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QuestFest: Celebrating Our New Growth

You are cordially invited to join us to celebrate the Nature Quest acquisition of the historic Coach Stop Inn and the launch of Quest Fest

Please join Nature Quest and the members of the Tioga County Visitors Bureau as we inaugurate Quest Fest, a celebration of the entrepreneurial spirit of the tourism community in Tioga County and the PA Wilds region.

Please join us:
July 17 from 10:00 am to dusk at the historic Coach Stop Inn
4755 Route 6
Wellsboro, Pa 16901

Members of the region's tourism community will provide a sampling of their activities and products. Learn about the larger vision of Nature Quest and our commitment to connecting people with nature. Invited are Congressman John Peterson, State Senator Joe Scarnati, Representative Matt Baker and other members of the region’s destination marketing community.

We will be offering free guided hikes and discounted wagon rides at 12:30 and 3:45!

RSVPs will be helpful, but not necessary to enjoy the day’s events.
Please call free: 866-376-5068
naturequestadventures.com

 

Nature Quest: Growth Through Design

A Nature Quest Background

Founded in 1998, Nature Quest, Inc. (NQ) is a for-profit, full-service, geotourism company based in Wellsboro, Tioga County. Nature Quest continues to expand tourism and business operations from a seasonal format to year-round experiences throughout the PA Wilds.

Value of Our Natural Heritage

Nature Quest sees the value of natural, open space in both ecological and economic terms. Nature Quest's leadership offers the public unprecedented opportunities for unique, informative experiences in the environmentally rich PA Wilds Region. The Wilds encompasses thousands of square miles of state and national forests, gamelands, and wild areas; numerous wildlife watching sites, overlooks, and scenic views; miles of hiking, biking, snowmobile, ATV, cross-country, and equestrian trails; and 16,000 miles of flowing water. By providing dispersed, low-impact access to nature-based recreation, Nature Quest outdoor recreational activities will significantly increase regional economic development.

Nature Quest is carrying out a strategy of balanced growth in the natural and adventure experiences they offer and facilities operated. Critical to creating the premier geotourism destination in the East is adequate lodging capacity. Nature Quest ultimately plans to develop an interactive nature connection center based in a 250-room lodge they will build on an abandoned gravel pit in Ansonia (adjacent to the PA Grand Canyon) as an anchor facility for guest accommodations.

The First Step in a Larger Vision

A stepping stone to the larger vision is the recent acquisition by Nature Quest of the historic Coach Stop Inn. The inn has a long history as a lodging and dining establishment; Nature Quest owners Patrick and Jill Maier and Perry Smith want to maintain the best of that tradition.

The Coach Stop Inn will allow Nature Quest to expand already popular horseback and outdoor recreation packages by providing food and lodging for the participants. Nature Quest also owns Mountain Trail Horse Center, through which it has operated Mountain Trail Cottage, a secluded rental cottage with outdoor spa, since 1994. Nature Quest will continue to partner with other area lodging and dining establishments, as well.

A Heritage of Service

What is now called the Coach Stop Inn was built in 1832 and early records show it was assessed as a tavern belonging to John Mathers. Frequently called the Halfway House, it was located on the main route used by hunters, timbermen, and travelers journeying between Tioga and Coudersport. Today that road is scenic Route 6, popular with tourists. Through its colorful history, the building has served as a coach stop, a store, a post office and now a modern inn. It is also said to have served as a hiding place for runaway slaves. The inn was renamed the U.S. Grant House and then the Harrington Hotel. After several other variations, the name was changed in 1993 to The Coach Stop Inn, reflecting the inn’s purpose over its 176-year history.

More Details of the Larger Vision Available Soon

As property transfers are being completed, more details will be made available through a major announcement planned for Thurs. July 17 at the Coach Stop Inn. The invitational event will encourage media and community presence facilitating larger public awareness.