SnowFest 2025 and Silent Auction Preview!

Join the Friends of R. B. Winter State Park for SnowFest this Sunday! It's going to be a beautiful late winter day in the park, so stop by between 12:00 PM and 4:00 PM and check out everything that will be going on!

Learn about fly-tying with the RB Winter Trout Unlimited Chapter, make bird feeder pine cones with Seven Mountains Audubon, play nature jeopardy with the Union County Conservation District, learn about Pennsylvania's native wildlife with the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission and the Pennsylvania Game Commission, at 1:00 join Strike K9 Search & Rescue for a presentation in the park's amphitheater! Take a winter walk along one the park's trails to see the late winter beauty of R. B. Winter State Park and watch for the various species of wildlife that make the park their home. In recent days Bald Eagles, Ravens, White-tailed Deer, various woodpeckers, sparrows, and other birds, as well as an American Mink have all been spotted in the park! Hot food and drinks will be for sale by the R. B. Winter State Park Concessionaire in Envionmental Learning Center.

Join the Friends in the Environmental Learning Center, where we will be holding our annual SnowFest Silent Auction featuring items from many local businesses! Proceeds from the silent auction are used for programs, events, projects, and needs within the park. Bids must be placed in person at the Environmental Learning Center by 3:00 PM. Winners will be able to take their items home that day!

Payment must be made via cash or check only.

Courtesy of our generous supporters the Friends of R. B. Winter State Park are happy to offer following items and many more in this year's silent auction!

Thank you to the following businesses and organizations for supporting this year's silent auction!

A & A Auto Stores

Abe's Custom Woodworking

Acorn Naturalists

Altoona Curve Baseball

AutoZone of Lewisburg

Bill's Happy Camper RV Sales & Service

Brookside Bikes

Brushstrokes - Gallery, Art Supplies & Framing

Bucknell Bison Athletics

Campus Theatre

Chilly Willy's

Clyde Peeling's Reptiland

Cold Run Gifts

Cole's Hardware

Community Arts Center

Cutting Edge Laser Engraving

D.C. Coffee & Tea Company

Dunkin' of Lewisburg

Fero Vineyards & Winery

Forest House Hotel & Bar

Forest House Store

Foss Jewelers

Giant Food Stores - Lewisburg Location

Graci's Flowers & Gifts

Green Ridge Country Market

Harry's Lawn & Garden Center

Heimbach's Country Store

Hoopla's Xtreme Family Fun

Hoover Tractor

Hoover's Bernina

Hoss's Steak & Sea

Jabebo Studio

Jeffrey Frazier

Jeraco Truck Caps

Kern Run Crafts

KFC/Taco Bell of Lewisburg

L & L Market Place

La Primavera

Lake Tobias Wildlife Park

Link Cycles

Longhorn Steakhouse

Longwood Gardens

Marie Rose Massage & Aestethics

Martin's Small Engine Repair

Marzoni's Brewing

Middleswarth Potato Chips

Mid-Penn Beverage

Miller's Gun Shop

Millheim Small Engine

Natural Food & Garden Store

Papa John's Pizza

Penn's Cave & Wildlife Park

Pet Supply Plus

Philadelphia Eagles

Pittsburgh Steelers Football

Pocono Whitewater Rafting

Pompeii Street

Premier Automotive

Purity Candy

Purple Lizard

Red Robin Gourmet Burgers

RiverStage Community Theatre

Salem RV

Scentsy by Becky

Shade Mountain Winery & Vineyards

Skeeter's Pit BBQ

Ski Sawmill Family Resort

Starbucks

Stein's Flowers

Subway of Lewisburg

Texas Roadhouse

The Greensmith Flower Farm

The Kind Café

The Olde Loft

Til Death Tattoo Studio

Verna's Fabric

Vince's Pizza & Family Restaurant

Vreeland's Harley Davidson

Walmart of Lewisburg

Weaver's Archery

Weaver's Store

Wehr's Beverage

Weirick's Primitives & Antiques

Weis Center for the Performing Arts

Weis Markets of Mifflinburg

Wild for Salmon

Williamsport Crosscutters

The Northern Lights over R. B. Winter State Park!

After Sunset on October 10th a strong solar storm created an amazing display as the Northern Lights could be seen directly over the park! If you missed it, check out these pictures by Friends of R. B. Winter board member Kyle Fawcett.

RBWinterWildlifeWednesday - Wood Frog

On today’s edition of #RBWinterWildlifeWednesday, we take a look at one of the most unique frogs you’ll find at R. B. Winter State Park—the Wood Frog!

Wood Frogs are one of six species of frogs that inhabit the park and the surrounding state forest lands, they are quite common throughout Pennsylvania and have been documented in all 67 counties in recent years. Additionally, they can be found from northeastern Georgia through the states of the Appalachian Mountains, all the way up to northeastern Canada and westward through the upper Midwest  and central Canada, extending across the continent to the mountains of Alaska.

In fact, one of the things that makes Wood Frogs so special is that they are the only species of frog found north of the Arctic Circle! These little frogs are extremely cold-tolerant. As winter approaches, their bodies produce natural cryoprotectants—essentially a natural antifreeze—that protect them during the long winter months. During this process, Wood Frogs find a spot in the soil or leaf litter on the forest floor to enter dormancy. Through the winter, up to 65% of their body freezes solid into ice for periods of around 190 days!

As the snow melts and the ground begins to thaw, they are the first frogs to emerge from the forest floor as winter slowly gives way to spring. On the first few rainy nights, you’ll find them slowly moving about as they head toward seasonal breeding pools to mate and lay eggs. When the first rainy night arrives with temperatures in the 50s, their activity explodes, with hundreds of frogs gathering at the breeding pools. This is one of the only times you’ll hear male Wood Frogs making their distinctive duck-like quacking call. After laying eggs, Wood Frogs quickly disperse into the surrounding woodlands, where they spend the rest of the year hunting for insects among the trees.

If you would like to see a Wood Frog and learn more about the reptiles and amphibians of Pennsylvania, join us for an interpretive walk this Saturday and Sunday at 1 PM at the Environmental Learning Center at R. B. Winter State Park! We will explore important habitats and discuss the species often found in the park.