Traveling to Wellsboro late October (York, Jersey Shore: rent, hotel, houses) - Pennsylvania (PA) - City-Data Forum

Flyers Girl · 10-04-2020, 04:12 PM

Hi everyone! Looking for some advice; my husband and I are traveling with another couple to Wellsboro later this month. We'll be doing the obligatory hikes through the PA Grand Canyon, etc., along with checking out the little town that I understand is really not all that large, so it won't necessarily take too long to traverse it. Can you recommend other things to do besides the town of Wellsboro and the PA Grand Canyon? We will be there four days.

TIA!

Wells5 · 10-05-2020, 07:15 AM

Visit Corning, NY and tour some wineries.

https://www.corningfingerlakes.com/e...ities/corning/

There really isn't much to see in Wellsboro other than the PA "grand canyon." The other major attraction is Animaland Zoological Park, which I believed is now closed.

Stay in Wellsboro for 1 night and transfer to a nice B&B in Corning.

rowhomecity · 10-05-2020, 08:51 AM

Wellsboro is a quaint small town and the county seat of Tioga County.

The Pennsylvania Grand Canyon is definitely worth the drive. I would most certainly do the hike to the bottom and enjoy the views. There is a biking trail that runs along the bottom of the canyon that is also very scenic. There is also a scenic train tour that can be fun to do. There is a nice golf course called Tyoga Country Club that is available to the public if that is your thing. There is also a lake about 8 miles from the center of Wellsboro for kayaking. If star gazing is your thing, Cherry Springs State Park is considered to be one of the best stargazing places in all of North America and is about a 40 minute drive from Wellsboro.

I believe there is a fall festival each year but with COVID that has been cancelled.

I would suggest to stay two days max, and then as the other poster suggested take an hour drive north to the town of Watkins Glenn, NY and explore some wineries and additional hiking trails in the finger lake region. All in all it is a very pretty part of Pennsylvania. Have fun!

PAhippo · 10-05-2020, 01:36 PM

there's a train ride just north of Wellsboro. They used to have a meal served on some runs but not sure about this year.

Also you can ride a covered wagon, a relatively new attraction.
See what performances are at the Deane Center. They have a variety and usually have an option of either getting just seats or a table where you can bring your own food.

Wellsboro even has a book store. and walk around the residential area-lots of really old houses mostly well maintained.

The leaves will probably be gone by then unfortunately but if you can get your hands on some binoculars you might be lucky enough to see some serious wild life, no zoo required, just patience and the ability to be quiet.
you can also rent horses, bikes and/or kayaks.

Having said all that, yes, get your buns up to Corning and check out the Glass Museum where you can even blow your own bottle (at an extra cost for that)

Enjoy your visit.

PBToast · 10-10-2020, 04:49 AM

We rented a cabin there for a week in Aug and are going back to the same spot for another week very soon. Not in Wellsboro but maybe 15 minutes away. We spend the whole time hiking every day there are so many different parks and trails. We drive to all the parks from there, bring some snacks and water and see what we find. We also bring the telescopes and we are in the dark sky area near Cherry, We can sky watch from the cabin. It's very relaxing.

Our favorite drive is to take 414 from Blackwell to Waterville its stunning! One of the prettiest drives ever. There is hiking from Blackwell. There is the hotel at Slate Run for lunch and a drink. You can continue to Woolrich and visit the store if you like. Not much in Jersey Shore. The history of the area is very interesting though.

It's going to be a long drive, but this time we plan to make the ride to Smethport and hopefully see the Kinzua Bridge.

One thing, there is not is many places to eat. We bring food and cook in the cabin. Wellsboro has a few places we like (Red Skillet), and the Brick House Deli in Galeton is okay too. Enjoy!

wanneroo · 10-13-2020, 08:52 AM

By late October, summer time activities have pretty much wound down, the leaves will just about be gone(on occasion the aspen trees will still have yellow leaves) and the weather will be turning with average temps at night hitting the freezing level. Technically you can still bike on the Pine Creek trail, but hunting seasons will be kicking in, so be aware of that and depending on where you are and what time of day it is, a lot of it will be in shadow and cool or cold. Kayaking is not possible due to the lack of water on Pine Creek but can be done on local lakes by the most dedicated. I think the latest I ever went kayaking was early December and a little bit in November.

Hiking of course is still possible and in some ways may be a good time for that as the bugs and snakes are gone, leaves are off the trees so you have more of a view and it's cool or cold.

If you go to places like Blackwell, Slate Run, Cedar Run, there isn't much available down that way and tourist season is pretty much over, if you are planning on going to a specific store or restaurant, check online before you go for what their hours are.

In Wellsboro there are some shops that can be browsed but that can be done in an afternoon. There are enough places to eat, Tony's, Red Skillet, The Roost, Timeless Destination, Penn Wells, Main Street Creamery for ice cream, etc. Again due to covid hysteria and the end of the tourist season, some of these businesses may have varying or changing hours or may be closed completely on a certain day so check ahead. Sunday is typically quiet day in Wellsboro, so a lot of shops and restaurants close on Sunday anyways.

Yes you can go north to New York to Corning and the Finger Lakes and often that area gets lumped in with us, but really it's a total different area with it's own geography and things to do and a lot of it is more than an hour drive from Wellsboro.

Flyers Girl · 10-25-2020, 08:08 PM

Just wanted to come back to say thanks to everyone for their input. Went to the Corning Glass Museum in Corning on a rainy day not conducive to hiking, walked around Wellsboro (stores and also to see some lovely old homes), spent a considerable amount of time in/at the PA Grand Canyon, and took the covered wagon tour at the bottom of the gorge. All in all, we had a lovely time and I would definitely go back!

PAhippo · 10-26-2020, 02:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Flyers Girl

Just wanted to come back to say thanks to everyone for their input. Went to the Corning Glass Museum in Corning on a rainy day not conducive to hiking, walked around Wellsboro (stores and also to see some lovely old homes), spent a considerable amount of time in/at the PA Grand Canyon, and took the covered wagon tour at the bottom of the gorge. All in all, we had a lovely time and I would definitely go back!

Thanks for the feedback and glad you enjoyed everything.

Maybe next year Dickens of a Christmas will resume. 1st weekend in December. The main street is closed off; everyone wears Dickens era costumes, carolers roaming the streets, indoor performances of various kinds, and sidewalk vendors including one that sells the best apple dumplings ever made.

rowhomecity · 10-26-2020, 03:16 PM

I am glad you enjoyed your trip. Wellsboro is a very quaint town!

HappyRider · 10-26-2020, 09:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wells5

Visit Corning, NY and tour some wineries.

https://www.corningfingerlakes.com/e...ities/corning/

There really isn't much to see in Wellsboro other than the PA "grand canyon." The other major attraction is Animaland Zoological Park, which I believed is now closed.

Stay in Wellsboro for 1 night and transfer to a nice B&B in Corning.

I think the so called "Grand Canyon" is a big misnomer. If I didn't know, I couldn't tell I was there.