Columbia: Waterfalls, Lakes, and Covered Bridges

Columbia combines impressive nature with regional history and a variety of destinations. Ricketts Glen State Park is home to the Glens Natural Area, which is designated as a National Natural Landmark. Those looking for a vacation rental or vacation home in Columbia can therefore tailor their trip to their own interests: hiking trails and waterfalls, fishing and boating, or museums, bridges, and agricultural history.

Waterfalls, Hiking Trails, and Expansive Landscapes

One of the most striking natural experiences is offered by the Falls Trail System in the Glens Natural Area. The trail is 7.2 miles long and passes 21 free-flowing waterfalls. These include 94-foot-high Ganoga Falls. The exact trail length is an important consideration when planning the day, especially if you are traveling with children or in a group. Ricketts Glen State Park covers a total of 13,193 acres and extends across Luzerne, Sullivan, and Columbia Counties.

The Roaring Creek Tract of Weiser State Forest also represents an expansive landscape. The area covers 9,020 acres in southern Columbia County. There are approximately 40 miles of shared-use trails for hiking, mountain biking, and cross-country skiing. When planning your trip, you can therefore choose between quiet days in nature, a longer hike, and sporting activities, without reducing the different options to a single trail or destination.

Water Activities and Fishing

Briar Creek Lake is a 51-acre reservoir in Columbia County that is managed for public fishing and boating. It is also designated as a stocked trout water with a year-round fishing season. Fishing Creek crosses Columbia County from north to south and is considered one of Pennsylvania’s best trout streams. For anglers, this focus can be just as important when choosing accommodations as it is for families who want to combine different interests during one trip.

Museums and Regional History

The Bloomsburg Children’s Museum offers more than 50 interactive exhibits, games, and activities for visitors aged 1 to 101. The Eastern Woodlands Longhouse exhibit shows how Indigenous groups in Pennsylvania lived in the past. This provides a specific point of interest for travel groups with different age ranges. The free museum exhibits of the Columbia County Historical & Genealogical Society change regularly and cover topics related to the history, businesses, people, and objects of the county.

The Bartlow Prototype International Harvester Dealership Building Museum in Millville, Pennsylvania, offers further insights into the region’s past. It is a unique part of the agricultural history of Central Pennsylvania. Rolling Hills at Red Deer Farm is located south of Bloomsburg between Catawissa and Elysburg and raises more than 400 red deer on its farm. Those interested in rural traditions and the working life of a region will find a different perspective here than in the museums.

Covered Bridges as a Destination

Columbia County alone has 19 covered bridges. The East & West Paden Bridges, known as “The Twin Bridges,” are one of only two such bridge groups in the country. A free brochure about the covered bridges of Columbia and Montour Counties includes all 25 bridges in the region, along with a detailed driving map with turn-by-turn directions. When choosing your vacation rental, this means you should first consider whether you want to shape your stay primarily around nature, water, museums, or a drive to historic structures, and then base your further search on that choice.

For your further search for suitable places, you can also visit Orangeville, Bloomsburg, Mifflinville, Lime Ridge, Centralia, Berwick and Numidia.

For the higher-level travel overview: Pennsylvania.

More Destinations

More places within the same destination:

Westmoreland.