A happy place in the Pine Creek Valley — Slate Run store continues helping anglers, others
Fly fishing rods sit on a rock near Pine Creek in Blackwell recently as anglers watch the trout stocking in the nearby creek. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette
Trout are dumped into Pine Creek by volunteers along Pine Creek in Blackwell recently. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette
Waterway Conservation Officer Hunter Shoemaker with the state Fish and Boat Commission dumps a bucket of Trout into Pine Creek along Pine Creek in Blackwell recently. Shoemaker and dozens of volunteers carry out the stocking each year. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette
Volunteers, law enforcement and Waterways Conservation Officers with the state Fish and Boat Commission worked for hours Wednesday morning recently into Pine Creek by volunteers along Pine Creek near Blackwell. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette
Volunteers, law enforcement and Waterways Conservation Officers with the state Fish and Boat Commission worked for hours Wednesday morning recently into Pine Creek by volunteers along Pine Creek near Blackwell. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette
Wolfe’s General Store in Slate Run is seen here Wednesday March 25, 2026. The store is a focal point for anglers from around the country. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette
Fly fishing rods sit on a rock near Pine Creek in Blackwell recently as anglers watch the trout stocking in the nearby creek. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette
Trout are dumped into Pine Creek by volunteers along Pine Creek in Blackwell recently. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette
Waterway Conservation Officer Hunter Shoemaker with the state Fish and Boat Commission dumps a bucket of Trout into Pine Creek along Pine Creek in Blackwell recently. Shoemaker and dozens of volunteers carry out the stocking each year. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette
Volunteers, law enforcement and Waterways Conservation Officers with the state Fish and Boat Commission worked for hours Wednesday morning recently into Pine Creek by volunteers along Pine Creek near Blackwell. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette
Volunteers, law enforcement and Waterways Conservation Officers with the state Fish and Boat Commission worked for hours Wednesday morning recently into Pine Creek by volunteers along Pine Creek near Blackwell. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette
Wolfe’s General Store in Slate Run is seen here Wednesday March 25, 2026. The store is a focal point for anglers from around the country. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette
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Wolfe's General Store sits in the far northern remote reaches of Lycoming County along a two-lane blacktop in the Pine Creek Valley -- a haven for anglers, hunters, hikers, campers, vacationers, and weekend travelers.
There perhaps could be no more perfect spot for a business catering to those looking for an outdoors experience than right in the tiny village of Slate Run.
Just out the back door of Wolfe's are the rolling waters of Pine Creek and the Pine Creek Rail Trail.
The surrounding mountains include hiking trails, and some of the best trout fishing in the state can be found in Pine Creek and its tributaries.
Since purchasing Wolfe's five years ago Tom Kozlowski and his wife, Kim, are successfully taking on the challenges of running their enterprise.
"So far, it's been great," Kozlowski said. "We have expanded the stock, got some more merchandise."
People come to Wolfe's for different reasons.
There are the weekend travelers and anglers who perhaps arrive for a freshly made sandwich and a drink from the store's delicatessen.
Motorists can stop at Wolfe's for gas.
There is even a small wine shop tucked away in the back of the store.
The fly shop found at the back of the store is stocked with just about anything a fly angler needs.
Wolfe's sells rods, reels, a vast assortment of flies, books, fishing attire, and other merchandise catering to the fly angler.
Kozlowski concedes the fly shop is a big draw for the store.
Knowledgeable employees in the shop are there not just to sell merchandise but to provide information to anglers.
But that's not all.
"We have three (fishing) guides on staff now," he said.
Customers can choose from different guiding packages, including a float trip down Pine Creek to fish for trout or smallmouth bass.
"May is our busiest month of the whole year mostly because of the fishing," he said.
But while anglers comprise a major portion of the store's customer base, Wolfe's also gets its share of visitors walking or bicycling the Pine Creek Rail Trail. The 62-mile pathway running north to the Pine Creek Gorge was recently named as the state's Trail of the Year by the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.
"The rail trail brings a lot of people in," Kozlowski said.
A big part of the store's draw is simply its wide reputation as a stop-off for anglers, hikers, and weekend travelers.
For more than 40 years, the store was owned and operated by Tom and Deb Finkiner, who grew the business and made it a popular stop-off site for locals and visitors to the Pine Creek Valley.
"A lot of people have been coming in here for many years," Kozlowski said. "They all know Wolfe's General Store."
Anglers who want to know how the fishing has been will call the store. Hikers will contact Wolfe's to find out where the trails are.
"We get phone calls on a daily basis from all sorts of people," he said. "Lots of people from Montana know about us because of the fly fishing."
Kozlowski concedes the store takes its share of work.
Perhaps the most challenging aspect of running a business in such a remote area is finding people to work in the store.
"It's a limited pool of people," he said.
The business, he noted, is seasonal, with the customer base falling off in the winter months.
However, the plentiful snowfall this past winter did bring to the store more than its usual share of snowmobilers.
Kozlowski seems to have no regrets with deciding to take on the task of owning and operating a store amidst the natural beauty of northcentral Pennsylvania.
When asked about the best part of the business, he said, "Just the people. 90% of those who come in are happy. They are vacationing and fishing."