Celebrating National Great Outdoors Month 2025 with PA Wilds Business Owners
Taylor Tretick from Benezette Wines is an outdoors girl who loves hiking, fishing, and shed hunting. She’ll brave the Pennsylvania weather any time of year, but her absolute favorite thing to do is hike in the fall. She told me that the vibrant colors of the trees and the peaceful trails bring her out year after year.
Her favorite is the Fred Woods Trail. Her enthusiasm when talking about it makes me want to head over to Driftwood and check it out myself! Taylor says every hike on this trail offers a different experience. Hikers have the chance to see a wide variety of trees, birds, and wildlife, including the occasional rattlesnake. (Actually, I remember now why I haven’t hiked this trail. I need to get a walking stick or do it in the snake off-season.) She also loves the natural wonders encountered on this trail – like massive rock formations with hemlock trees growing out of them, and two incredible vista views.
Like others, Taylor doesn’t get to spend as much time in the outdoors during Benezette Wines’ busy season. However, she still gets to connect with customers, chatting about their adventures in the PA Great Outdoors during their trips. She enjoys learning about new spots to check out, or providing recommendations on her favorite natural attractions. Every season offers different opportunities, and that’s why she loves welcoming customers to the PA Wilds. Follow Benezette Wines on Facebook, or visit their website for more information on the apparel, wine, hard ciders, snacks, and home goods available in the shop!
Morgan Kurtz – In the sticks cabins
I couldn’t not include myself in this National Great Outdoors Month series – and it was hard to identify favorites, quite honestly. I love to hike but in the past few years have rarely taken advantage of the incredible and plentiful trails in the PA Great Outdoors region that surrounds Benezette. Something about the peacefulness of being deep in the trees provides a respite to the chaos of everyday life. I also love the conversations that flow naturally during a hike with a buddy or group. I’ve recently done some reading on the positive effects of phytoncides emitted by trees (good smells, or essential oils, basically) and wasn’t surprised to find studies show that breathing them in show a reduction in stress, improved mood, and enhanced immune function through the increase of natural killer (NK) cells.
The hike I love to hate the most is the Kinzua Creek Trail at the Kinzua Bridge State Park. It’s just over an hour drive from In The Sticks Cabins and it’s incredible to imagine how the viaduct was built in 1882 and then rebuilt in 1900. At 301 feet tall and 2,053 feet long, I can’t even imagine how laborious the construction process was. The Kinzua Creek Trail leads down to the bottom of the expanse that the viaduct spanned. The debris from the tornado that took down 11 of the towers mostly still lays as it fell in 2003. I always spot something new to be amazed by from the trail on the way down into the gorge. But on the way back up (this is an out-and-back trail), I’m only watching my footing and trying not to complain about the steepness of the trail. There are plenty of benches to rest and stone steps have been built into the steepest areas. I think you get a good look at a person’s character on the hike back up. (I did this trail in July of 2020, with my then 8 year-old niece and she put me to shame with her upbeat attitude and determination to make it to the top even though she was pouring sweat and red-faced.)
While running In The Sticks Cabins keeps me busy, it’s those moments of connection with nature – fall evenings on the porch listening to the elk bugle, or a good campfire with friends (and sometimes guests) – that truly recharge me. That’s exactly the kind of authentic, peaceful outdoor experience I strive to share with every guest who stays at In The Sticks Cabins. We’re located right in the heart of PA elk country, offering the perfect home base for you to discover your own favorite trails, enjoy the quiet of the forest, and find that much-needed respite from the everyday chaos.
Lisa Stanley – Bennetts valley honey Company
Lisa Stanley, owner of Bennetts Valley Honey Company is one of my favorite humans. Her mind moves at the same pace as mine and she’s down to earth in a way that makes me want to hug her every single time I see her.
To celebrate June being National Great Outdoors Month, we talked about some of the ways she enjoys spending time in the PA Wilds including foraging for wild plants, taking walks in the woods, kayaking and sitting on the banks of a stream listening to the gurgles of the water, the rustle of leaves and the distant call of birds.
While a large part of her business involves being outdoors – from checking hives to selling her products at outdoor vendor events – Lisa points out a particular joy that arrives in October. Once the events are done for the year and the hives are mostly ready for winter, she can finally enjoy the outdoors simply for the pure joy it brings her. Fall is her favorite season, and she particularly appreciates walks in the woods surrounding her home during that time of year. It gives her the vital opportunity to decompress after the intense summer and elk rut seasons. Bennetts Valley Honey Company is open year-round, but Lisa is quick to note that those busy periods take their toll. She truly welcomes the opportunity to breathe and embrace the quiet as winter sets in.
I asked Lisa about her favorite spot in the PA Great Outdoors Region and her answer was one that I often overlook. Lisa offered Wykoff Run Falls as the best “thinking spot”. With tranquil waterfalls surrounded by tall hemlock trees, it’s a quiet place to reflect on life, or, just to not think at all. While all of the streams in the area bring peace through their flowing waters, the cool mist of Wykoff Run Falls offers something extra – a unique serenity that brings true peace to the soul.
Amen sister.
If you’re looking for locally crafted honey, amazing lotions and balms or extraordinary baked and canned goods, stop by Bennetts Valley Honey Company in Byrndale. You can also like and follow her on Facebook to keep up with her latest offerings. And as you celebrate National Great Outdoors Month – be sure to take some time during your stay to sit peacefully at Wykoff Run Falls. You might just find your own “thinking spot.” (And if you see me or Lisa there, say Hi!)
Lisa Conklin Conn – Conklin Studio Pottery
The first time I saw pottery from Conklin Studio Pottery, I was captivated. On display at the Elk County Counsel on the Arts were quirky little owls with big eyes and rich, saturated colors, and I instantly fell in love. I later had the pleasure of meeting their maker, Lisa Conklin Conn, at a PA Wilds membership meeting. I instantly saw her deep connection to each of the pieces she creates. In fact, her love for the outdoors shines through so brightly that she created custom botanically pressed trinket dishes and magnets for In The Sticks Cabins.
Lisa was actually the very first person I thought of when I saw that June is National Great Outdoors Month, precisely because of the deep connection to nature evident in all her works of art. We recently talked about how she spends time in the outdoors, both for fun and for business.
Lisa says she purposefully uses her natural surroundings as a backdrop for her pottery. She loves loading up her pieces, heading into the woods, and finding the perfect moss-covered log or shelf mushroom to highlight her art. The natural light, she notes, is perfect for photographing her products.
Lisa also reminds me she’s a “jeep girl.” She loves loading up her dogs and hitting the back roads in the Allegheny National Forest. While she doesn’t always have a destination in mind, the dogs especially love it when their adventures lead them to one of their favorite swimming holes. Like her dogs, Lisa is a fan of any location near the many bodies of water in the PA Wilds. She enjoys kayaking, but she particularly loves visiting a tranquil marsh pond not far from her home studio to recharge. “Something about the abundance of wildlife and the peace of being deep in the woods just energizes me in a way nothing else does,” she says.
You can find Lisa’s beautiful pieces online at the PA Wilds Marketplace, at The PA Made Clothing & Arts Company in Weedville, and at the Elk Country Visitor Center. For a behind-the-scenes look at what Lisa is creating, be sure to follow her on Instagram at @conklinstudiopottery. Her art is a wonderful reminder to connect with the great outdoors this month!