November 16, 2018
We added a new designation to our mapping repertoire in 2018: US Wilderness Area. In typical Lizard fashion, we didn't add this phrase to our maps for just any old Wilderness. We tackled some of the most serious (and seriously popular) wilderness areas in West Virginia: Dolly Sods, Laurel Fork North, Laurel Fork South, Otter Creek, and Roaring Plains West. Below, we provide a sample taste of what each of the wildness areas we mapped this year offer...
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November 13, 2018
Our Trail Guru discusses his completion of the first annual unPAved Pennsylvania gravel riding event, and how it has inspired him to ride more. "The rewarding feelings from this event are immeasurable and inspiring in so many ways: My friends and I sat around the evening after the event discussing winter bike gear needed to be able to prep for more events in 2019...especially the full 120-mile unPAved route."
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November 07, 2018
Otter Creek Wilderness Area hosts over 40 miles of hiking trails for those willing to tackle the challenge. Managed as a Wilderness Area, this is truly a wild place. No roads or other infrastructure may exist. Bikes, wheels, motors, and other machines are also prohibited. Trails are well established, but signs, blazes, and other interpretive media are almost completely absent.
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October 15, 2018
The Green Monster Loop includes almost 32 miles of exciting trails and additional side trails in this corner of Tioga State Forest. Features for trails in this area include wide single and double track paths with solid dirt treadways. The notorious rock gardens found in many other parts of 'Rocksylvania' are less common here. Almost all of the trails in this part of the forest are open to bicycles; riders and runners will enjoy these smooth and fast trails! Dozens of loop options exist in this part of Tioga State Forest, but today we'll give an example of this area by following the 50K loop in the same direction as the annual Green Monster Challenge. Pull out your Pine Creek Lizard Map and follow along with us today, then go out and discover this area for yourself!
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October 09, 2018
The Allegheny Trail (ALT) hugs the isolated Glady Fork River for over 25 miles. This hike will introduce you to one of the most rugged and wild sections of the entire ALT, as well as some fantastic campsites accessible by car. I recommend exploring this section as a long day hike, with a car and camping gear waiting for you at the finish. To set up a shuttle, you’ll be happy to have the Dolly Sods-Seneca Rocks Lizard Map showing you how to access the remote Forest Service roads.
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October 09, 2018
Follow along as Lizard Seeker Emily Huguenin leads us along another great adventure on the Allegheny Trail in West Virginia
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September 25, 2018
Since opening its doors in 1976, Shaver’s Creek Environmental Center has served as Penn State’s nature center and outdoor education field lab. The Creek has also become a mainstay within the community providing opportunities to connect with nature and each other through seasonal festivals, outreach programming, and a multi-faceted visitor experience. Additionally, Shaver’s Creek offers access to some amazing outdoor recreation opportunities for folks of all interests and ability levels.
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September 18, 2018
Every now and again we all need a break from the hustle and bustle of 21st Century America. Luckily, State College, PA, is surrounded by hundreds of thousands of acres of public lands that are waiting to embrace you with fresh air and natural light. Email, news, phone, school, snapchat, social media, text, traffic, tv, twitter, work...leave it all behind and head into the forest to rejuvenate!
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September 13, 2018
Travelers heading westbound on Route 322 over Seven Mountains are bound to run into traffic jams due to a $100 million PennDot road project that will widen the highway near General Potters Mills. Instead of getting frustrated sitting in traffic, we suggest pulling over at the Seven Mountain Roadside Rest Area and taking a quick hike to one of the best vistas along the 325 mile Mid State Trail!
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September 11, 2018
At 330 miles, the Allegheny Trail (ALT) is West Virginia’s longest hiking trail and one of its least traveled. In September 2017, my husband and I thru-hiked the ALT as a celebration of our 5-year wedding anniversary and to explore the Mountain State we call home. In three weeks, we discovered scenic back roads, lesser known recreation areas, hidden history, and endless solitude. This three-part blog series highlights the 40-mile section of the ALT that winds its way across the new Dolly Sods & Seneca Rocks Lizard Map.
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July 31, 2018
Recently, we enjoyed the perfect blend of summer fun - eating ice cream and riding bike on the Pine Creek Rail Trail in North Central Pennsylvania!
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July 24, 2018
Experience Seneca Rocks without any climbing gear along a 1.5-mile hiking trail leading to an awesome observation tower.
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July 10, 2018
Free dispersed camping along with hiking, biking, horseback riding, and driving adventures near Gandy Creek West Virginia.
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July 09, 2018
Discover an array of outdoor recreation in and around Davis and Thomas West Virginia!
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June 20, 2018
Purple Lizard Maps gives some insight on what it takes to create a recreational map of the highest quality.
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May 17, 2018
We have a new tool in our mapping kit, and it's quickly becoming our favorite. BH Easy Motion Bicycles asked us to test one of their Mountain e-bikes this season. We didn't know anything about e-bikes, but we use several types of bicycles in our field work, so this was a perfect opportunity to learn about this new ride in the world of cycling.
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May 17, 2018
As part of my training to attempt the Tour Divide mountain bike race in June, I planned on riding 215 miles from my home in Centre County, PA to several vistas overlooking the Pine Creek Gorge in the Tiadaghton State Forest, camping along the way. Combined with about 15,000 feet of climbing, this trip would closely match typical days on the Tour Divide.
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January 25, 2018
The Lizard Department of Adventure offers yet another great hike suggestion for those who want to discover the beauty of Northcentral PA: Tiadaghton Trail!
In beautiful Pine Creek Valley on the Pine Creek Lizard Map lies a long forgotten trail simply called the Tiadaghton Trail. It has been recently reopened by DCNR and a small group of dedicated volunteers. The southern half of this trail, now better than ever, consists of a very steep climb along a narrow ridge, followed by a beautiful ridgetop hike, concluding with a fantastic descent into a canyon that drains to Pine Creek by Waterville. It is a strenuous hike, but one that offers many rewards!
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January 05, 2018
Hikers and runners looking for a quick adventure near Route 30 need look no further than Charcoal Hearth Trail in Caledonia State Park. This trail offers various hiking surfaces, some climbing and descending, and historical significance, all bundled in a slightly less than 3-mile loop.
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December 15, 2017
Michaux State Forest, less than 3 hours from Philly, Pittsburgh, D.C., and 2 hours from Baltimore, MD and State College, PA, offers something for everyone: Over 85,000 acres of public land loaded with biking and hiking trails (over 300 miles of hiking and over 250 miles of shared use), great climbing crags, cross country ski trails, 40 miles of the Appalachian Trail, plus Caledonia, Mont Alto, Kings Gap, Pine Grove Furnace State Parks. Michaux is just waiting for you to explore!
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November 12, 2017
The Quehanna Trail in Moshannon and Elk State Forests, PA is an amazing 75-mile backpacking loop. The QT is a remote trail, with minimal cell reception and minimal use. The Quehanna Wild Area is outstanding and well-known, but the rest of this route is an unknown adventure! It includes a good amount of elevation change and tons of wildlife, including elk. Plenty of trailhead parking areas, including a few PA state parks, allow for easy access to this trail system. The QT never disappoints!
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October 08, 2017
As fall arrives, the weather cools, the bugs and the obvious presence of snakes diminish, and outdoor enthusiasts flock to the woods on the weekends to enjoy beautiful environments. In some areas of Pennsylvania, certain hunting seasons officially begin in September. While there are several publications to sift through regarding hunting regulations, we know you probably won't go out of your way to read those. Once fall arrives, it's a good idea to assume hunters will be sharing the woods with you while you are engaged in your outdoor adventures (except on Sundays!). Since Purple Lizard Maps wants everyone to enjoy the woods and safely, we thought a quick public service announcement regarding general risk mitigation practices during hunting season might be helpful.
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October 07, 2017
The West Rim Trail is an outstanding 30-mile backpacking trail along the western side of the Pennsylvania Grand Canyon. The trail is fairly well known, having been highlighted in multiple national outdoor recreation publications throughout the years. Overall the elevation change is moderate, campsites are plentiful, and the vistas are truly unmatched!
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September 07, 2017
Rail Trail riding is an outdoor activity worth exploring! Pennsylvania's industrial history built a well organized network of railroad grades across the state. Today, in many communities, those same railways connecting small towns have been transformed to one of the state's best recreational resource. One that is well worth exploring is the Buffalo Valley Rail Trail near Lewisburg, PA.
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August 21, 2017
Since it can be difficult to find new trails or find friends available and willing to explore the outdoors, Purple Lizard Maps has compiled a list of many of the weekly group events in the Central PA region that will keep you as busy as you want to be enjoying the fantastic outdoor recreation in the region.
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July 06, 2017
The Allegheny Front Trail (AFT) is a well designed and well built 42 mile trail that encircles Black Moshannon State Park just north of the geographic center of PA.
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June 28, 2017
Black Moshannon State Park is 3,394 acres of forests and wetlands within the more than 43,000 acres of the Moshannon State Forest. The Moss-Hanne Trail is a year-round favorite that is open to hikers and cross-country skiers, but summer is the perfect time to try it for the first time! The linear trail is yellow blazed and includes helpful signage and mile markers, reminding hikers how far they've gone and the distances ahead
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May 29, 2017
2017: PFBC land just adjacent to Rothrock State Forest has a new trail, and it is ready for you to hike, run, bike, or even horseback ride!
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May 25, 2017
My idea of fun is running through the woods on a sweet singletrack trail. Most of the time, I’m alone, but a few times a year I love to participate in a long distance trail race with hundreds of other likeminded folks. It feels awesome to push your limits, take in the beauty of the forest, and of course the after-party with BBQ, beer, and good company isn’t too shabby!
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October 28, 2016
Looking for a new vista close to State College in Rothrock State Forest that you can reach after work before dark?
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May 16, 2016
This all new edition of the Raystown Lizard map includes lots of great new info: latest trail additions, updated lake and visitor information, and the Lizard’s latest graphic style making it the most comprehensive, easiest to read and most action packed map ever made of the Raystown region.
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January 13, 2016
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December 10, 2015
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October 31, 2015
The thing about running the same ultramarathon course over again is that you know exactly what to expect. There are no questions about what waits around the next bend, the steepness of that next hill, or what that downhill is gonna do to your quads. Oh no, the pain receptors remember the last time- it’s tatooed on them like the Chinese symbol on your back. The other thing about running the same ultramarathon course over again is that, in addition to knowing exactly what to expect, there are also expectations: gotta run it faster, gotta place higher, gotta avoid that mental breakdown at Mile 35
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November 20, 2014
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