STOP 1 – Welcome/begin tour
Welcome to State Game Lands 26 near Blue Knob, Pennsylvania. This 12,000-acre tract is managed to provide habitat for wildlife as well as hunting and trapping opportunities for the public. Funding to maintain and improve wildlife habitat, roads, bridges, and other structures on over 1.5 million acres of Game Lands statewide comes exclusively from the sale of hunting and trapping licenses, natural resources (timber, oil, gas, minerals), as well as federal Pittman-Robertson funds.The segment of tour route over the “switchbacks” winds through a 1,700-acre tract of SGL 26 that was formerly known as “Refuge A”. In the early 1900s, this area was maintained by “refuge keepers” and was designed to protect and increase wildlife populations by providing important habitat and by prohibiting hunting within the refuge area. Thankfully, due to healthy wildlife populations, refuge areas are no longer necessary, and hunting is now allowed over the entire portion of SGL 26. More information will be shared about the “switchbacks” at Stop 7.For your benefit we have labeled various trees and shrubs that are valuable for wildlife. Along the way you may also encounter wild animals, so please be on the lookout for them! Enjoy the tour!
STOP 2 – Young Forest Habitat
The young forest habitat to your left is the result of a logging operation that was completed in 2013. Sound forestry practices were used in managing and harvesting trees in this area to promote lush dense vegetation. This habitat is critical for the survival of ruffed grouse, woodcock, and numerous other birds and mammals. The young trees, shrubs, and plants growing here provide critical food and shelter throughout the entire year and are especially important during the long cold winter months.
Fun Fact #1
As you continue your drive through this tour, we would like to offer you a few “fun facts” between stops about the Pennsylvania Game Commission and the resources that your state’s wildlife agency manages and protects. For instance, did you know that for more than 100 years, the Pennsylvania Game Commission has managed the Commonwealth’s wildlife resources for all Pennsylvanians? In fact, the agency manages 480 species of wild birds and mammals in the state including game and non-game animals as well as those listed as threatened and endangered. Protecting wildlife and their habitats while promoting hunting and trapping for current and future generations is the mission of the Pennsylvania Game Commission.
STOP 3 – Utility Right-of-Way Management for Wildlife
The Pennsylvania Game Commission works alongside utility companies to provide quality wildlife habitat on utility rights-of-way corridors while ensuring reliable and uninterrupted service of electric, gas, and oil to the public. As a part of regular maintenance operations on the 30 acres of overhead electric transmission line corridor on this Game Lands, many plants, shrubs, and trees that are beneficial to wildlife are permitted to grow in accordance with the various regulatory laws affecting utility corridor management. This management strategy is a win-win for wildlife and people and serves as a good example of how wildlife benefits when agencies or groups work together in a cooperative manner.
STOP 4 – Taking Flight Timber Sale
Oak trees in this area are vital to wildlife survival as they produce acorns that provide valuable nutrients. To ensure they remain a dominant component in this area for future generations, within the past year trees were commercially harvested to provide more sunlight and room for young oaks to grow. Trees that were not to be cut, called reserve trees, were marked with blue spray paint prior to logging. Most of these trees are oak trees which will not only continue to grow food for many birds and mammals in the form of acorns but will provide a seed source for the forest of the future.
STOP 5 – Wildlife food trees and opening
The apple and crabapple trees growing to your left were planted years ago to provide food for various birds and mammals. The apples they produce are eaten by wildlife through the fall and winter months, giving animals important nutrients to help them survive the long hard winters that often occur on SGL 26. Behind the trees is a field containing various grasses and plants that provide food and shelter for wildlife throughout the entire year. It is occasionally mowed during early spring or disked in the fall to encourage the growth of beneficial plants.
Fun Fact #2
Another fun fact for you …Are you aware that the Pennsylvania Game Commission does not receive any state General Fund appropriations? It’s true!!! Your tax dollars do not support the agency as more than half of the Commission’s annual revenue comes from hunting and furtaking license sales. Other funds for the agency include State Game Lands timber sales, which you will learn about during this tour; mineral, and oil or gas revenues on State Game Lands; and a federal excise tax on sporting arms and ammunition. The Pennsylvania Game Commission is supported almost entirely by hunters and trappers, or through assets that have been procured with license dollars.
STOP 6 – Blue Knob
Straight ahead and in the distance is Blue Knob, the second highest point in Pennsylvania at 3,146 feet. Mount Davis in neighboring Somerset County is the highest, standing at 3,213 feet. A lookout tower at the peak of Blue Knob and radio towers located at Herman Point are visible from your current location. Blue Knob is located within Blue Knob State Park, a 6,128 acre park managed by the Bureau of State Parks within the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. Blue Knob State Park borders State Game Lands 26, providing over 18,000 total acres of land for public recreation, conservation, and enjoyment.
STOP 7 – Narrow Gauge Railroad
Over 3 miles of this 7-mile tour follows the “switchbacks”, the bed of a former narrow-gauge railroad constructed and operated by the A. P. Perley Lumber Company that once hauled lumber up the mountain from a lumber camp situated along Bob’s Creek. In addition to logs, the same tracks once carried people from the South Fork area to nearby Ciana Run where the “Lost Children of the Alleghenies” monument was dedicated in 1906. The monument was erected at the location where in 1856 the bodies of two young boys, Joseph and George Cox were found after they had gotten lost looking for their father who had gone on a hunting excursion. The monument is in Blue Knob State Park and can be accessed via a short trail located off Monument Road.
Stop 8- Grey Fox
Pennsylvania is home to two species of fox. The red fox, as the name indicates, has long, reddish-orange colored fur with black ears, legs and feet, and a long, bushy, white-tipped tail. Red foxes prefer farm fields with wooded tracts, marshes and streams. Red foxes are more tolerant of people and often inhabit heavily populated areas but due to their nocturnal nature, they are rarely seen. Gray foxes, which you can observe ahead, has a coarser grizzled gray coat with a black-tipped tail. Gray foxes prefer brushy areas, swampy lands and rugged mountainous terrain. The gray fox has semi-retractable claws and is the only member of the canine family that can climb trees. Fox give birth to litters of pups, ranging in numbers from 4-10 with 6 being most common. Fox pair for life, and both take an active role in raising their pups.
Stop 9-Eastern Wild Turkey
What is that ahead?! It looks like an eastern wild turkey searching for some acorns to feed upon. Turkeys often scratch for food, kicking forest leaves and duff behind and can range several miles a day in search of food and water. Turkeys have keen eyesight and hearing detecting the slightest movements and sounds. Although they can fly at speeds up to 55 miles per hour, they often rely on their feet to escape danger. Did you know that the strides of a chased male turkey, referred to as a gobbler, have been measured at 4 feet and their top running speeds are almost 20 miles per hour! Female turkey, known as hens, nest on the ground and lay 8-15 eggs with 12 being an average clutch size. Young turkeys, or poults have a tough road with 53-76% perishing, most often within the first two weeks of life. Turkeys seem to thrive best with a mix of forested, actively farmed, and reverting-farmland habitats.
Stop 10- Black Bear
Slow down as you may see a black bear ready to cross the roadway. Black bears are excellent climbers and swimmers and can reach speeds of 30 miles per hour. And though their vision is not great at distances, their eyesight is excellent up close. Their hearing is on par with other predators in the state, but it is their sense of smell that sets them apart from any other animal on earth. The bear's nasal cavity is over 9 inches in length and is FULL of scent receptors, allowing them to smell up to 18-20 miles away for some food sources!!! In fact, their sense of smell is 2,100 times greater than a human's. Peak breeding season for black bears in Pennsylvania is June and July. The female, known as a sow, fertilizes the egg at this time but does not implant that egg until 4 months later; just before denning season. The sow gives birth to cubs in the den in mid-January and averages 3 cubs per litter although 1-5 cubs are possible. Because a sow breeds with several males, known as boars, each cub may have a different sire. Cubs weighing in at only 6-12 ounces when they are born, are completely dependent upon the sow and remain in the den for the next 3-4 months. Although cubs can be independent at about 7 months of age, they will remain with the sow for a year and a half until she decides to run them off to begin a new breeding cycle. Pennsylvania has some of the largest black bears across the country with some boars topping the scales well over 800 pounds. However, the average size for a boar is between 300-400 pounds and sows average about 150-200 pounds. Although the bear you just observed has black coloration, black bears in the state can also come in a cinnamon phase, a blonde phase or sometimes a rare white coloration.
STOP 11 – Bob’s Creek drainage
This scenic view is of the upper Bob’s creek watershed, located primarily by State Game Lands 26. The entire Bob’s Creek watershed encompasses 17 square miles in northwestern Bedford County. In addition to Bob’s Creek, a Class A trout stream, the upper watershed contains rich forested areas containing a few species of special concern. Based on these unique occurrences, the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy created the Upper Bob’s Creek Forest Natural Heritage Area within this watershed. More information on Bob’s Creek will be provided later in the tour.
Stop 12- White-tailed deer
Arguably, Pennsylvania's most recognized wildlife species, this white-tailed deer can be seen browsing on some of the food provided by fallen acorns. Deer most often feed at dawn and dusk but are not strangers to daylight hours. Males, known as bucks, typically begin antler growth in late March or early April and continue antler growth until mid-August at which point they will begin to shed their protective velvet coating. Did you know that their antlers can grow a quarter inch a day, making them the quickest growing tissue in the world! Young deer, called fawns, are born late May to early June and are odorless to help protect them from predation. In fact, the female, known as a doe, will stay away from her fawns until feeding time so that she does not leave her scent in the area and attract threats to her young. She will even consume the fawn's fecal matter and urine so that no odor is left behind. Now that is one dedicated mother! Some other fun facts about whitetails; they have a phenomenal sense of smell, can sprint up to 30 miles per hour, and can leap as high as 10 feet and as far as 30 feet in a single bound making them the Olympians of the forest. Unfortunately, Chronic Wasting Disease, a prion disease prevalent in the region, has become a threat to the health and future of whitetails. If you see a deer that looks unhealthy, please report it immediately to our agency.
Fun Fact # 3
Fun fact time!!!… Pennsylvania has 329 state game lands, which span more than 1.6 million acres throughout the Commonwealth. The primary purpose of these lands is the management of habitat for wildlife and to provide opportunities for lawful hunting and trapping. Secondary recreational uses are permitted in accordance with Game Commission regulations. Please refer to our website at www.pa.gov/pgc for more information.
STOP 13 – Bridge – Reconnecting Bob’s Creek
As you drive over this bridge, it may not be obvious that in addition to providing a nice driving experience, the bridge also helps reconnect and restore aquatic habitats on Bob’s Creek. The bridge replaced a culvert pipe, that due to its size and placement, served as a wall or barricade to the upstream movement of fish and other aquatic organisms on this tributary to Bob’s Creek. Building this bridge reconnected over a half a mile of stream, restoring the natural flow of water and movement by fish and other aquatic life.
Stop 14- Fisher
Pay attention ahead or you may miss seeing a fisher, Pennsylvania's second largest member of the weasel family. Fishers are shy and elusive animals that can be active day or night but tend to exhibit nocturnal and crepuscular tendencies. Their preferred habitat is mixed forests with heavy canopy cover as they avoid traveling in large open areas. Fishers breed from February to March and exhibit a reproductive strategy called delayed implantation. The adult female breeds within days of giving birth, but the fertilized eggs remain dormant in her uterus for the next 10-11 months. Females produce one litter per year consisting of 1-4 young, called kits. Maternal dens are typically located in a cavity high in a tree until the kits become mobile and are then moved to a den on or below ground. Fisher’s primary foods include small rodents, rabbits, squirrels, birds, eggs and believe it or not, porcupines. In fact, they are extremely successful in killing porcupines without getting a face full of quills. Despite their name, fishers do not feed heavily upon fish.
Fun Fact #4
Did you know that historically the switchbacks that you just traversed through were used when a continuous grade was too steep for a conventional train’s engine and braking systems? The short reversing sections of track were specifically engineered to climb or descent a steep gradient. The train would move forward on one section, reverse directions onto a sidetrack known as the switchback, and then proceed forward again on the next section of the ascent. This process was repeated at each reversing station until the train reached the summit.
STOP 15 – Second Chance Timber Sale
Like the previous commercial timber sale highlighted at Stop 4, trees were removed from this location while others were reserved to improve the quality of this area on the Game Lands. Prior to cutting, oak, hickory, cucumber, black gum, as well as shrub species were marked with red paint by Pennsylvania Game Commission foresters to be retained for production of wildlife foods and seed to grow the next generation of trees.
STOP 16 – Learning and Conversation
Do you want to talk to a Pennsylvania Game Warden about hunting laws or a forester or habitat crew member on how to improve wildlife habitat on your property? Do you want to test your wildlife identification skills or learn more about your favorite Pennsylvania wild animal? Then now is your chance! Park your vehicle, stretch your legs, and take the time to talk to some employees of the Pennsylvania Game Commission.
STOP 17 - Bob’s Creek Flood Plain
This flat and narrow area along Bob’s Creek contains fertile soils that enable various trees and shrubs such as apples, crabapples, hawthorn, elderberry, and other food-producing species to prosper. Animals are drawn to this area due to the wildlife foods that are produced here as well as the shelter and protection provided by the lush growth of plants, shrubs, and trees as well as the surrounding topography. However, steep slopes and periodic intense rainfall can transform Bob’s Creek from a quiet stream to a raging torrent, altering the stream channel as well as the surrounding forested community. This will be discussed during the next stop.
STOP 18– Bob’s Creek
During the remaining one and a half miles of this tour, you will be driving along Bob’s Creek. This Game Lands contains slightly over 23 miles of main channel and tributaries of this Class A trout stream. Bob’s Creek total length is 39 miles, originating in Portage Township, Cambria County and flowing into Dunnings Creek near Bedford. Water from Bob’s Creek eventually ends up in Chesapeake Bay. As you continue along the route you will cross over two bridges constructed by a Pennsylvania Game Commission Habitat Crew. The bridges are rated for 45 tons and are normally constructed within a week. The habitat crew also constructed the large riprap wall on your right to protect the streambank and road during times of high water.
Fun Fact #5
Hey, fun wildlife fact for you!!!… were you aware that the bobcat is the only wild feline in Pennsylvania? Named for their short, bobbed tail, these wary predators have excellent senses of smell, hearing, and vision. Their large eyes, which adjust well to dim light, allows them to have excellent night vision. In fact, they can see up to six times better than humans. Although they see only in shades of gray, they can detect even the slightest movements extremely well. Did you know that the spotting on each bobcat’s coat is like the human fingerprint in that no two are ever identical?
Fun Fact #6
Fun fact time… Earlier in the tour you learned about timber operations used to help increase desirable habitats for wildlife. But did you know that the Game Commission sometimes utilize prescribed fires as natural habitat and forestry technique? Prescribed burns usually occur in the spring and fall of each year to take advantage of optimal burn conditions. These fires help increase soft mast production and rejuvenate the growth of browse plants, while decreasing invasive and undesirable species as well as removing excessive forest debris.
Stop 19-Great Blue Heron
Be sure to scan the creek to your left, as there appears to be some wildlife activity ahead. In fact, it is a great blue heron looking to catch a bite to eat. These birds are opportunistic feeders and though their favorite foods include fish, water snakes, frogs, crayfish and insects, you may also see them occasionally walking a field or meadow in search of mice, voles, and other small rodents that they will feed upon. Despite their impressive size, these birds weigh only 5 pounds due in part to their hollow bones, a feature all birds share. Also like many other Pennsylvania birds, they are protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act and cannot be hunted or killed.
Fun Fact #7
One final wildlife fun fact before the end of the tour…. Pennsylvania’s state bird, the ruffed grouse are woodland birds known for their iconic wing-drumming courtship display where they rapidly beat their wings forward and backwards creating a series of miniature sonic booms as air rushes into the vacuum formed by the wings. They are excellent at camouflage and will feign injury and pretend to have a broken wing to lure predators away from their vulnerable young. When startled they explode from their hiding place in a powerful, noisy burst of flight, a tactic that can both escape predators and startle potential threats. And if you have ever unexpectantly jumped a grouse in the woods, surely you know how effective this technique can be!!!!!
STOP 20– End of Tour – “That’s all folks!”
You are nearing the end of this year’s SGL 26 Game Lands Tour. We hope you have enjoyed your time experiencing the sights, sounds, and smells of the autumn woods. Turning right onto Diamond Lane will take you to Knob Road and Blue Knob State Park, Turning left will take you to Route 164. Please drive safely and remember to enjoy Pennsylvania's great outdoors. We’ll see you next year.
