Bradford Makes Top 200
By SANDRA RHODES
Allegheny National Forest Vacation Bureau
If you like the outdoors, Bradford should be on your destination list.
That’s according to Outdoor Life magazine’s Top 200 Towns for Outdoorsmen. Bradford is ranked 164th, according to Outdoor Life’s December/January issue.
The towns were rated based on several criteria – population, huntable species available, fishable specials available, “trophy potential,” year-round hunting and fishing opportunities, public land access and lack of gun laws limiting sportsmen.
This distinction is sure to boost the area.
“Having Bradford selected as one of the national top 200 towns for outdoorsmen is an honor,” said Linda Devlin, executive director for the Allegheny National Forest Vacation Bureau, located at 80 E. Corydon St., Bradford. “Our national assets are unsurpassed.”
The Allegheny National Forest Vacation Bureau promotes tourism to McKean County.
Sometimes, as Devlin pointed out, those who live in the area don’t always recognize what the area has to offer.
“As residents, we sometimes miss the beauty and uniqueness of our region,” she said. “Bradford and the other communities around the Allegheny National Forest are truly an amazing destination for recreational enthusiasts.”
According to the article, the magazine combed through every population center in the U.S. with more than 4,000 people.
Some of the factors considered were the growth rate of the local economy, the unemployment rate, the degree of taxation, the time it takes to commute to work, the crime rate, housing prices, median household income and the variety of cultural opportunities within an easy driving distance.
Outdoor Life then looked at how the towns were purely from a sporting perspective.
“We rated them on the fishing and hunting opportunities each town offers, the trophy quality of the sporting opportunities, proximity to land, the restrictiveness of the gun laws and whether fishing and hunting is good year-round,” according to the article.
The magazine then put this information into a database and developed a formula that gave a little more emphasis to sporting opportunities than to quality-of-life rankings.
“These places exist in every state – towns where you can step out your back door with a fly rod or a shotgun and find abundant fishing and hunting opportunity in sight of the municipal water tower,” the article said. “Places where the economy is vibrant, but the pace is slow. Towns with good schools and hospitals and a strong sense of community.
“Places where you can wear fishing waders or a camouflage hunting jacket into a bar and not call attention to yourself.”
Many attributes featured in the article are part of a message that the Allegheny National Forest Vacation Bureau has been working to promote.
“This designation as one of the top 200 sites in the nation for hunting and fishing in America by Outdoor Life reinforces the marketing message that the vacation bureau has been promoting to travelers,” Devlin said. “Our region is a unique destination full of quirky attractions offering world class outdoor recreation for all seasons. Plus, we are a safe and economical destination.
“I think this designation will be useful in helping to brand the region as a major destination. It will be helpful in increasing the number of visitors to McKean County.”
According to the article, which is also featured in the Dec. 19 issue of Pennsylvania Outdoor News, the writers of Outdoor Life scored towns on a scale of one to 10, with 10 being better.
With a population of 8,578, Bradford scored seven for huntable species; four for fishable species; four for trophy potential; 4.7 for year-round opportunities; six for public lands access; and seven for gun laws.
Devlin also noted that only five towns within Pennsylvania were selected. The other Pennsylvania towns on the list are Williamsport, Carlisle, State College and Scranton.
For more information, log onto www.visitANF.com or call the Allegheny National Forest Vacation Bureau, 800-473-9370.
Allegheny National Forest Vacation Bureau
If you like the outdoors, Bradford should be on your destination list.
That’s according to Outdoor Life magazine’s Top 200 Towns for Outdoorsmen. Bradford is ranked 164th, according to Outdoor Life’s December/January issue.
The towns were rated based on several criteria – population, huntable species available, fishable specials available, “trophy potential,” year-round hunting and fishing opportunities, public land access and lack of gun laws limiting sportsmen.
This distinction is sure to boost the area.
“Having Bradford selected as one of the national top 200 towns for outdoorsmen is an honor,” said Linda Devlin, executive director for the Allegheny National Forest Vacation Bureau, located at 80 E. Corydon St., Bradford. “Our national assets are unsurpassed.”
The Allegheny National Forest Vacation Bureau promotes tourism to McKean County.
Sometimes, as Devlin pointed out, those who live in the area don’t always recognize what the area has to offer.
“As residents, we sometimes miss the beauty and uniqueness of our region,” she said. “Bradford and the other communities around the Allegheny National Forest are truly an amazing destination for recreational enthusiasts.”
According to the article, the magazine combed through every population center in the U.S. with more than 4,000 people.
Some of the factors considered were the growth rate of the local economy, the unemployment rate, the degree of taxation, the time it takes to commute to work, the crime rate, housing prices, median household income and the variety of cultural opportunities within an easy driving distance.
Outdoor Life then looked at how the towns were purely from a sporting perspective.
“We rated them on the fishing and hunting opportunities each town offers, the trophy quality of the sporting opportunities, proximity to land, the restrictiveness of the gun laws and whether fishing and hunting is good year-round,” according to the article.
The magazine then put this information into a database and developed a formula that gave a little more emphasis to sporting opportunities than to quality-of-life rankings.
“These places exist in every state – towns where you can step out your back door with a fly rod or a shotgun and find abundant fishing and hunting opportunity in sight of the municipal water tower,” the article said. “Places where the economy is vibrant, but the pace is slow. Towns with good schools and hospitals and a strong sense of community.
“Places where you can wear fishing waders or a camouflage hunting jacket into a bar and not call attention to yourself.”
Many attributes featured in the article are part of a message that the Allegheny National Forest Vacation Bureau has been working to promote.
“This designation as one of the top 200 sites in the nation for hunting and fishing in America by Outdoor Life reinforces the marketing message that the vacation bureau has been promoting to travelers,” Devlin said. “Our region is a unique destination full of quirky attractions offering world class outdoor recreation for all seasons. Plus, we are a safe and economical destination.
“I think this designation will be useful in helping to brand the region as a major destination. It will be helpful in increasing the number of visitors to McKean County.”
According to the article, which is also featured in the Dec. 19 issue of Pennsylvania Outdoor News, the writers of Outdoor Life scored towns on a scale of one to 10, with 10 being better.
With a population of 8,578, Bradford scored seven for huntable species; four for fishable species; four for trophy potential; 4.7 for year-round opportunities; six for public lands access; and seven for gun laws.
Devlin also noted that only five towns within Pennsylvania were selected. The other Pennsylvania towns on the list are Williamsport, Carlisle, State College and Scranton.
For more information, log onto www.visitANF.com or call the Allegheny National Forest Vacation Bureau, 800-473-9370.
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