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Picnicking

Buchanan State Forest has four designated State Forest Picnic Areas. Each picnic area offers pavilions, picnic tables, grills, and a toilet facility.

Bear Valley Picnic Area

The Bear Valley Picnic Area is secluded between Broad Mountain and Kittatinny Mountain in Franklin County. It may be reached from:

  • Fort Loudon, by turning north on Bear Valley Road off old PA Route 30 on the east end of Fort Loudon -- a lovely wooded drive for 13 miles through the state game lands and state forest lands
  • Route 533, Upper Strasburg Road, traveling west from Upper Strasburg to Keefer Road at the summit of Blue Mountain, then three miles south to the picnic area

Sideling Hill Picnic Area

The Sideling Hill Picnic Area is located on US Route 30 at the summit of Sideling Hill Mountain, located six miles east of Breezewood near the Fulton and Bedford County line. Additional amenities include horseshoe pits and an open mowed area.

Sweet Root Picnic Area

The Sweet Root Picnic Area is hard to find but steeped in history. It is located on Route 326, one mile north of Chaneysville in southern Bedford County. The tall pines provide a cool place to enjoy a basket lunch. The picnic area adjoins the 1,400-acre Sweet Root Natural Area.

Blankley Picnic Area

The Blankley Picnic Area is set in the mountains of southern Bedford County. High in the bend of Friends Cove, it can be reached by turning onto Blankley Road from PA Route 326 south of Rainsburg at the summit of Rainsburg Mountain.