KyleVanderpump t1_j2lxtna wrote

I second the Wyoming county recs. There is also a restaurant on 6 called Twigs that is good as well as T&C. Pompeii's is a great choice for pizza.

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Nvjds OP t1_j2qlhth wrote

We’re gonna be in meshoppen pretty briefly, but will definitely look out for those, at least to say 'hey I’ve heard of that place!'

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NewYork_NewJersey440 t1_j2oxyj2 wrote

Seconded on Dry Run Falls, discovered it sort of by accident a few years ago. Definitely check road conditions, as it’s unpaved.

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Nvjds OP t1_j2qlwoc wrote

We'll definitely check it out, we had a similar issue today with the Austin dam road was fully iced over. Is worlds end park worth a visit?

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Illustrious_Air_1438 t1_j2qgchb wrote

Worlds End State Park.

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Nvjds OP t1_j2qm2oh wrote

Whats at worlds end state park? Sounds cool just based on the name. We’re probably gonna try to see dry run falls

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Illustrious_Air_1438 t1_j2scrtv wrote

Lots of hiking trails, but the most well known view is Canyon Vista.

Also, I've never been there but the Haystacks are not far from there in Loyalsock State Forest. They are rock formations in the Loyalsock Creek.

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