Trail time! Download a map. Pack a lunch, grab a pal–and go!
Hiking
Hiker heaven is right here on trails that weave along wild, winding rivers and through lush forests and quaint towns. Dig in for a strenuous multi-day adventure or take a short jaunt. Climb along 22 cascading waterfalls at Ricketts Glen State Park or walk through a bog at Black Moshannon State Park. Search for the majestic elk in their prime territory along the 17.1-mile Elk Trail in Elk State Forest. Imagine how mules pulled cargo-laden boats while exploring any of the 60 miles of the Delaware Canal towpath at Delaware Canal State Park.
Backpackers rave about trekking the Mid State Trail’s 171 miles, Quehanna Trail’s 75 miles, orWest Rim Trail’s 30 miles. Western Pennsylvania offers 70 scenic miles of the Allegheny Mountains on the Laurel Highlands Trail. Don’t forget the hikers’ holy grail–the Appalachian Trail. About 230 of this historic footpath’s 2,100 miles traverse eastern Pennsylvania. Through-hikers have been known to down a half-gallon of ice cream at the AT’s halfway point in Pine Grove Furnace State Park –but feel free to celebrate however you’d like. You earned it. Newbie? Watch for beginners’ backpacking programs at Laurel Ridge State Park, Oil Creek State Park and Jennings Environmental Education Center.
Biking
Flat rail-trails, rolling country roads, and rugged, wooded trails take you anywhere.
See Pennsylvania’s countryside, creeks, forests, and canyons on a leisurely ride on flat terrain. World-renowned, long-distance biking and hiking trails reimagined and repurposed from former rail lines offer hundreds of miles of sightseeing on a flat, leisurely, family-friendly ride. Explore charming towns and beautiful waters among forested mountains. The most famous rail-trail is the 150-mile Great Allegheny Passage between Pittsburgh and Cumberland, Md., including 27 miles in the lovely Ohiopyle State Park. In Cumberland, the trail joins the C&O Canal Towpath for a continuous 335-mile ride to Washington, D.C. Pedal along the eastern bank of the Allegheny River on the 30-mile Armstrong Trail, linking Ford City, Kittanning, and East Brady. Bike along any of the 62-mile, flat and packed gravel old railroad bed of the Pine Creek Rail Trail, following the floor of Pine Creek Gorge to see the steep, forested slopes of what’s known as the Pennsylvania Grand Canyon. Watch for waterfalls, unique rock formations, and wildlife like eagles, hawks, wild turkeys, osprey, and deer. Explore historic colonial structures on the York Heritage Trail. Ride beside the churning rapids of the Lehigh River on the 26-mile Lehigh Gorge Trail as the river carves the steep stone walls of the gorge.
Learn more about state parks and forests in Pennsylvania >>