Outdoor enthusiasts will find plenty of options in Happy Valley to test their hiking, biking or kayaking mettle – from the obligatory climb to the summit of Mount Nittany, to traversing through the old-growth pines of Rothrock State Forest, to navigating the Bald Eagle Creek from Bellefonte to Milesburg and beyond.

Yes, Happy Valley offers some awesome restaurants with fantastic menus and enjoyable settings. However, the county also offers some equally amazing outdoor settings perfect for a picnic.

College visits give you the opportunity to explore the campus that you might be calling home for the next four years. Making the most of your visit and exploring both the campus and town will help you make the right decision. At Penn State, there is so much to explore both on campus and in the community. As a soon-to-be graduate of Penn State, I compiled a list of the things I think you should do during your Penn State college visit.

Nestled in what is practically the geographic center of Pennsylvania, you’ll find a region that abounds in outdoor recreation, education and employment opportunities as well as the arts, entertainment and some of the country’s best local eats and drinks.

Visitors have a strong to desire to feel like a local and go home with a story or two. Sometimes a chain hotel experience isn’t exactly what they’re looking for when they are planning out where to stay and what to do. It is the people we meet and the unique experiences that make the trip great.

Situated in Central Pennsylvania between the big cities of Pittsburgh and Philadelphia, State College is a charming college town that’s a world unto itself. It’s nestled against the Appalachian Mountains in an area known as Happy Valley, and is home to Penn State University, more than 42,000 students, and outdoor adventures galore.

State College, Pennsylvania, may be best known as a college town, but that’s not the only reason that people decide to spend time there. Located in central Pennsylvania and surrounded by protected forest, State College is filled with outdoor experiences to enjoy that have nothing to do with a football field. Locals have long known what more and more people are discovering—that State College is a great place to spend time outside. Here are some of their favorite spots to explore.

Emblematic of the ruggedly spectacular Ridge and Valley region of the Appalachian Mountains, central Pennsylvania’s 96,250 acre Rothrock State Forest treats adventure lovers to a medley of panoramic ridgelines, rhododendron-sprinkled valleys, spruce-fringed wetlands, and vast swaths of mixed-oak forest.