For anyone who lives in or near Pennsylvania, or plans to visit, this book by Tory Mather is a treasure. I've lived in the Keystone State all of my life, and certainly some of the locations described in Scenic Natural Wonders of Pennsylvania: Caverns, Overlooks, Falls, & Vistas are familiar to me -- some very much so. Many of them I have heard about but never seen, and others are completely new to me.

According to her author's bio, Mather has "has explored hundreds of trails, waterfalls, scenic overlooks, and more in the decade-plus since she moved to Pennsylvania," so she's certainly been busy! I don't know if that means she has personally been to every site listed in this book -- of which there are 84, by the way -- but she gets credit for her ambitious research nonetheless.

Mather says in her brief introduction that the book "isn't meant to be read cover to cover. Throw it in your car, flip to a random page when planning a road trip, or use it as a reference guide for your next adventure." Well, I took her advice and browsed somewhat haphazardly, starting with the places I already know well: Indian Echo Caverns, Crystal Cave, Little Round Top, Hawk Mountain Sanctuary, Chickies Rock, Nottingham Park Serpentine Barrens, Middle Creek Wildlife Management Area, the John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge at Tinicum, Tucquan Glen Nature Preserve, and Valley Forge National Historical Park.

Then I selected a few sites simply because they sounded cool, such as the Archbald Pothole (which, unlike the countless potholes that appear spontaneously on every road and highway in the state, is a natural formation, and one that's unlikely to break an axle on your car), Ringing Rocks Park (where you'll need to bring a hammer), Balanced Rock (which is exactly what it sounds like), Thousand Steps, Pinnacle Overlook (considering how close it is to my home, I can't believe I've never gone), Ralph's Majestic Vista and Ralph's Pretty Good View (according to Mather, the "pretty good view" is actually better than the "majestic vista"), the Forest Cathedral, Tannersville Cranberry Bog Preserve, and Hells Hollow Falls.

Each entry -- most of which cover just two pages -- offers a brief description of the site, including historical or geological significance, the flora and fauna one might see there, or other interesting details. There are also some spectacular photographs of each location to further tempt visitors to go. Other useful information includes tips on which sites involve long or strenuous hiking and which are just off the road.

This is a really good, truly interesting book about some amazing places to see in my beloved commonwealth.

That's not to say the book is perfect. One immediately notable lack is a map of Pennsylvania showing the locations of the sites mentioned here. Another improvement would be including the addresses of each potential destination so people can easily find them; even providing website addresses, where available, would be a boon.

Also, I quibble just a bit with the organization of the book, which groups the locations by type -- caves, rock formations, scenic overlooks, natural areas, and waterfalls -- which is less useful than, say, grouping them by region to make travel planning more convenient. Maybe she could revisit some of these points in a future revised an expanded edition ... which, considering the number of great destinations that are not included, is certainly within the realm of possibilities.

But these are small complaints. Overall, Scenic Natural Wonders of PA is a wonderful book, both for casual browsing or for drawing up a bucket list of places to visit.