The Pennsylvania Game Commission is inviting the public to explore its state game lands from the comfort of their own vehicles with a schedule of free driving tours this fall. Executive Director Steve Smith emphasized that the tours provide a clear view of the agency’s habitat work and highlight hunting opportunities as well as the region’s beautiful autumn scenery.
Tour schedule and locations
Sunday, Sept. 20 – State Game Lands 108 (Cambria County)
A 7.5‑mile, one‑way route from the access road north of Frugality to State Route 865 near Blandburg. Highlights include a rehabilitated strip‑mine turned small‑game habitat, pheasant releases, grass‑land nesting bird studies, black bear activity, and forestry projects.
Saturday, Sept. 26 – State Game Lands 57 (Luzerne and Wyoming counties)
A 30‑mile, self‑guided tour requiring high‑clearance four‑wheel‑drive vehicles. Participants will see habitat‑improvement projects completed with the National Wild Turkey Federation and Ducks Unlimited, with commission staff on hand to explain the work.
Sunday, Oct. 4 – State Game Lands 111 (Somerset County)
A 7‑mile, one‑way drive beginning on Augustine Road. Visitors can view forestry improvements, herbaceous openings, native pollinator fields, and pheasant release sites, while staff answer questions about wildlife management.
Sunday, Oct. 11 – State Game Lands 26 (Bedford County) and State Game Lands 110 (Berks County)
The Bedford tour covers about 7 miles of historic and habitat‑improvement sites in Blue Knob, with a narrated audio guide available via the STQRY Guide app. The Berks County tour runs from the Mountain Road gate west of Hamburg to Route 183 north of Strausstown, highlighting over 10,000 acres of habitat and the historic Appalachian Trail corridor used by migrating hawks.
Friday, Oct. 16 – State Game Lands 311 (Elk County)
A 3.5‑mile drive into the elk range, showcasing forage plot planting, prescribed fire, early‑successional forest management, acid‑mine drainage treatment, and recent bridge infrastructure.
Sunday, Oct. 18 – State Game Lands 67 (Huntingdon County) and State Game Lands 211 (Dauphin County)
The Huntingdon tour offers historic sites, habitat projects with local conservation groups, and controlled‑burn areas. The Dauphin “Stoney Valley” tour spans more than 44,000 acres across three counties, featuring an abandoned railroad bed, Appalachian and Horse‑Shoe Trails, and ample hiking opportunities.
What to expect
All tours are free, operate rain or shine, and are open only to PennDOT‑registered vehicles. ATVs and UTVs are not permitted. Participants should download the STQRY Guide app in advance for tours that include a narrated audio experience, as cellular service may be limited on some sites.
Commission staff, including habitat crews, biologists, foresters and game wardens, will be stationed along each route to answer questions and demonstrate the equipment used to manage Pennsylvania’s wildlife resources.
These tours provide a unique opportunity for hunters to scout future hunting grounds and for non‑hunters to appreciate the state’s natural beauty and the Commission’s conservation efforts.
Original reporting: Herald-Standard – latest news for Uniontown, Pennsylvania — read the source article.
