Penns View Overlook

Penns View Overlook

By Michael Hermann; Lizard Tracks, Centre Daily Times, September 16,1999

Penns View is a rugged overlook high above Penns Valley and Penns Creek in Bald Eagle State Forest. It can be easily reached by car or you can take the challenge of a moderate mountain bike ride. The road surface is dirt, and at times can be rough, but an average automobile should have no trouble accessing it. The incredible view of Penns Valley is well worth the time and effort.

There is no bad time of year to visit Penns View. The fall colors are fantastic but summer greenery and winter white provide an equally stunning panoramic. Overlooks have always been popular destinations and Penns View is among those noted in the 1959 publication written by Paul Dobbs; “Where To Go and Place-Names of Centre County.” In it he calls Penns View “...perhaps the finest mountain view to be seen in Centre County.” I agree with that today.

You may share the view with an Amish clan, as this is a popular destination among the horse and buggy adventurers. I feel foolish when I pull up in a modern SUV and park next to an immaculate buggy, embarrassed by my excessive means of transportation. When I pedal my mountain bike to the overlook I feel much better, my “iron horse” blends with the environment less obtrusively, although my lycra outfit is brazenly out of place.

Older mountain bikers may remember this overlook as part of the Coburn Mountain Bike Races held in the late 1980’s. The Bicycle Shop, in State College, promoted a bike race along this route that attracted over 400 riders. At that time the mountain bike industry was in its infancy and considered by some to be a passing fad. The Coburn Races became an east coast phenomenon that national magazines still refer to.

Early mountain bike races had a charming, non-competitive innocence to them. In the middle of the race course riders would be so taken by the stunning overlook at Penns View that they would stop their bikes and take a break! People would pull over and catch their breath, introduce themselves, make small talk, enjoy the view and when satisfied, get back in the race. It was so much fun to be outdoors and explore 25 miles of dirt roads with 400 other people that they really didn’t want it to end, so why hurry?

From Penns View the mountain drops away steeply, not exactly a sheer cliff but close to it. There is enough of a defined edge that you find yourself peering over it, cautiously, and stepping back to safer ground. Several large rocks make comfortable seating areas to drink in the landscape. Penns Creek winds through a water gap over a thousand feet below. An abandoned railroad bed follows its banks and the steel railroad bridge spans the water. The railroad disappears into the hillside following a tunnel enroute to Coburn.

The village of Coburn sits below, its rooftops as quaint as any New England postcard, nestled along the banks of the river. Beyond that is Millheim and Aaronsburg with Woodward to the east. Central and eastern Penns Valley offers a beautiful expanse of farms, fields and forests, unspoiled by the dense urban sprawl that has spilled into its western edges from the State College side.

Continuing on the dirt road after Penns View there are several more overlooks you can explore. These are not quite as obvious because the road begins to drop off the ridge and descend into Poe Paddy Picnic Area. Look for any opening on the left, an old road or footpath, and chances are it leads to a fine overlook within a hundred yards.

At Poe Paddy the road meets Penns Creek, the Mid-State Trail and a Rails-to-Trails path which offers an afternoon, or a weekend, of activities. Bald Eagle State Forest covers the entire eastern edge of Centre County, from Rt. 322 at Seven Mountains to Interstate 80, a distance of over 30 miles. Countless trails and dirt roads traverse this forest, which covers parts of Centre, Mifflin, Union and Clinton Counties. Maps are available from Purple Lizard that show the overlook: most convenience stores carry the Centre County & State College Street Map by Purple Lizard.

When you go: From State College follow Rt. 45 east. About 5 miles after Spring Mills follow signs to Poe Valley State Park and/or Poe Paddy Picnic Area. Cross Penns Creek on the Millheim Pike and head up the mountain. Turn left on Pine Swamp Road and left on Poe Paddy Drive. Penns View is at the top of the ridge. Signs are sparse and there is a good chance you’ll get lost exploring this area so plan on it and enjoy the adventure!