okay…could we have a vote?..some of us who’ll be goin’ to the ALDHA gathering in gettysburg will want to hike…i’m kinda thinking i’d like to go back to somewhere in the rausch gap shelter area (maybe up to the peter’s mountain shelter?)…pretty…but so is the area past caledonia state park as well…can’t decide…which parts of southern PA do YOU like best? (can we suspend the ‘rock jokes’ for at least a FEW postings?)
maw-ee
When I was thruhiking, I really enjoyed the stretch between Caledonia and Pine Grove Furnace. I’ve rehiked that one a couple of times. If you’re backpacking it is probably dry now though. This has been a very dry summer.
If you go to Rausch Gap - there are many many side trails in the State Gamelands. Some are on the map, some aren’t. It can be fun to explore the trails to see where they go. One leads up to a stone tower past an old village, that was quite cool. You can make a nice loop to and from Rausch Gao using a trail along the creek that should be on the map.
If you’re dayhiking, there’s a nice loop near Eckville Hostel up to the Hawk Sanctuary.
Ginny
There are a lot of good options near Rausch Gap, basically in PA sections 7 and 8. I haven’t yet done these as sections hikes but have day hiked extensively up there. One option you might want to look at is taking the Horse-Shoe Trail from the Gamelands parking area on PA443 on it’s last leg up to the top of Stoney Mt. and the Horse-Shoe’s junction with the AT. The last part goes up the valley of Rattling Run. If you head NOBO from there, it takes you past some of the best parts of section 7, especially The General, Yellow Springs village, and of course Rausch Gap itself. It’s a great hike for doing a short trip.
If you’re looking for a bit longer excursion, then you could do both sections 7 and 8 (the Susquehanna to Swatara Gap) and get much the same effect (though I do recommend the Horse-Shoe, which is a too neglected trail.) I don’t know the areas further south, though by all reports the Caledonia to Pine Grove run is lovely.
Hope this helps.
Good hiking!
Strategic