Nolde Forest Environmental Education Center

11/05/2026

Join the Friends of Nolde Forest on Friday Nov 13 for a Nolde Mansion Open House

Come join the Friends for our Harvest Celebration open house! Fall is in the air, the leaves are crunching beneath your feet...a wonderful time of year to come enjoy the beauty of the Mansion.

10/30/2026

Don't be Dan. Be like Bob. See where fall color is peaking before you go at www.pa.gov/FallFoliage

10/29/2026

It's time for your Week 5 Fall Foliage Report! 🍁🍂

The continued pattern of warm days followed by cold nights and frosty mornings is continuing to transform southern Pennsylvania’s forests into a mosaic of fall color. With minimal winds helping to extend the peak in many counties, fantastic autumn shades are now visible from the middle and southern Appalachians to the southern Alleghenies and deep into the forests of southeastern PA.

As fall foliage season winds down, this weekend may be the last great opportunity to soak in the wonderful colors across a large portion of Penn’s Woods.

Photo 1: Norcross Vista (Elk Forest District)
Photo 2: Edinboro (Erie County)
Photo 3: Sinking Springs Road (Tiadaghton Forest District)

View the full report: pa.gov/fallfoliage

10/29/2026

Investment in Pennsylvania's state parks pays off!

New data from a Penn State study shows the Commonwealth’s 125 free and open to the public state parks yielded over $16 for every $1 invested. Researchers estimate state park visitors spent $1.2 billion in Pennsylvania communities within 50 miles of a state park on visits to state parks in 2025.

Learn more: https://www.pa.gov/agencies/dcnr/newsroom/new-data--pennsylvania-s-free-state-parks-generate--16-in-econom

10/28/2026

Discover PA’s past in a whole new way! The DCNR/America250PA GeoTrail is now available, guiding adventurers to 25 state parks to uncover history through geocaching.

Explore, find, and log all caches to earn a completion coin.

Learn more: https://www.pa.gov/agencies/dcnr/recreation/what-to-do/geocaching/dcnr-geo-trail

10/27/2026

Beneath a night sky alive with magic, Cherry Springs State Park feels like stepping into another world.

If you’re chasing wonder, inspiration, or an enchanted place to lose yourself in a good read, our state parks are waiting to be explored.

10/26/2026

Can you guess this state park?

Here's a hint: the park shares a name with its popular lake! ⛵

Check the comments for the answer!

10/24/2026

A wonderful day working in the park. We are so thankful for our Volunteers!

10/23/2026

Meet the new assistant park manager for Bald Eagle State Park in central Pennsylvania.

With two campgrounds, boating, fishing, swimming, the Nature Inn, and diverse habitats that are excellent for wildlife watching, Bald Eagle State Park is a great destination in the heart of Pennsylvania.

Learn more: https://www.pa.gov/agencies/dcnr/newsroom/dcnr-names-new-assistant-manager-bald-eagle-state-park-in-centre

10/22/2026

Last chance for our weekend programs. We hope you join us!

We have lots of fun programs happening THIS FRIDAY & SATURDAY! Come join us for some fall fun!! 😄🌲

**Registration is required for each of these events, even if they're free. Click on the event link after each listing to learn more and register!**

🎃 FRIDAY, Oct 23 🦇

4pm Halloween GLOW Afterschool Camp ($10 per child):
https://events.dcnr.pa.gov/event/afterschool-steam-camp-halloween-glow

6pm Storytime and Eyeshine Hike (Family-friendly) (FREE):
https://events.dcnr.pa.gov/event/storytime-and-eyeshine-hike

🍂 SATURDAY, Oct 24 🍁

10:30am Herbal and Garden Folklore Program (Family-friendly) (FREE):
https://events.dcnr.pa.gov/event/herbal-and-garden-folklore

1pm Beauty of Botany Walk (Adults-only) (FREE):
https://events.dcnr.pa.gov/event/the-beauty-of-botany-6478

10/22/2026

It's time for your Week 4 Fall Foliage Report! 🍁🍂

Recent cold nights have sparked dramatic color changes across Pennsylvania’s forests, and now vibrant hues are bursting statewide. From the Poconos to the Allegheny Plateau, across the full sweep of the Appalachians and into the southeastern corners of the state, the autumn cheer of Penn’s Woods is on full display.

It’s shaping up to be one of the most impressive fall foliage seasons in a few years, making right now the perfect time to get outside and enjoy Pennsylvania’s breathtaking autumn scenery!

Photo 1: Mason Hill (Elk Forest District)
Photo 2: Bark Road (Buchanan Forest District)
Photo 3: Route 402 (Delaware Forest District)

View the full report: pa.gov/fallfoliage

10/22/2026

PA Outdoor Corps is Pennsylvania’s premier youth conservation workforce development and training program run by the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources in partnership with Student Conservation Association.

Follow us to learn more about the program and see what our crews are doing in the field!

10/21/2026

Fall is showing off at many Pennsylvania state parks! 🍁

Check out some of our favorite autumn photos captured and shared by you! Got one you'd like to share? Drop it in the comments below!

10/20/2026

We have lots of fun programs happening THIS FRIDAY & SATURDAY! Come join us for some fall fun!! 😄🌲

**Registration is required for each of these events, even if they're free. Click on the event link after each listing to learn more and register!**

🎃 FRIDAY, Oct 23 🦇

4pm Halloween GLOW Afterschool Camp ($10 per child):
https://events.dcnr.pa.gov/event/afterschool-steam-camp-halloween-glow

6pm Storytime and Eyeshine Hike (Family-friendly) (FREE):
https://events.dcnr.pa.gov/event/storytime-and-eyeshine-hike

🍂 SATURDAY, Oct 24 🍁

10:30am Herbal and Garden Folklore Program (Family-friendly) (FREE):
https://events.dcnr.pa.gov/event/herbal-and-garden-folklore

1pm Beauty of Botany Walk (Adults-only) (FREE):
https://events.dcnr.pa.gov/event/the-beauty-of-botany-6478

10/19/2026

A new Chronolog station has been set up at the historic stone bridge. Take photos when you come visit the park and be part of a community science effort to document the changes in the forest over time.

What if you could watch Nolde Forest change through the seasons, one photograph at a time? Thanks to a new Chronolog station supported by the Friends of Nolde Forest, you can help make that happen! Chronolog is a community science project that brings together photographs taken from the same location over time, creating a crowd-sourced time-lapse that reveals the changing landscape. Our station, NOL-101, is located near the historic Stone Bridge and Teaching Station #6, overlooking Punches Run. From this spot, you can capture the changing stream, surrounding beech and hemlock trees, and historic features connected to the Nolde family’s vision of planting and conserving the forest. Link in the comments!

10/09/2026

We'd like to send a huge thank you to our friends, the Pagoda Pacers!! Earlier in the year, the Pacers organized a fundraising 10k race in the park (the always-fun Run For The Ages event). On top of all of their hard work in setting up the event, they very generously donated $1420.24 of the proceeds to the Friends! We are always happy to see the Pacers out and about in the park, thank you again to all who contributed.

09/24/2026

Last call for our programs on Saturday, Sept 26:

9:00am - Behind the Lens: Fundamentals, Camera Gear and Field Techniques in Digital Nature Photography workshop https://events.dcnr.pa.gov/event/behind-the-lens-fundamentals-camera-gear-and-field-techniques-in-digital-nature-photography

1:00pm - The Beauty of Botany - https://events.dcnr.pa.gov/event/the-beauty-of-botany-6478

09/21/2026

The permit only archery deer hunt has started in Nolde Forest. Hikers (and their leashed dogs) are encouraged to wear blaze orange while hiking the trails.

There are orange safety vests available in the Sawmill parking lot kiosk if you would like to borrow one. We just ask that you return it for the next hiker when you are done.

Hunting hours at Nolde Forest are from sunrise to 9am and from 3pm to sunset, though it is good practice to wear orange whenever you are out on the trails during hunting season, as other parks and forests have differing hours.