Pennel Run Natural Area
Rate this placeLast Updated: December 5, 2025
Pennel Run Natural Area is a beautiful natural area located in the state of Pennsylvania, USA.
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Summary
The area is known for its diverse ecosystem, including mature forests, wetlands, streams, and meadows. There are several good reasons to visit the area, including hiking, birdwatching, fishing, and nature photography.
One of the main points of interest in Pennel Run Natural Area is the Pennel Run Trail, which takes visitors through the heart of the area's mature forests and past several scenic streams and wetlands. Along the trail, visitors can spot a variety of wildlife, including deer, foxes, and a range of bird species.
Another interesting feature of the Pennel Run Natural Area is the area's wetlands, which are home to a variety of unique plant and animal species. Visitors can explore the wetlands on a boardwalk, which provides a safe and easy way to observe the area's diverse ecosystem up close.
Visitors to Pennel Run Natural Area can also enjoy fishing in the area's streams and ponds. The area is home to a variety of fish species, including trout, bass, and sunfish.
Interesting facts about Pennel Run Natural Area include the fact that the area is part of the larger Forbes State Forest, which covers over 50,000 acres in southwestern Pennsylvania. The area is also home to several rare and endangered plant and animal species, including the northern waterthrush and the eastern box turtle.
The best time of year to visit Pennel Run Natural Area is in the spring and summer, when the area's forests and wetlands are alive with blooming wildflowers and migrating birds. However, the area is also beautiful in the fall, when the leaves of the area's trees turn vibrant shades of red, yellow, and orange.
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Park & Land Designation Reference
Large protected natural areas managed by the federal government to preserve significant landscapes, ecosystems, and cultural resources; recreation is allowed but conservation is the priority.
State Park
Public natural or recreational areas managed by a state government, typically smaller than national parks and focused on regional natural features, recreation, and education.
Local Park
Community-level parks managed by cities or counties, emphasizing recreation, playgrounds, sports, and green space close to populated areas.
Wilderness Area
The highest level of land protection in the U.S.; designated areas where nature is left essentially untouched, with no roads, structures, or motorized access permitted.
National Recreation Area
Areas set aside primarily for outdoor recreation (boating, hiking, fishing), often around reservoirs, rivers, or scenic landscapes; may allow more development.
National Conservation Area (BLM)
BLM-managed areas with special ecological, cultural, or scientific value; more protection than typical BLM land but less strict than Wilderness Areas.
State Forest
State-managed forests focused on habitat, watershed, recreation, and sustainable timber harvest.
National Forest
Federally managed lands focused on multiple use—recreation, wildlife habitat, watershed protection, and resource extraction (like timber)—unlike the stricter protections of national parks.
Wilderness
A protected area set aside to conserve specific resources—such as wildlife, habitats, or scientific features—with regulations varying widely depending on the managing agency and purpose.
Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Land
Vast federal lands managed for mixed use—recreation, grazing, mining, conservation—with fewer restrictions than national parks or forests.
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