– TAKE IT OUTSIDE –
TEN SPOTS TO HIT THE TRAILS IN CENTRAL PA THIS SPRING
During the COVID struggles we saw that many families and individuals looked to alternaɵve ways to enjoyably pass the Ɵme, and fortunately, some of the habits developed by many have remained constant pracɵces! In central PA, Mother Nature has blessed us with so many outdoor treasures and pasƟmes to enjoy. As we move into warmer weather grab your hiking shoes, trekking poles and boʃled water. Time for a hike!
1. Parker Dam State Park – Peneld, PA – Trail of the Giants - 1.3 miles
This preʃy trail takes you through the woods where white pine, ash, beech, sugar and blue maple trees were once in abundance. In the Spring of 1985 a Tornado tore through and sculpted a path through the Park destroying over 200 acres. You can sɵll see remnants of felled white pines as you move across the forest oor. Aōer two-thirds of a mile on the Giants Trail, a trail marker shows a spur where you can conɵnue up the hill to a beauɵful vista point offering spectacular views of Parker Lake and Dam, the surrounding “corduroy” ridges to the north, east and south.
2.
Kinzua Bridge State
Park – Mt. Jeweʃ, PA – Kinzua Creek Trail & Walkway - 1.5 miles
The Kinzua Walkway is a breathtaking view of hundreds of acres of Kinzua Bridge State Park and the Kinzua Gorge. The Bridge, (or Viaduct) was created almost 140 years ago for transporɵng coal and lumber from North Central PA to other parts of the state for further processing. In 2003, a tornado tore through the Gorge destroying a huge secɵon of this over 2,000 foot-long, 300-foothigh structure in less than a minute. The rusted, twisted metal towers sɵll lay on the ground as a reminder of the sheer power of nature. The steep and rocky Kinzua Creek Trail begins at the top of the Walkway and descends to the boʃom of the Gorge, where the Kinzua Creek ows through.
3. Cook Forest State Park – Cooksburg, PA – River Trail/cook Forest Fire Tower/ Seneca Point Overlook - 1.2 miles
The North County Trail/ Baker Trail follows the Clarion River but climbs sharply towards Fire Tower Road. The climb is steep and rocky but the surrounding woods provides some beauɵful views and great exercise. Please also remember this hike during Spring and Summer, as the endless Mountain Laurel and Rhododendron provide amazing and arɵsɵc cover for the sweeping forest oor. At the top of the climb, you’ll be greeted by the 91-year-old Cook Forest Fire Tower. You can climb the stairs almost to the top of the Tower for a wide range of views of Cook Forest, its hemlocks and pines. You’ll likely wonder what it was like for stewards of this beauɵful landscape in decades past, to stare out over the countryside, searching for res, storms and incoming fronts from all direcɵons. Back on the ground, walking from the Fire Tower across to the Seneca Point Overlook you’ll be treated to equally stunning views of the Clarion River from a 1,600-foot elevaɵon.
4. Clear Creek State Park - Sigel, PA – Tadler Run Trail – 4.9 miles
Tadler Run Trail is a popular, looped single-track trail that runs through acres of beauɵful northern hardwoods. During Fall, you can access two marked, scenic overlooks, and the trail is easily ndable at the end of the drive as you enter the Park and conɵnue to the end at the campgrounds that abut the Clarion River. Like Cook Forest, consider a visit in Spring and Summer to bear witness to beauɵful Rhododendrons and Mountain Laurel that are a pictorial signature of Central Pennsylvania. The Park and the Tadler Run Trail are lesstrafficked than many other PA State Parks and the hike is moderate, and scenic.
5. Hyner View State Park – North Bend, PA – Hyner View Overlook - .2 miles
While a .2-mile hike may offer very liʃle in terms of technical hiking, the Hyner View State Park and Hyner View Overlook should not be missed. The Overlook rises nearly 2,000 feet with sweeping views of the town of Renovo and the Western Branch of the Susquehanna River. At the top of the Overlook there is a ramp used by daring hanggliders who soar over the beauɵful valley. When you come here bring your camera, your binoculars, and plan to spend a liʃle Ɵme taking it all in.
Hyner Run State Park (North Bend, PA) is close by if you really want to give your hiking legs an extra stretch. The Long Fork Loop trail is 4.1 miles long, and is most popular from Spring through the Fall. Beauɵful views of the Sproul Forest and the terrain’s steep mountains are a real giō.
6. Tioga State Forest – Wellsboro, PA – Barbour Rock Trail – 1.4 miles
The Barbour Rock Trail is located on the western rim of the PA Grand Canyon. The trail is almost ¾ of a mile in from the marked trailhead, and offers a variety of striking vistas for viewing, but the best views of the Canyon are found from the sandstone landmark of Barbour Rock, peering down almost 1,000 feet to the Pine Creek meandering below. The sheer vastness of the gorge is amazing and the scenery in almost any direcɵon is truly memorable, and some of the best in the state. Camera and binoculars are a must!
7. Allegheny Naɵonal Forest – Tidioute, PA – Tanbark Trail – 6.9 miles
Tanbark Trail gets its name from the culɵvaɵon of the Forest’s hemlocks and their bark for use in curing leather during the tanning process, during the late 1800’s. Back in the day, Pennsylvania held the largest concentraɵon of leather-tanning plants in the United States and was a thriving industry. The Tanbark Trail is well-marked and offers some gorgeous hiking, while only moderately trafficked. Hikers will encounter old growth forest with huge boulders, rock outcroppings and plenɵful scenic streams and creeks. Hiking here provides a real wilderness feel, while sɵll being close to civilizaɵon.
8. Tiadaghton State Forest – Waterville, PA – Golden Eagle State Hiking Trail – 9.2 miles
The Golden Eagle Trail is not for the faint of heart. The 9.2-mile loop trail is located in Lycoming County, and is situated in the heart of Pennsylvania Game Commission Land. It’s a preʃy strenuous ouɵng but offers the rewards of beauɵful scenery, a good cardio workout, and a memorable etching of the PA Wilds in many ways. Author Tom Thwaites in his book, “50 Hikes of Central Pennsylvania” calls this “the most beauƟful day hike.” Aōer hiƫng the trail and moving through the rst mile, veer to the right to hit several vistas which are well-marked and won’t disappoint. Ascending and moving further to the summit at Raven’s Horn, more beauɵful views present Pine Creek and Wolf Run, where the hike resumes a gradual, meandering cadence. Beauɵful hemlocks are awe-inspiring throughout the 4.5-mile trek to the end of the loop.
9. Elk State Forest – Emporium, PA – Bucktail Path – 34 miles total
The Bucktail Path starts north in Sizerville State Park and meanders its way to the hamlet of Sinnemahoning in the south. Bucktail Path can be traveled in “small bites” or in longer ouɵngs, appealing to fairly serious trekkers, and those in search of an “off-thegrid wilderness” experience. The beauɵful forest displays an impressive array of northern hardwood tree species, as well as oak and hickory forest covering. This is a special place for those who want a real PA Wilds diversion and exposure to the PA countryside.
10. Bald Eagle State Park – Howard, PA – Hunter Run West Trail – 2.2 miles
The beauɵful Bald Eagle State Park grew from the roots of the Indian Chief “Waopalanne” (wopo lonnie), which translated to “bald eagle” during the 1700’s, when “Munsee Lenni Lenape” would migrate south from New York down to the milder Carolinas as Winter approached. Many Indian tribes followed seasonal migratory paths from the Northeast Southward during the 18th and 19th centuries. The Hunter Run West Trail meanders through forested areas as well as various eld habitats displaying a vibrant populaɵon of wildlife and songbirds. Hikers will be treated to signs of roadside farming ditches and unculɵvated land strips from farming over the past two hundred years. A beauɵful landscape which shows unique throwbacks to the region’s rich cultural history.
So, grab your hiking staff, knapsack, camera, binoculars and snacks. Make this Fall your Ɵme to discover the sheer beauty and vastness of central PA, and take a friend!