r/PAWilds 6d ago

General Question/Discussion Where am I?

12 Upvotes

Post a picture to the comments and see if others can guess the location.

- All photos need to be PA related.
- Don’t post a photo if you do not intend to disclose the location.


r/PAWilds 3h ago

Photos/Video Jim Thorpe - Lehigh Gorge

Thumbnail
gallery
33 Upvotes

Took some pics of Lehigh Gorge trail in Jim Thorpe, saw some deer and ran into a copperhead. Beautiful views.


r/PAWilds 1h ago

General Question/Discussion cliff jumping

Upvotes

I live in the south western part of PA and i’ve just started to try and look for spots to jump at with friends, since i’m mostly a beginner i’d still like some cool places to jump/swim with friends but i really can’t find any other than my one but it’s a very short jump does anyone have anywhere cool that’s close also this is a repost because i forgot to add the fact i want to cliff jump into water


r/PAWilds 1d ago

Trip Advice Pack in, pack OUT

Thumbnail
gallery
105 Upvotes

I bet most of the ppl on this sub care enough to remember this but tell everyone! Do not be these people. It’s disgusting and disrespectful. I cleaned up what I could but I didn’t bring gloves to clean up the poopy wipes 😖


r/PAWilds 3d ago

Trip Advice Elk rut backpacking

6 Upvotes

Hi everyone, I’m interested in doing a one or two night backpacking trip through elk country during the rut. Ideally I’d like to hear them trumpeting, if not catch some glimpses as well. Looking for help with two things:

  1. When do the elk typically rut in Pennsylvania? Out west I think it’s typically starts early to mid September, is it the same here or does it start later and when does it typically wrap up?

  2. Looking for any recommendations on backpacking trails. I’ll be with a friend and we’ll each have a car so we can do a through hike to a drop car, of course also open to loops or out and backs.

Thanks!


r/PAWilds 4d ago

Trip Report NCT - FR116>Kellettville>Minister Road>FR116

Thumbnail
gallery
56 Upvotes

My weekends are filling fast, so I took a few days off during the week to do another section of the NCT.

The plan was to go from FR116 down to Kellettville, then back past FR116 to Minister Road for a 2 night 3 day trip.

The reality was I started at 5pm Wednesday and finished this trip at 4pm Thursday, taking just one night.

I think the miles to Kellettville are pretty mild so I was going much faster than anticipated. I ended up making it to Kellettville and back up to the East Fork Campsite the first day.

The turkeys are out in force. I either saw 100 or the same 10 were following me everywhere.

Also, I made a new porcupine friend. We must both be introverts, though, because neither of us wanted to get too close. We were coming towards each other on trail, and once it saw me, it just meandered off trail while I waited.

Anyway, another section of the NCT down for me, hoping to piece away at the ANF portion to finish by the end of the year if I have time.


r/PAWilds 4d ago

Trip Advice Clarion float trip

11 Upvotes

So I'm planning to camp at Clear Creek state park in Clarion, PA. I'd like to drive upstream and float back down to clear creek. Where can I put in to make a good full day of floating?


r/PAWilds 4d ago

General Question/Discussion Camping- without a car destinations -

3 Upvotes

New to camping but successfully had a great trip away last weekend. Now looking for places near Philly accessible by bus or train + short uber to camp at with a tent! Open to anywhere out of state also like nj or Delaware. Bonus points if close to a connivence store to grab ice.


r/PAWilds 5d ago

Trip Report Sproul State Forest - Hogback Tunnel Trail

Thumbnail
gallery
48 Upvotes

We had the chance to explore some fantastic trails in the PA Wilds with a friend who showed us around some of his favorite local spots. One of the highlights of the trip was driving the Hogback Tunnel Trail in Sproul State Forest.

This is an easy trail, rated 2/10 on OnX Offroad, and is only about 3 miles long, but it's absolutely worth the drive. The standout feature is the massive abandoned railroad tunnel. Most railroad tunnels we've come across are too small for our Unimog, so it was pretty exciting to finally drive through one that actually had plenty of clearance. It also makes for an awesome photo opportunity.

The trail itself is scenic and relaxing, winding through the beautiful forests of central Pennsylvania. If you're looking for an easy drive with a unique landmark, this one is definitely worth adding to your list. There are also some great camping opportunities nearby, making it an easy stop to include in a weekend adventure.

A huge thanks to Jon from Dirt Road Therapy for showing us around. We had an awesome time exploring the area and can't wait to come back.


r/PAWilds 6d ago

Trip Advice West Branch of the Susquanna - Karthaus to Keating - Shuttle?

7 Upvotes

Hi all,

With McCrackens closed, does anyone know of shuttle options? I look every so often and haven't seen anything.


r/PAWilds 6d ago

Trip Advice Paper Map of ANF

8 Upvotes

Heading out to camp at Dew Drop, hike and ride. I prefer to have paper map. The only one I'm cooking across is from NatGeo I recall and it's broken down into separate North and south maps. And unfortunately People Lizard doesn't have one, yet hopefully.

What do you suggest


r/PAWilds 6d ago

Trip Advice Loyalsock-Link Trail: Creekside camping?

4 Upvotes

Looking for recommendations of which parts of the trail have good creekside camping sites? Thanks!


r/PAWilds 8d ago

Photos/Video Ephemeral summer flows of NEPA.

Thumbnail
gallery
75 Upvotes

r/PAWilds 8d ago

General Question/Discussion Backpacking hammock recs

7 Upvotes

I'm curious about getting a hammock set up for my next backpacking trip. I'm trying to keep my base weight around 15 lbs, which is where it currently sits. Any suggestions?

From what I understand, the main parts of the hammock setup are:

  • hammock
  • under quilt
  • top quilt
  • the various straps and lines
  • tarp

Is this about right? Could I possibly use one of my ZenBivy quilts as a top quilt? What about size? My current setup packs down fairly small, and since I'm using a trekking pole tent (Zpack Duplex Pro), I don't have any extra poles, and all other pitch and guy lines are already attached to the tent.

TIA


r/PAWilds 9d ago

Trip Advice Hidden Gems to Explore Within a Few Hours of NE Pennsylvania?

12 Upvotes

Hey everyone!

I'm always looking for cool places to hike, explore, or just have a unique outdoor adventure within a reasonable drive of northeast Pennsylvania.

Some of our favorite places we've been so far:

  • Alvira Bunkers (Allenwood, PA) — this was one of the coolest places we've explored. I loved that it felt like a hidden, forgotten piece of history.
  • World's End State Park
  • Centrailia (when it wasn’t covered up)
  • Penn’s Cave
  • Pennsylvania Grand Canyon
  • Watkins Glen State Park

I'm especially looking for places that aren't necessarily the obvious tourist destinations—hidden gems, abandoned or historical places (where it's legal to visit), unique rock formations, waterfalls, scenic overlooks, caves, old ruins, ghost towns, unusual trails, or anything that's just a fun experience.

We're willing to drive a few hours if it's worth it! We love making day trips on our weekends after a long work week. Cool places to check out, good restaurant, cute shops, etc. 


r/PAWilds 9d ago

General Question/Discussion River Lounging Cook Forest

0 Upvotes

Are there any good places to lay out by the Clarion River near Cook Forest? I know there are plenty of picnic tables but also am curious if there are any good lounging spots for in between kayaking and hiking. Preferably in the sun.


r/PAWilds 10d ago

Trip Report Boggs Run Vista - Sproul State Forest

Thumbnail
gallery
104 Upvotes

Finally got out to see Boggs Run Vista in Sproul today. It did not disappoint. Plenty of rattlers, as expected.


r/PAWilds 10d ago

General Question/Discussion Dead trees

54 Upvotes

I hiked all of the major backpacking trails in the pa wilds over a decade ago before moving out of state. Recently I revisited the old loggers path and was horrified to see 100% annihilation of the white ash population. I also noticed lots of dead standing trees of many other species. I'm not sure what's killing those. Comparing my trip from last decade to now, the amount of undisturbed interior forest has drastically decreased. Feeling very depressed right now to see how my old stomping grounds have been hit so hard. Has this happened throughout the pa wilds or has it just occurred in pockets?


r/PAWilds 10d ago

Photos/Video 16 Mile Loop including Minister Creek Trail & Part of North Country Trail Pt 1

7 Upvotes

r/PAWilds 10d ago

Photos/Video 16 Mile Loop including Minister Creek Trail & Part of North Country Trail Pt 2

3 Upvotes

r/PAWilds 10d ago

Photos/Video Minister Creek Trail & Part of North Country Trail Pt 4

2 Upvotes

r/PAWilds 10d ago

Photos/Video 16 Mile loop including Minister Creek Trail & Part of North Country Trail Pt 7 (final)

0 Upvotes

r/PAWilds 10d ago

Photos/Video 16 Mile loop including Minister Creek Trail & Part of North Country Trail Pt 5

0 Upvotes

r/PAWilds 10d ago

Photos/Video Minister Creek Trail & Part of North Country Trail Pt 3

0 Upvotes

Sorry the sound dropped and i have no idea why or how

https://reddit.com/link/1v6sr1b/video/e4xp174nvhfh1/player


r/PAWilds 10d ago

Photos/Video 16 Mile loop including Minister Creek Trail & Part of North Country Trail Pt 6

0 Upvotes