PA hiking - Appalachian Trail

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#1

Im looking to backpack a short loop (15-18 miles, 1 night) in early April in southern PA. Does anyone have any favorites or suggestions?
THanks!

Kate

#2

it’s too bad that PA is the brunt of so many ‘rock’ or ‘hard trail’ jokes because we really like PA!..and especially southern PA…let’s see…if you’re looking to stay in some cool shelter, ‘the quarry gap shelters’ are really neat(and the hike north up to the quarry shelters through caledonia park is really pretty with lots of big trees and ferns)… peter’s mountain and eckville shelters are cool …(i love the rock scrambling north of eckville on the ‘knife edge’, if it’s not raining)… the rausch gap shelter is ‘interesting’ and is in a beautiful forest (but i think up on a sort of an old roadbed up behind rausch and beyond is a good ‘stealth’ camp (also a beautiful woodland setting)…hertlein camp is nestled in a very magical forest, but unfortunately is overused and is compacted and denuded somewhat…

maw-ee

#3

…as i was saying…the 501 shelter is cool, too…if you want a taste of hostel life you could hike to the one at pine grove furnace…or you COULD check out the doyle hotel in duncannon (though i’ve never stayed there)…of course, i can’t even imagine hiking even for a night without experiencing a burger from the port clinton hotel! :>)

maw-ee

#4

It’s really hard to do a true loop hike in PA. About the best you can do is an out and back. I suggest leaving your car at the parking area near Windsor Furnace shelter.
(be sure to call the Hamburg PA police before hand for permission, easily obtained). From the parking area hike north over the Pinnacle to the Eckville Shelter, which is really more of a cabin. It is 9.1 miles one way, easily done in a day. Then hike back to Windsor Furnace. There are some routes back that are slightly different.

Maw-ed, if you never stayed at the Doyle you have missed a Trail institution.

Swamp fox

#5

yeah… i know…paw and i did actually have a mail drop there at the doyle, and those folks are sooooo great!..but we were unfortunately hiking through duncannon (after a quick stop at the laundromat!)…you’re right though…i reckon everybody oughta stay just once! :>) …by the way, are you guys still on the FT?..paw and i were just down there!

…and oh…kate…i guess if you can fork out a few $$$ for a shuttle, you might look at the guide book and see if you could hike through a section from road crossing to road crossing (or something like that?)

maw-ee

#6

There is a loop trail in Southern PA.
It is at Racoon Creek State Park. There are no shelters but it is blazed well. It’s 19 miles and take about 1 1/2 to 2 days depending upon how you hike.
Hope this helps.

Thatguy