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This part of my site is for you backpackers and even day hikers!
Many of
these trails make great day hikes too. Below are links to backpacking
trails located throughout the state of Pennsylvania. I have provided a brief
description of each State Forest Trail & others that I have completed
along with
my GPS logged waypoints, tracks, elevation profiles, trailhead
coordinates, pictures & directions
all for your
enjoyment and/or use out on the trails.
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Note 1: |
All GPS waypoint names are
14 characters long. The GPS files are in (3) formats,
First is: Garmin users
(.gdb),
Second is: GPS eXchange file for other GPS users (.gpx) this file
format can also be used in National Geographics TOPO! Software &
Third: Non-GPS users
which is in text format (.txt)
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Note 2: |
The "backpacking trips"
elevation profiles are detailed documents that display not just the
elevation, but special features that are found at that particular mile
on the trail. This is my current project. I have been slowly adding
and updating Elevation Profiles for both Backpacking & Day Hikes!
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Note 3: |
The "hiking trips"
elevation profiles only display the elevation changes along the trail,
but I am currently changing this! |
** Please, take the time to check out the links.**
It took me many hours to
create the profiles and uniform all the GPS files.
Let me know what you
think and
if you find any errors or updates that need to be fixed or added.
DCNR Quadrangle Maps:
http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/topogeo/map61/stbase.aspx
DCNR Quadrangle Software:
http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/topogeo/groundwater/WebDriller/WDsoftware.aspx
*Please read & understand this table for water level
readings prior to your trip to compare*
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Legend for How the Water Was When We Hiked The Trail... |
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Water |
5-pt. Scale |
| Personal Rating System: |
Very High
Levels
(water is abundant) |
Excellent
Water - 5 |
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High
Levels (water
is plentiful) |
Good
Water - 4 |
|
Medium
Levels (water
shouldn't be a problem) |
Ok
Water - 3 |
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Low
Levels (water is
scarce) |
Poor
Water - 2 |
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Very Low
Levels (water is almost non-existent) |
Bad
Water - 1 |
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* Use this Legend to interpret my water level rating system located in
each of my Hiking Trail links.* |
I have created a personal water rating system that I
use to rate the water level when we hike or backpack a trail. Water is
obviously an important resource for you and me out on the trail. So I have
created this 5 point scale to rate the water level.
How do I know the water level? I look the USGS Water website!
http://water.usgs.gov/waterwatch/ (US)
http://water.usgs.gov/waterwatch/?m=real&r=pa (PA)
I then find the nearest stream that would be directly related to the runoff
or drainage system of the hike/area we are traveling in. I look at the
levels prior to our hike and after our hike to see exactly what they were
when we hiked the trail. I then post this information on my website for an
additional resource for you.
State Forest Hiking Trails
State
Hiking Trails
***Please Download
National
Hiking Trails
State Hiking Trails
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Eastern Trails
- Batona
- Big Pocono State Park
- Blooming Grove
- Brandywine
- Conestoga
- Horse-shoe
- Joseph Gmitter
- Lehigh River
- Link
- Mason-Dixon
- Ricketts Glen State Park
- Tobyhanna Lake
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Western Trails
- Allegheny Front
- Hickory Creek
- John P. Saylor
- Laurel Highlands
- Mill Creek
- North Country
- Oil Creek State Park
- Rachel Carson
- Rimrock-Morrison
- Shenango
- Twin Lakes
- Warrior
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Note: To view the pictures for each
hike, click on the trail link below and scroll to the bottom of the
page.
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For further information on these
trails & other such activities visit the PA
DCNR
or do a search for any of the trails in a search engine such as:
Google,
Yahoo
or
MSN. |
Why Post these Trails?
My
wife & two of our hiking partners are working on the KTA & DCNR Hiking Awards!!! The Awards offered
are listed below:
The Keystone Trails Association offers the following
awards for hikers.
- Appalachian Trail Award - Applicant must have hiked the entire
Appalachian Trail in Pennsylvania.
- Merit Award - Applicant must have hiked the entire Appalachian
Trail in Pennsylvania plus 200 or more miles on any of the trails listed
below.
- Merit II Award - Applicant must have hiked all of the
Appalachian Trail between the Hudson River and the Potomac River plus 200
or more miles on trails listed below in addition to those used for the
Merit Award.
- Pennsylvania Award - Applicant must have hiked 500 miles in
Pennsylvania. Trails can be found in Pennsylvania Hiking Trails,
KTA's hiking guide. Portions of any trail may be used.
- State Forest Trails Award - Applicant must have hiked all 780
miles of trails in the Pennsylvania State Forest system. State Forest
trails may be used to fulfill the requirements of another award. This is a
co-award from the DCNR & KTA.
- Western Pennsylvania Award - Applicant must have hiked 200
miles or more on any of the western trails listed below.
- Young Hiker Award (12 and under) - Applicant must have hiked 25
miles on any trail in Pennsylvania. Applicant may receive this award on
multiple occasions, but must complete the 25-mile requirement on different
trails for each award.
*** Most organizations that maintain these trails also
offer a patch to those who complete their trail.***
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The
GPS Unit I used
or have used for my trips are as followed:
No GPS used for the..
| Old Logger's Path (July, 2004) |
Garmin eTrex
Legend...(Poor Receiver!)
| Black Forest Trail - Trip 1 (May, 2005) |
| Black Forest Trail - Trip 2 (June, 2005) |
Garmin GPSMAP 60...(Great
Unit!)
| Susquehannock Trail - Trip 1 (July, 2005) |
| Bucktail Path - Trip 1 (September, 2005) |
| West Rim Trail - Trip 1 (September, 2005) |
| West Rim Trail - Trip 2 (October, 2005) |
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Garmin GPSMAP
60CSX...(Amazing Unit!)
| Bucktail Path - Trip 2 (April, 2005) |
| Susquehannock Trail - Trip 2 (May, 2006) |
| Mid State Trail - Section 6 (June, 2006) |
| Loyalsock Trail - Trip 1 (September, 2006) |
| Loyalsock Trail - Trip 2 (September, 2006) |
| Rausch Gap, Railroad Bed (March, 2007) |
| Mid State Trail - Section 10 (May, 2007) |
| Mid State Trail - Section 4 (May, 2007) |
| Loyalsock Trail - Trip 3 (May, 2007) |
| Mid State Trail - Section 7 (July, 2007) |
| Mid State Trail - Section 8 (July, 2007) |
| Mid State Trail - Section 10 (June 2008) |
| Rausch Gap, Appalachian Trail (September,
2008) |
| Mid State Trail - Section 18 (May 2009) |
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Games to Play at Camp
- Card Games of any kind, whether it be
poker, blackjack, go-fish or solitaire, or
others
- Consider going to your nearest
department store and picking up the dice game of "Phase 10" or learn the
"Dice Game, " both are very fun to play and are light to carry!
- Lateral Thinking Games - These types
of games are simple and fun to play. All that it involves to play is you,
some friends and the lateral thought or riddle.
Ex. This on is called: "Bouncing
Baby": How could a baby fall out of a 20 story building and
life?.... Here's another, this one is called: "The Truck Driver": A police
officer saw a truck driver clearly going the wrong way down a one-way
street, but did not try to stop him. Why not?... Interested in them?
download my
questions document along with the
answers.
I have compiled 45 of them. If you find these riddles enjoyable, check out
your local bookstore or search the Internet for Lateral Thinking books,
there are lots of them out there and there cheap to buy.
Questions or
Comments?: Please feel free to email me, I would appreciate them,
Thanks!
*Disclaimer: Is found on the main page & applies to this page as well
as all other pages.
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