"Route 42 will reopen to traffic today." PennDOT posted that line on August 14, 2026. It covered the stretch of Route 42 between Route 220 and just north of Muncy Valley Road, where Glenn O. Hawbaker had been working on the embankment. After the detour lifted, the contractor moved to single-lane flagging to mill, pave and finish the rest of the job. PennDOT expected the project to wrap up sometime in fall 2026.
A few miles up the other road, PennDOT's $2.6 million flood damage repair on Route 220 over Sonestown Mountain is scheduled to run into late fall 2026, weather permitting.
These two roads matter so much this month because almost every dated event in Sullivan County this October sits up one of them. Route 42 climbs to Eagles Mere. Route 220 runs north through Sonestown to Laporte, and from there PA-154 continues to Forksville and Worlds End. In October 2026, Muncy Valley's calendar and PennDOT's construction calendar overlap.
What happened to the two roads
The most recent major break on record came in July 2025. On July 14 of that year, PennDOT closed Route 220 in both directions between Route 42 in Davidson Township and Route 405 in Hughesville Borough because of embankment failures. The detour sent drivers around on Route 405, Route 118 and Route 42. The same day's regional flooding update also listed Route 42 and local roads in Davidson Township among the roads hit. Route 220 reopened by July 15, with flagging between Deer Lake Road and Point Bethel Road in Shrewsbury Township.
PennDOT calls the current Sonestown Mountain project flood damage repair, though its releases don't name a specific storm. The scope is broader than a patch job. Mitchell Knorr Contracting is restoring slopes and ditches, removing and replacing pipes, rebuilding shoulders, building and then removing four temporary access roads, reconstructing Township Road T-300, known as Main Street, and milling and overlaying Old Route 220, Township Road T-306. Last spring the work closed Old Route 220 between Route 220 and Gavitt Road from May 26 to May 28 while a pipe under the road was replaced.
The Route 42 job is built for the next storm. It's a $1.5 million project paid for with federal PROTECT program money, a program aimed at making roads more resilient. Along with base repairs, resurfacing and new line paint, crews are stabilizing the shoulder with Geosynthetic Reinforced Soil baskets.
The most recent project notices are the May 19 release for Route 220 and the August 14 release for Route 42. Both give completion as an estimate, not a date. For conditions on a given morning, 511PA shows live alerts and traffic cameras, and you can also call 5-1-1.
The month, sorted by which road you take
The dated October events within reach of the village break down by road like this:
| Date | Event | Where | Road out of Muncy Valley |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sun., Oct. 4 | A Walk in Penn's Woods, about a 3-mile guided hike, 11 a.m. | Mokoma Conservancy, Laporte | Route 220 north |
| Sat., Oct. 10 | Bi-Planes, Trains, & Antique Automobiles Annual Festival, 10 a.m. | Eagles Mere Historic Village and museums | Route 42 north |
| Sat. and Sun., Oct. 10–11 | 45th Sullivan County Fall Festival & Lumberjack/Chainsaw Carving Competitions, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. | Forksville Fairgrounds, 4430 PA-154 | Route 220 to Laporte, then PA-154 |
| Sun., Oct. 18 | Laporte Pumpkin Festival, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. | County Park, Main Street, Laporte | Route 220 north |
The Mokoma hike comes first, and it has a deadline. The Endless Mountains Heritage Region is leading the free walk and asked hikers to register by October 1, which is tomorrow. Along the way, participants will hear about the conservancy's latest programs. Event details are on the Endless Mountains Visitors Bureau listing.
Saturday, October 10, is the one day this month with big events up both roads. Up Route 42, Eagles Mere is holding its biplane, train and antique car festival across the Historic Village, the Eagles Mere Air & Motorcycle Museum and the Eagles Mere Auto Museum. The program includes vintage plane demonstrations and the Eagles Mere Museum's train exhibit. Up Route 220 and across on PA-154, the Forksville Fairgrounds open for the first day of the county's biggest fall weekend. Households who want to see both will need to split the weekend, because the two events are on opposite roads.
The Laporte Pumpkin Festival closes out the month on October 18 at County Park on Main Street. The Great Pumpkin Roll starts at 12:30 p.m., half an hour before the festival ends at 1 p.m.
There's one more option for the first weekend that doesn't fit the table. Ricketts Glen State Park is hosting "Beneficial Bats" on October 3 from 4:30 to 5 p.m. at the visitor center. It's a short program on Pennsylvania's bats and includes a film about white-nose syndrome.
Forksville, the weekend the 220 corridor builds toward
The Sullivan County Chamber of Commerce is putting on its 45th fall festival this year, and the anniversary has shaped what's on the grounds. Camelia Peguero, the Chamber's managing director, described what she changed:
"I've really focused on bringing in a greater variety of vendors, demonstrations, entertainment, and activities so there is something new to discover around every corner."
The competitions are still the main draw. Lumberjacks compete in the crosscut, log roll, axe throwing, hot saw, springboard and an obstacle course. Chainsaw carvers work on full pieces over the weekend and also do one-hour quick carves, and finished carvings are auctioned off each day.
This year, visitors can also try the skills themselves. Peguero said attendees will be able to throw axes and knives, and a mobile axe-throwing setup will be on site. Also on the grounds:
- More than 50 craft and artisan vendors
- A blacksmith, a bladesmith and a glass blower giving demonstrations
- Live alpacas and the Pennsylvania WoodMobile
- An art expo and a quilt show and sale
- Pumpkin painting, a scavenger hunt and kids' activities
- Leo & Kristen and the Family Tradition Band playing live on Saturday
- GEM 99/100 broadcasting live from the fairgrounds on Sunday
Admission is $10 for Saturday or Sunday, or $15 for a weekend pass. That makes the second day $5 for anyone who wants to catch both the Saturday music and the Sunday auction. The fairgrounds are about a mile from Worlds End State Park. The Chamber takes questions at [email protected] or 272-202-0123.
Since Worlds End is that close, a festival day can easily turn into a hike. The Loyalsock Canyon Vista loop at the park is about four miles, and the trailhead is near the campground. The visitors bureau warns that Mineral Spring and Cold Run roads, the driving routes to the vista, are narrow, unpaved and seasonal.
Staying on the near side of the construction
Some October Saturdays won't call for a drive over Sonestown Mountain. On those days, the 220 corridor has what you need without going far.
Nittany MinitMart runs two stores on Route 220. The Muncy Valley shop at 1205 Route 220 is open 5 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Sunday. The Sonestown store at 2520 Route 220 is open around the clock. Next door to the Muncy Valley store's address, Country Friends Café at 1211 US Route 220 serves breakfast, lunch and dinner. Up in Sonestown, the Sonestown Country Inn at 70 Main Street is a historic hotel with a bar and restaurant. Seasonal hours change in the fall, so call ahead: 570-482-3541 for the café and 570-482-3000 for the inn.
The best hiking close to home is also on Route 220. The Loyalsock Trail runs 59 miles through state forest, and its northern end has parking right on U.S. 220. There's also parking at most of the places where the trail crosses a state forest road. DCNR's Loyalsock State Forest hiking page has current maps and advisories. The forest also just got a new district forester. On September 25, DCNR named Eric Probert to the post, and he has said he wants to develop sustainable recreation opportunities.
Our office in Muncy keeps up with the Route 220 and Route 42 work because it affects people who already live along these roads. If you have questions about a property, a parcel near the Sonestown Mountain repairs, or how this year's road projects might affect your corner of Davidson Township, Century 21 Colonial Real Estate is glad to help. Contact Us.
