Cities & Towns

Set along the West Branch Susquehanna River, Clearfield is the county seat and one of the area’s main hubs for dining, shopping and entertainment. Catch a show at CAST, browse three floors and 24,000 square feet of antiques at Historica Plus, gear up at Grice Gun Shop or take on a legendary burger challenge at Denny’s Beer Barrel Pub. And with I-80 just minutes from downtown, Clearfield makes an easy home base for exploring the Wilds.

Coalport grew with the arrival of the railroad and the region’s booming coal industry in the late 1800s. Today, 51 historic downtown buildings are recognized on the National Register of Historic Places, and the Coalport Area Coal Museum brings the town’s mining heritage to life inside a former opera house. For outdoor time, Glendale Lake and Prince Gallitzin State Park are just three miles away.

Set along the West Branch Susquehanna, Curwensville combines a walkable downtown with easy access to the outdoors. Start the morning at the Strawberry Tree, browse 10,000 square feet of antiques at Pat Errigo Antiques, then head to 790-acre Curwensville Lake for boating, fishing, hiking or a night at the campground.

With about 7,300 residents, DuBois is Clearfield County’s largest city and one of its busiest destinations. Explore a walkable downtown filled with restaurants, shops and local favorites like Hockman’s Candy, catch a show at the Reitz Theater or browse regional art at the Winkler Gallery. Then head just outside town for the dinosaurs, historic railcars, dining and other wonderfully unexpected attractions at Doolittle Station.

Grampian may be small, but it puts you close to one of Clearfield County’s most unforgettable attractions: Bilger's Rocks, with its massive 300-million-year-old sandstone formations. The town is also the western end of the nearly 11-mile David S. Ammerman Trail (Grampian Location), connecting Grampian to Curwensville and Clearfield by crushed-gravel rail trail. Fun fact: Grampian was originally called Pennville and was renamed for Scotland’s Grampian Hills.

Named for Dr. Daniel Houtz, the original owner of the town site, Houtzdale grew rapidly around Clearfield County’s booming coal and railroad industries and became a borough in the early 1870s. Today, its grid of neighborhood streets leads to local gathering spots, parks and hometown restaurants like Joey's and Lia's Pizza & Italian Restaurant. Visit during Houtzdale Days for food, music, a parade, family activities and fireworks.

Osceola Mills was the first town in Clearfield County to welcome the railroad in 1862—and the telephone in 1878. It later became home to Berwind-White, once the fourth-largest coal company in the world. Today, explore that industrial past at the Osceola Mills Community Historical Foundation, grab dinner at The Osceola House, or use town as a jumping-off point for adventures along the southeastern edge of the county.