Renovo: Bucktail Drive and Railroad Heritage

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Renovo offers several specific points of interest for a stay: the town’s railroad history, murals with local and regional connections, and the scenic drive along PA 120. The 75-mile Bucktail Drive runs from Emporium through Renovo to Lock Haven. Also on offer are a craft show as part of the PA State Flaming Foliage Festival and wildlife watching in the wider region. If you’re looking for a vacation rental in Renovo, you can first decide whether you want to focus on the town itself, the drive, or an event date.

Railroad History and Murals

The Philadelphia and Erie Railroad planned Renovo and built railroad shops there to maintain locomotives and railroad cars. Renovo’s railroad heritage therefore includes not only the town’s design but also the technical maintenance of its trains. The Renovo Railroad Heritage mural is on the east wall of Lingle’s on 15th Street.

Another mural was unveiled along 7th Street in Renovo by the Greater Renovo Area Heritage Park and artist Robert “Haney” Calhoun. It is dedicated to the Flyboys of western Clinton County from the World War II era; the unveiling took place in May 2023. The two works emphasize different aspects of history: one focuses on railroads and maintenance, the other on the Flyboys of western Clinton County.

The Bucktail Drive on PA 120

The Bucktail State Park Natural Area offers a scenic 75-mile drive along PA 120, from Emporium through Renovo to Lock Haven. The route passes through pristine woodlands, steep mountains, beautiful hills, and deep valleys; the West Branch of the Susquehanna River and Sinnemahoning Creek run along the route.

Renovo lies between the two endpoints. Unlike the murals, the drive is not a single point of interest in town but a 75-mile route through several types of landscape. If you include PA 120 in your stay, you can consider this scenic tour a focus in its own right, alongside the town’s history.

A Festival in Town, Nature in the Wider Region

The PA State Flaming Foliage Festival program includes a three-day craft show with more than 150 vendors. They include craftspeople and food vendors; the show takes place at the Flaming Foliage Festival Lot on 12th Street in Renovo. This is a specific local event for travelers who want to include crafts or food offerings in their stay.

In the wider region, wildlife watching is one of the activities in the Bucktail State Park Natural Area. It offers an additional connection with nature, while the 75-mile drive described here follows a specific route along PA 120 through Renovo. These two nature-related interests therefore differ in their geographic scope: a fixed road route through town and wildlife watching across the wider region.

Explore more destinations: Lock Haven, Mill Hall, Westport

For the broader travel overview: Clinton County.

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