Fall in Eastern PA

Fall is without a question my favorite season, and having lived in North Carolina the past four years, Pennsylvania falls were definitely one of the things I missed most about living up North! This is my first fall back in eastern PA, and I have definitely been trying to take advantage of it. There is so much to do here in the fall, whether it's going to one of the many haunted attractions in the area, pumpkin or apple picking, wine tasting at the local vineyard, fall festivals, or a nice nature walk or hike to appreciate all of the amazing fall foliage! Here are some of my favorite things to do in eastern PA during the fall season.

Nature Walks / Hiking

Anybody who knows me knows that I love to hike and be outside. In my opinion, the fall is the best time to hike in eastern PA, not only for the views of the changing leaves, but the temperature is usually perfect! Some hikes I have done so far this fall that I have absolutely loved are Hawk Mountain Sanctuary in Kempton, PA, Ralph Stover State Park (Specifically High Rocks Vista) in Pipersville, PA, Bake Oven Knob in Germansville, PA and lastly anywhere along the Pennsylvania portion of the Appalachian Trail. I would definitely rank each of these hikes as easy to moderate and they all offer amazing views of the fall landscape.

(Top left: High Rocks Vista, Top Right: Hawk Mountain Sanctuary, Bottom Left: Bake Oven Knob, Bottom Right: Appalachian Trail)

Wine Tastings / Vineyards

There are so many different vineyards around my town alone let alone all over eastern PA. Vineyards are such a fun way to spend a day or night out with my friends and a lot of them will offer wine tastings for pretty cheap! Each vineyard is different in what they offer and what the experience is like, which is why I think it's a fun thing to do since each place you go is unique!

Fall Festivals

So many towns throughout eastern PA offer some sort of fall festival, whether its a festival surrounding food, scarecrows, arts, haunts, etc. there is a festival for almost anybody! Personally, I have always been a fan of the Peddler's Village Scarecrow Festival in Lahaska, PA and have basically gone almost every year since I was a toddler. This festival is a giant month long festival that features a multitude of themed scarecrows that were created by people throughout the community. Not only are there so many unique scarecrows, but there's also food, beer, and wine vendors, music and so many shops! I am also a personal fan of haunted attraction type festivals such as ones offered at Shady Brook Farm (Yardley, PA) and Sleepy Hollow Farm (Newtown, PA). There are several other haunted attraction festivals around Eastern PA, but these are two of my favorites that I have been going to since middle school. Both of these places offer haunted attractions such as hayrides, haunted houses, corn mazes, etc. but also typically have food, live music of some sort, bonfires and overall just a fun vibe and environment. The only pictures I really have from these festivals are from middle school, and they will most definitely not be included!

Pumpkin / Apple Picking

Another great thing to do here around fall time, because there are so many orchards and farms to choose from and once again, each offers a different experience! I enjoy going to one of the local orchards, and even if I'm not apple picking, I love going into the shop and buying fresh picked apples, sipping some homemade apple cider, and enjoying a sweet treat. Pumpkin picking is also something I've always enjoyed growing up in eastern PA.

Haunted Attractions

I know I mentioned a few of these already, but eastern PA has so many different haunted attractions, and I've been to almost all of them at this point. I definitely have some I would not recommend, but I won't even mention those, I'm just going to mention the ones that had me screaming and jumping the entire way through! Starting off with my all time favorite that I always rave about to anybody I know is Pennhurst Haunted Asylum in Spring City, PA. I can't wait to go back here this fall, I have never been so scared as I was walking through these attractions. Another close second is Eastern State Penitentiary in Philadelphia, PA, a very similar experience to Pennhurst, except at Eastern State the actors are not allowed to touch you, which bumped down the scare factor just a bit for me. My favorite of the haunted hayrides / mazes in the area would probably be Sleepy Hollow Farm in Newtown, PA closely followed by Shady Brook Farm in Yardley, PA, with an honorable mention of Winding Brook Farm in Warrington, PA. Again, the only pictures I have from these are in middle and high school, so they will not be included!

These are just some of my favorite things to do around the fall time in Eastern Pennsylvania. I hope this gave you some ideas of fun fall activities to look into around where you live, and if you're from around the same area as me, then definitely check out some of these areas if you haven't already! Thanks for reading, and as always, there's always more to be explored!

-nicole elizabeth