Tryon-Weber Woods

There’s a great place to go for an autumn road trip where you can take a deep-forest hike and feel the awe of old forest trees. About 90 miles north of Pittsburgh in western Crawford County, the 100-acre Tryon-Weber Woods area originally was protected by the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy in 1976 and enlarged in 2017.

Getting there, you pass the 930-acre Conneaut Lake, the largest glacial lake in Pennsylvania, which was formed by the same continental glacier that deposited forest soils in the area that are rich in calcium and other minerals.

Tryon-Weber Woods is this region’s best old-growth example of the beech-maple forests that exist in this glacial-soils area. Dominated by American beech, sugar maple, red oak, black birch and black cherry, Tryon- Weber Woods has some trees that are more than 120 years old and has been recognized as exemplary by the Old-Growth Forest Network.

The preserve’s parking area along Greiser Road is among recent visitor improvements, including a 1.1-mile loop trail that passes through the old-growth grove of trees. There is also a 500-foot spur trail leading to a bench with a peaceful view of the forest. Although the current area of old growth is limited, protection by the Conservancy will result in the entire preserve having similar characteristics over time. The forest here, like many places in Western Pennsylvania, showcases amazing autumn colors, especially with its presence of sugar and red maples.

To learn more about Tryon-Weber Woods, go to WaterLandLife.org or call 412-288-2777. The Conservancy has protected more than 285,000 acres of special places like Tryon-Weber Woods in Western Pennsylvania since 1932.