Central Pennsylvania’s community of State College and the surrounding region known as Happy Valley are home to many parks, lakes and natural areas perfect for outdoor fun. The area is also the site of Penn State, so the region has plenty to offer for the sports aficionado, as well. In Happy Valley, it seems, the happiest places are full of adventure.
“We are a mecca of outdoor activities and adventure,” says Shirley Smith, director of sales for the Central Pennsylvania CVB. “We have hiking, canoeing, kayaking, camping, hot-air ballooning, skiing, snowmobiling, hunting and more.”
The CVB and main meeting venues, such as the Penn Stater Conference Center Hotel, can help arrange group outings.
State Parks
Several state parks are within a short drive of State College, including Bald Eagle State Park, Greenwood Furnace State Park and Black Moshannon State Park. Each offers its own combination of camping, boating, hunting and swimming in summer, and cross-country skiing and ice fishing in winter.
The Mount Nittany Conservancy is a treasured favorite among locals and Penn State alumni. The mountain is symbolic of the area’s culture and eco-system, and the local Native American legend of Princess Nittany and the mountain lions is remembered through the area’s sports team.
“Almost every sport in Centre County has a ‘Nittany Lion’ team,” says Smith.
The site has nine miles of hiking trails and seven scenic overlooks, providing top views of the campus and Penns Valley, and is an excellent spot for attendees with free downtime or for a group hike and photo walk.
Hiking isn’t the only way to get attendees’ blood pumping. Groups can take in a Penn State Nittany Lions game, from basketball at the Bryce Jordan Center to hockey at the Pegula Ice Arena. Both facilities are also available for rental—the Jordan Center offers meeting rooms and basketball court practice facilities for groups who want to stage their own athletic event, and the ice arena has two rinks available for private rentals for skating or sports activities.
On the Water
Fishing is also a big part of the area’s outdoor allure.
“We have hosted several U.S. presidents and international fishing tournaments, including the FIPS-Mouche World Youth Fly Fishing Tournament, the FLW College Northern Regionals and the U.S. National Fly Fishing Championships,” she says.
One of the key locations for these events is Penns Creek, which originates just a few miles from State College. The waterway is the largest and longest creek with a limestone base in the state, and the crystal clear water and stocked trout make it a favorite for fly fishermen and women. In spring, the creek is also a popular destination for canoeing and kayaking.
Another favorite site is Spring Creek, just 15 minutes away from State College. Easy access to fishing spots and a plentiful supply of wild brown trout make this an excellent downtime getaway for attendees, or the CVB can assist in arranging small fishing parties and other events.
“We can put you in touch with the right people,” Smith says. “We’ve had groups that have gone on hiking and biking trips and we’ve helped them set up special teambuilding events. We assist in coordinating and putting you in touch with the experts in these activities. We also have groups who have come in and helped refurbish housing, local parks and sports fields.”
While some planners choose voluntourism activities, others may be looking for outdoor challenges or unusual getaways, and Smith noted there are plenty of those in the Happy Valley area, too.
“We have everything from mountain climbing to caving and water sports,” she said. “We also have two great recreation areas where they will work with you on a program to meet your desired challenges at Shaver’s Creek Environmental Center and the Stone Valley Recreation Area.”
For teambuilding events, planners can count on Shaver’s Creek Environmental Center, part of Penn State’s nature center. In addition to hiking trails through 7,000 acres of the Stone Valley Experimental Forest and meeting birds of prey in the Raptor Center, the facility also offers a variety of tailored team experiences, from networking exercises to strengthen communication to a day-long team retreat.
A sample retreat can include an icebreaking activity, the mousetrap trust sequence, exercises to sharpen learning and memory skills, physical challenges like the four-way river crossing, and more. There are also picnic areas, pavilions and classroom-style meeting rooms for group use as well.
Stone Valley Recreation Area offers cabins and meeting space in a rugged, peaceful environment. With 12 cabins, it’s an excellent option for small groups. Canoe rentals are also available on-site, or groups can take on Stone Valley Vertical Adventures, the biggest challenge course in the region.
Tussey Mountain also provides teambuilding adventures, tournaments and other group events. The park features golf, mini-golf, batting cages, driving ranges, fishing and go-karts. There is even a skateboard park and a zipline for the truly adventurous.
For those making a day of it, the lodge’s outdoor pavilion is the prime spot for a barbecue lunch, with 23 picnic tables accommodating up to 140 people. On-site catering is also available. From December through March, Tussey Mountain turns into a skiier’s paradise, with 50 acres of amazing snow, three ski and snowboard lifts, slope lighting and a snowtube lift. Instruction is available, along with a completely outfitted rental and supply facility.
Airborne Pursuits
To really get a group event off the ground, planners can arrange a variety of activities with The Sky’s The Limit Ballooning, a hot-air balloon attraction in State College. Attendees can enjoy balloon rides above the spectacular view across the Happy Valley region. Rides are approximately an hour long and are held year-round.
Groups can also schedule a tethered event, which means that the balloon is tied off to the ground and hovering around 50 to 100 feet, giving attendees the sensation of flying without taking off. Teambuilding activities include creating flight plans and observing checklists while under the instruction and observation of an FAA-certified balloon pilot.
Want something even more thrilling in the sky? Ridge Soaring Gliderport features glider rides with licensed pilots at the helm. This extreme adventure is best for small groups and retreats, since only one passenger can be accommodated per craft. With a glider ride, the pilot and passenger ride the winds across the countryside for an unforgettable journey of beautiful vistas and wide-open spaces. The trip can take anywhere from a few minutes to a half-hour, depending on the breeze.
Switching from the wild blue sky to the inky blackness underground isn’t frightening at all when you take a boat tour through Penn’s Cave, a majestic site listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The tour highlights the cave’s beautiful formations, curtains, straws and draperies of minerals that took millennia to form. Weather permitting, the tour also includes some time on Lake Nitanee. The attraction also features a wildlife and farm tour above-ground, and a rough-n-ready jeep tour throughout 1,600 acres of rugged yet breathtaking mountainous terrain.
