Backpacking the West Rim trail this weekend was pretty, even though we missed the leaves. However, I was astonished by the size and severity of the blowdown between miles 8 and 10 from the southern terminus at Rattlesnake Rock. I could imagine a derecho sweeping up the valley and then squeezing up a draw to the plateau; however, the trees fell predominantly downhill. Another possibility would be a severe downpour drenching and destabilizing the soil--but some trees were sheared off halfway up. That is tornado-type intensity, but there is no way a tornado could thread its way along that narrow, winding valley--nor any visible path outside of this large, local area.

Does anyone know what happened here? It looked to be 3-5 years ago.

Just randomly got some time off, and trying to fast plan a Loyalsock through. Is the shuttle still running?
Is it best to park at the North or Southern terminus? Any odd things I'd need to know that a cursory internet search won't tell me? I'm experienced, I just have to rapid fire plan this, only so much I can glean a day before leaving! Thanks in advance!

We’re looking to take a weekend drive up to check out the fall colors and maybe a short hike. Looking to see some fall colors, waterfalls etc….

We’re traveling from Delaware so central PA, Pocono are….. we want to visit an old property we had many years ago up in Bradford County at some point too….. recommendations?

Anyone thinking about bikepacking the loop around the PA Grand Canyon... my dad and I did it last week. I had tried in advance to find some other posts to follow their route and there weren't many. So, I'm sharing this in case anyone out there is interested!

https://ridewithgps.com/trips/232412239

The details:

Day 1: Sunday October 20^(th), 2024

Jersey Shore to Cedar Run

Living in the outskirts of Philadelphia, we started with a 3 hour drive to Jersey Shore, PA.  There is a trail head which is easy to find on maps, has ample parking, and a clean restroom. There’s not too much to say here except, find the entrance to the trail right behind the bathroom and get peddling! The trail starts at mile 62 here.

Along the way there are plenty of places to stop and enjoy the scenery. We found a nice table and bench in Cammal for our packed lunch about 20 miles in. At around mile 30 you’ll enter Cedar Run, where there is an Inn and a General Store – most likely closed depending on the time of year and day. Just beyond that, is Pettecote Junction Campground. We rented a primitive campsite, which included a fire pit and a picnic table. We set up camp, explored the area on foot a little bit, and had an early dinner and bedtime.

Notes on Pettecote Junction

This campsite is a hidden gem. It has any type of camping accommodation you could want – primate camp sites, wooden cabins, “glamping pods”, and nightly or seasonal RV hook ups. There are hot showers (3 glorious minutes per quarter), dish washing stations, water, and firewood for purchase. It is definitely “off the grid” but provides the opportunity for as many or little luxuries as you might need to recharge.

Day 2: Monday October 21^(st), 2024

PA Grand Canyon Loop from Cedar Run and back

Anticipating there being nowhere to refuel, we packed up our saddlebags with food and water for the day and some outfit changes. Delusionally, we also packed sneakers, thinking we might have time to check out some trails and hikes in Colton Point State Park. We set back out to retrace about 6 miles of the PCRT from Cedar Run back to Slate Run.  At Slate Run instead of continuing on the PCRT we made the right over the bridge and entered… the PA Wilds. We stopped for a brief outfit change in the parking lot of the closed Hotel Manor and then proceeded up Slate Run Road. Luckily, we had no idea what we were getting into. At the top of about a 200ft climb we said, well hopefully there’s no more climbs like that! A conversation that didn’t age well.

From Slate Run Road we made a sharp right turn onto Francis Road which eventually turned into Forest Road, which turns out to be the name of many of the roads. We then made another sharp right onto Bear Run Road. Bear Run Road is a steep, grueling climb of almost 700 feet in under 2 miles, which you quickly lose in half the time. Try to enjoy the descents, without thinking about the ascent they indicate is sure to closely follow. Bear Run Road either continues onto Francis Leetonia Road or curves left to Forest Road (again??). If we could go back in time, we would have continued, and eventually hit Painter Leetonia Road which eventually hits Colton Road, which follows the west rim of the gorge. However, we didn’t, and it’s unclear from maps if those roads were all passable on gravel bikes. So, while it looks better on the map, no promises.

Instead we took Forest Road to Cushman Road where we stopped for lunch and looked at a map with despair, realizing we were only 15 miles in to the 65 mile loop, appeared to be far off course, and taking more than double the time we prepared for. It’s about this time that I realized 15 miles too late that most “intersections” come at the bottom of valleys. We briefly thought about following more roads back down to our campsite and abandoning the vision of looping the canyon. Instead, we found a new path and pressed onward and upward for a 5 mile approximate 500 foot climb along Wilson Point Road. We quickly lost all those gains and more until we hit Thompson Hollow Road where we turned right and immediately began to recoup our elevation losses with another 5 mile long steady climb.

Along Thompson Hollow Road there is a sharp left turn to proceed on Dewey Hollow Trail. A mile or so in to this “trail” it goes completely off grid. Like, into the woods, through thick brush and fallen trees. Not passable on bike. Maybe on a hardcore mountain bike, but nothing less, and even that is questionable. The path becomes completely unrecognizable in the middle, and if you take it you’ll definitely question if you’re ever going to make it out of the forest. But a couple miles in of pushing and pulling your bike over and under trees and branches, you will amazingly hit Deadmans Hollow Road.

I realize I am going far into the weeds here with the precise turn by turn details, but I do it for a reason. These are not your typical roads. A wrong turn will take several miles to correct, you won’t have GPS cell service, and the next intersection will be up and down 500+ feet of elevation. That is, if the road is even passable by bike. Plan your route before you go.

As if sent from the RideWithGPS gods, a biker (the first and only we saw all day) popped out of the woods behind us, reassuring us that we were a short downhill from the PA Grand Canyon overlook, and then had a 4 mile downhill ascent back to the PCRT from there. Literally, it was all downhill from here. Glory hallelujah good god almighty! He was right. It was a quick trip to Colton Road where we soaked in the spectacular view of the gorge. Unfortunately I was stressed about being about 4 hours behind schedule with 25 miles to get back to camp, so I didn’t full appreciate the view. But it was amazing. It took 40 miles and 8 hours and almost 4,000 feet gained to get there, and the reward in the beauty of the view and feeling of accomplishment looking down at the gorge was well worth it.

From the view of the west rim we set out down Colton Point Road. Despite getting an almost immediately nosebleed, this 4 mile roller coaster like ride down to the bottom of the gorge felt so good. Second behind the breathtaking view of the canyon, this downhill ride on smooth pavement with a view of the beautiful foliage felt almost as satisfying. At the bottom you pop out on route 6 in Ansonia. We were hopeful we would be able to refill on water in this town, but quickly realized that the only game in town, The Burnin’ Barrell Bar, was closed – because of what I later learned was from recent flooding. It’s not immediately clear how to get to the PCRT from downtown Ansonia, but a quick right on Route 6 followed by another quick right on Pinecreek Road brings you to a trail head. Beware Pinecreek Road is packed with speeding trucks and barely any shoulder, but it’s short lived.

We then entered the PCRT at mile 9 and hugged Pine Creek as we biked peacefully back to Pettecote Junction Campground between mile 29 and 30. The sun set about 10 miles in, which although it made me nervous, provided a unique backdrop of the mountains against a darkening sky. There is no light pollution and the vast array of stars in the valley is beautiful. We made it back after dark by headlight. There was absolutely no room for any margin of error between miles 9 and 29, and the PCRT did not disappoint us. We arrived back at camp to our tents still set up from the night before and hustled to shower and eat ramen and freeze dried meals over a fire before tucking in for a welcome night of sleep by the creek. 

Day 3: Tuesday October 22^(nd), 2024

Cedar Run back to Jersey Shore

There is not much to say about this route, as it was an identical backtrack from day 1. What I will add is that it’s slightly downhill the entire way, and it felt it. The route becomes a bit monotonous, but isn’t that sort of the point of getting out in the woods for a few days? Also, while I can’t speak for miles 0 through 9 of the PCRT, we did traverse all of 9 through the end at 62 and every inch is in immaculately pristine condition. Another point of note is that 2 miles from the end, we witnessed my dad’s tubeless tire hissing air and resealing before our eyes. He had noticed it had appeared to have self-patched sometime before our climb to the west rim of the gorge, so it’s incredible that it held up for the entire journey. If tubeless tires needed an advertisement, this is it.

Key Takeaways:

·       I guess “beginner” is all relative – but I would not classify this ride as beginner level, if you plan to detour to either or both rims of the gorge. There is no way to get there but up steep, grueling, climbs on mostly loose gravel and unpaved roads.

·       The climb is well worth the work, just be prepared to really work. Nothing good comes easily, right?

·       Pack enough water and snacks for the day, as you will not come across any opportunities to replenish supplies.

·       Plan your route out very well before starting out, and do not rely on GPS or cellular service to guide you.

Hey all! 🍁 I’m chasing those incredible fall colors but having mixed luck with foliage reports. I recently went to the PA Grand Canyon, which was reported to be at peak timing, but the colors weren’t as vibrant as expected. I’ve also seen that Jim Thorpe is still listed as at peak, but I’m a bit skeptical based on my recent experiences.

Where are you finding the richest, most vibrant autumn colors right now?

Would love any recommendations, whether it’s a scenic drive, hike, or just a perfect park. Thanks in advance for any tips and insights

I backpacked Old Loggers’ Path last weekend and this is my favorite shot.

Taken from the bridge near lot 2

We are thinking about trying to catch the last of the color on the West Rim trail in the next week. It has been very dry in Maryland where we are coming from. We have Justin Lightcap's CalTopo map that he prepared for IntoTheBackcountryGuides. He indicates water sources where one would expect at stream crossings. Does anyone have any recent experience of whether these are trickles, or dry now? We are hiking south to north and hoping to start up with 1.5-2.0 L per person, stopping to filter once we are on top of the plateau.

We are going to be prepared for cold weather (high 20s) at night, though it doesn't look like it will be that chilly right now. Any other thoughts/recommendations much appreciated.

Couldn’t agree more! We often walk there and love it 🚶🏻‍♀️🚶🏻‍♀️

going to be out this week for a few days and curious as to if any parks/forests have restricted campfires due to the lack of rain this month. haven't seen anything but asking since I may have missed something

Where: Tussey Mountain-Bear Meadows-Indian Wells, Rothrock SF, PA, starting at Galbraith Gap parking lot

When: October 18th – October 20th, 2024 (2 partial days, 1 full day, 2 nights)

Distance: 19.5 miles

Trail Map: elibrary.dcnr.pa.gov/GetDocument?docId=1741629&DocName=sf-d05_RecTrailsMap_2013.pdf

Conditions: 60-70 degrees during the day, sunny, calm, 30s-low 40s at night

Gear: https://lighterpack.com/r/3x0ta7

Photos: https://imgur.com/gallery/0I2WYae

Day 1 – 1 mile – 286 feet gained – We left from the parking lot at Galbraith Gap around 5:30, with the sun quickly setting. We followed the Black Gum Trail from the lot to Bear Meadows Road, got on Galbraith Gap Trail, and followed that along the creek to where it crossed Laurel Run Road. We followed the trail up the hill and stayed right onto Three Bridges Trail, past Lonberger and Spruce Gap Trails, and continued until we crossed the stream where the piped spring came out. Just below there is an established site that we set up at for the night.

Day 2 – 11.5 miles – 1,632 feet gained – We departed our site at 9:30 after a hearty breakfast. Assessing that the spring came directly out of the ground, we took our chances filling up directly without filtering. We retraced our steps back to Lonberger Trail and went right onto it. The trail stays relatively flat and even along the ridge side. After about a mile, we turned left onto a camp’s driveway and descended towards Bear Meadows Road, through a gate. We made the left on Bear Meadows Road and after about a quarter mile turned right onto an unmarked trail where the road bent to the left. The trail is cleared out at the road, but inconspicuously goes back through some mountain laurel after about 15 yards.

Although the trail is unmarked and doesn’t seem to get much usage, it was relatively well cleared and easy to follow even with the leaf litter in the fall. It opens up and traverses through blueberry bushes and scrubby trees. We managed to follow this route for almost a mile until it led us down to Corner Road, the end of which becomes Dylan’s Path, which is mostly used for mountain biking. Dylan’s Path starts out as a well-developed road until it veers off the road and starts to ascend the ridge, crossing a pipeline. At the top of the trail where it meets Tussey Mountain Trail is the famous beer tap. We turned right onto the trail.

The next few miles continued along Tussey ridge, with some viewpoints. We had lunch at the pipeline, which has an overlook and an established fire ring. You could potentially dry camp here with a great view of the night sky. The trail eventually descends back to Bear Meadows Road, at a parking lot. We rested here and then turned left onto the road for about half a mile until we arrived at the Bear Meadows Loop Trail. We were expecting to get some good views of Bear Meadows here, but instead the trail is mostly forested and canopied through mountain laurel. We did have a close encounter with a porcupine! 1.3 miles in the Sand Spring Path tees to the left. At this point, there are two springs with pools that have formed as well as an established site just a bit further down Bear Meadows Trail. We instead turned left onto Sand Springs Trail and ascended about 500 feet in 0.6 miles to reach the top of the ridge.

The orange-marked Mid-State Trail continues at the corner of North Meadows Road and Gettis Ridge Road. At 0.7 miles the Keith Spring Trail comes into the left. We set up camp 0.3 miles further from there, at the nice established site just off the trail. There are a couple options here if the nicest spot has been taken. After dropping off my pack, I backtracked down the trail and to Keith Spring for water overnight. The spring is piped to the road, but an old springhouse allows water to sit in the open. I wasn’t sure if the piped spring came from this springhouse, so I filtered the water to be safe.

Day 3 – 6.9 miles – 244 feet gained – We left camp at about 9:00 and arrived at the Indian Wells vista in 0.1 miles. I kicked myself for not getting up at daybreak to see the sun rise here over the Thickhead Mountain ridge (it has a perfect view to the east over Bear Meadows). The trail continues along the ridge for about 2.4 miles until it reaches the fire tower. There are a few viewpoints along the way, as well as a dry camp near the Tom Thwaites Monument, which would offer another good view.

On the way to the fire tower are another couple trail crossings, which would offer some route alternatives. This includes Spruce Gap Trail, which would be the fastest way back to the car, if you wanted to wrap up your hike here. The tower itself is just off the road, so several people were there with their dogs. A campsite/fire ring was also located here. We continued along the Mid-State Trail, crossing the road twice before making a right at the road and heading down Shingletown Gap Trail. The trail descends and crosses the road in 0.5 miles. To make a bigger day, you could continue on Shingletown Trail. We stayed right at the gate and took Lower Trail and then Clemons Trail, and then took the right onto Greenshoot. Another option would be to continue left onto Greenshoot or up Clemons to the top of the ridge if you wanted to get more views. We were just interested in increasing our mileage a little bit while getting back to the car at a reasonable hour.

Greenshoot eventually switches back down to Laurel Run Road, at which point we hiked the road for 1.7 miles back to the car.

Final Thoughts – This was a perfect moderate hike for viewing fall foliage. I thought the trails would be more challenging, but fortunately they were not; the ascents were not super steep, and most of the trails weren’t rocky. I hiked the Mid-State Trail near Ironstone several years ago and that area was much rockier, so I was expecting something more like that. There were even lots of good spots to get water along the ridges here, and the campsites were all really nice and well established. I would definitely come back here, as it’s a great area with several loop options for any level of ability. It’s also nice that it’s so close to State College, as you’re never out of cell service in case something goes awry.

Gear – I was happy with what I brought. We used a two-person tent which allowed us to split some of the load. For the colder nights, it helped that the tent stayed at least 10 degrees warmer than outside. I brought a quarter zip for chilly mornings as well as my down puffy for the evenings and mornings at camp. I did not utilize my flip flops, shammy towel, rain jacket, beanie, or gloves as the weekend was nice and dry and the mornings were warmer than expected. I used my framed SWD Long Haul 50 pack, which allowed the extra weight I was carrying in the tent and water (we made sure to carry plenty for the ridges) to be of no issue.

Hi all,

Looking for advice around a hunting trip I am taking in November for black bear. We will be all over the Tiadaghton forest. Are timber rattlesnakes still out and about that time of year? The temps seem to be cold at night but we’ve had some pretty nice weather during the day. I know that will probably change as we go further into fall.

Thanks

Hi All! Looking for resources / maps for dispersed camping sites accessible via roads in the Wilds.

Looking to take my uncle trout fishing / camping so in search of spots along waterways.

I spend some time dispersed camping and fishing, but I usually hike in. So no clue what exists or where to start…

Thanks!

I need some suggestions. I am turning 36 in January and I'd like to do something for myself. Nobody ever plans a birthday party for me or does anything to celebrate. I always go to everyone else's birthday parties, buy gifts for them and their kids, give them cards, etc. But I never get the same in return.

I live in Pittsburgh, so I'm not familiar with where to go. I'm a Florida native, now living in Pennsylvania, so I need some ideas.

I would like to go on a hike for the weekend, maybe rent an Airbnb or a cabin or something, just to spend a few days in the woods and mountains, hiking, maybe a fire, peace and quiet, and maybe a cupcake. Since nobody else wants to celebrate, I'll just do it myself.

That's where you come in. If you know any good local or state/national parks, nature preserves, etc. Hiking trails that aren't too difficult, a body of water, I'm not picky. I'm willing to drive to get there obviously, I just don't know where to go and researching is giving me headache because I don't know where to start. But I want to start planning a little in advance.

Thanks so much.

Gorgeous weekend

Paddled down it for the first time this week. A little after Edmon the smell became unbearable. Before that stretch we saw a lot of birds and fish but didn’t see many signs of life after that

Is that just business as usual for that river?

Scenery was nice though.