The Williamsport Scenic Overlook | Fun Things in Williamsport, PA

The Way Less Traveled Team
May 31
3 min read

Updated: May 31

Fun Things in Williamsport

Overview:

It's Friday evening in the small town of Williamsport PA. The overcast afternoon is coming to an end and the sun is down just past the horizon. What fun things are there to do in Williamsport? Go to the Golden Strip? Nah - been there a thousand times and will be there a thousand times more. What about a gorgeous view of Williamsport and Montoursville from the mountainside? If this sounds like something you might be interested in - keep on reading! That is exactly what the Williamsport Overlook has to offer!

Where is it?

Address: Montgomery Pike Scenic Overlook, US-15, Armstrong Township, PA 17702

Coordinates: 41.22599934703422, -76.9378554193426

Aerial view of Williamsport area highlighting the river, farmlands, and "The Scenic Overlook" in green text with marked paths. — Location relative to Williamsport.

The Good:

Being a quick drive from center city Williamsport - being right around 13 minutes or so - you can quickly get there at the most beautiful and convenient time. On our trip - we actually only saw one other car parked on the overlook - but on a busy day you can expect maybe 4 -8 cars to be present. Despite this, there is ample parking available as you can see below:

An image of an empty parking lot with overlook in the background. — A view of the parking lot looking North-West.

Once you park and exit your car - you will be able to walk right up to the fence and look down over some of Montoursville and Williamsport proper - seeing far over the hills. Located by the fence under some trees are some picnic tables - lovely for an evening picnic or just a place to relax and take in the scenery.

A lush park scene with a grassy field, trees, a winding path, and a metal fence. A wooden picnic table sits under a cloudy sky. — Facing South-East at the overlook, towards the picnic table.

When you get to the fence - you can see for miles. The lights shine on in the distance and illuminate the landscape with speckles across the valley and dark hills. The headlights of distant cars drifting over the land seamlessly - appearing and disappearing at random. The sight will give you a sense of awe and wonder - making you feel like a small speck on the side of a mountain compared to the bigger picture. Below you will find images of the landscape below and the binoculars you can use for a more up close look at things.

Two coin-operated binoculars on a fence overlook a lush green valley and distant hills under a cloudy sky, creating a serene view. — The Montoursville Airport pictured behind the binoculars atop the overlook.

Distant town lights sparkle against dark hills and a lake at dusk. Trees frame the image, creating a serene and peaceful scene. — Looking into the Golden Strip and Williamsport!

View of a town at dusk with hills in the background. Dark clouds loom above, and trees fill the foreground. Lights from houses dot the landscape. — Looking towards Montoursville and the Montoursville Airport.

If you have 10-20 minutes to spare and want to take in some amazing views, check out the overlook! It is worth stopping in for a minute or two just to gaze out over the land.

The Bad:

Though the view is gorgeous - it should be noted that the overlook sits directly off of Highway 15 North - so if you are expecting a quiet, relaxing place to read, you may not get that exactly depending on the traffic at that time.

There was quite a bit of trash and garbage strewn throughout the parking lot, giving me the impression that if upkeep is done on this area - it is not done frequently.

I love the idea of being able to walk up close to the edge of a cliff and look down and over into the surrounding area and out across a vast distance. However, if you have small kids or animals - there are some breaks in the fence, especially on the North-Western side of the parking lot and I would not trust leaning into the fence with my life.

Lastly, if you are coming from Williamsport - you will need to travel up and over the mountain a bit and back track to get to the other side of the Highway - which can be a bit annoying.

Given that this is a bit out of the way - you may want to be way visiting at the late hours of the night and very early hours of the morning.

Conclusion:

All that being said, we do believe that visiting the scenic overlook is worth your time. The view is amazing, allowing you to see an incredible distance - relatively conveniently. If you don't have the time or the money to travel too far - then we can confidently recommend this neat little hidden gem.

Our Rating: 6/10

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