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Date Climbed
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Pennsylvania's County
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For three days in May 2001 I attacked the Pennsylvania counties with vigor, visiting 16 county highpoints, including the state highpoint, Mt. Davis. I mainly stayed in the south and central parts of the state, but I didn't pass up the easy opportunities. Some were drive-ups, but most were short hikes with some bushwhacking. I had lots of fun, and the weather sometimes helped me, and sometimes hindered me. I enjoyed Pennsylvania, though getting around is sometimes difficult with the confusing road net.
This was my first highpoint of this trip, in which I would eventually get 24 altogether, including 5 state highpoints. I had flown in the previous day from Phoenix to Columbus, Ohio, then driven the two hours to a hotel in St. Clairsville, Ohio, just across the Ohio River from Wheeling, West Virginia. I hit much rain along the drive, with some lightning as well.
The next morning I started early and drove the 20 or so miles across into Pennsylvania, exiting Interstate-70 at the PA-221 junction, and headed south. From here it is a somewhat confusing maze of tiny local roads to the town of Gale. Most roads have a "PA highway" designation, but for these minor roads as I found out, the signage is either hard-to-read or non-existant, and the local roads usually have local names. What this meant for me was a bit of wandering until I finally made my way to Gale. For the record, I took PA-3035 about a mile north of the town of Prosperity west to the junction with PA-3022. No signs mention that the little town is called Gale; I would never have known were it not written on the map.
Where these two roads intersect, there is a local road called Mt. Zion Road that is just east of a house. Mt. Zion Road goes up a small hill about a half-mile then where the road crests, I pulled off into a clearing at an open gate. The highpoint was just about 200 yards of the hill to my east in a grassy swath cleared for a pipeline. The hike was short but somewhat steep, gaining about 170 feet in this short distance. A pipeline marker is found near the top, then the actual top is visible about another 100 feet away. A small clearing ringed by trees is the summit, with no expansive views. I stayed a short bit then hiked back. Knee-high grass still wet from the rains rendered me completely wet from the thighs down as I hiked through it. Saw no wildlife or any of the locals. I exited by taking PA-3022 west to PA-231 and back up to I-70. On my drive on the interstate to my next highpoint in Westmoreland County, I came upon heavy traffic at the Youghiogheny River bridge. Turns out a truck spilled its load of watermelon on the highway, smashing every single one and creating an awful mess. But it did smell wonderful! The truck was upright and no one looked hurt.
The Westmoreland County highpoint is a non-descript hill tucked in its southeast corner, not far from the Seven Springs Ski Area and the nearby Fayette County highpoint. Seven Springs Road (PA-1058) is the best access for both highpoints. After having completed Washington County in the past hour, I left the Pennsylvania Turnpike at the town of Donegal and followed PA-711 eastish and southish to the town of Champion, where a large sign pointing towards Seven Springs Ski Area put me on the right road. Immediately after crossing into Somerset county, literally about 300 feet after the sign at the crest of a hill, turn left onto a dirt road, and follow it about a mile; it makes one sharp left turn along the way. Keep an eye out for a jeep road and a gate on the left. This is the access point to the Westmoreland highpoint.
The hike is short, about 3/4 of a mile and about 150 feet of gain. It tops out at a decaying tower, which according to the map, sits on the county line and at the crest of the small hill, and is the highpoint. I hiked about another half-mile west along the road just to be sure but it lost elevation, so I turned around and went back to my car. The Fayette highpoint is just down the main road a bit, so I visited it next.
This was the third highpoint of the day for me, just minutes away from the Westmoreland County highpoint a couple mile to the north. An older route description to the top from the east is no longer valid, and I spent about a half-hour trying to find it before giving up. Instead, I hiked this peak directly below from the Seven Springs Ski Resort. The main entrance to this resort is off of Seven Springs Road about a mile east of the Somerset/Fayette county line. It's well marked.
This Resort is open all year, it appears, and has numerous hiking and biking trails in the area. When I arrived the parking lot was near full with some sort of convention. I parked awayfrom the crowd, toward the west edge of the lot, near ski lifts #5 (Blitzen) and #6. A service road snakes up between these two lifts. I hiked up this steep road a short bit, then as it turned under the Blitzen run, I hiked directly up the grassy slope until the grade moderated. From here, I could see the Tahoe Lodge about 0.25 miles away, and I hiked toward it. Numerous roads are in the area but none appear to offer any direct routes.
Behind Tahoe Lodge is a large man-made reservoir, and behind this, relative to the Lodge, is the highpoint. I hiked counter-clockwise around this reservoir along a service road, and hiked up a small knoll near the top of more ski-lifts. In the woods behind this run was a set of boulders which appeared to be the highpoint. I dutifully stepped on these rocks. I continued around the reservoir but the road actually dropped about 40 feet and no other areas appeared to get as high as the aforementioned rocks. I also hiked out another road in the area just to scout and be sure.
The rain started to drizzle, then fall stronger until it was a down-right downpour! However, it was warm, about 70 degrees, and I took my time hiking back, although I did run the final bit down the hill as it was getting pretty nasty. I was soaked when I arrived back at the car. Total mileage hiking was about a mile and a half round trip, with about 400 feet of gain, most of which is at the bottom. The nice lady at the information kiosk at the resort said that hiking is allowed with no restrictions. I was wet.
This is an easy drive-up highpoint; numerous ski-lifts sit right at the summit, and the summit area has obviously been altered by construction over the years. I had just finished a hike in Fayette County in the rain, and this would be my fourth county highpoint of the day, which was still young. Despite the rain and fog, I was making good time. I was still pretty soaked from the last hike so I didn't mind an easy drive-up this time around. Access to Blue Knob is from Forest Road (PA-4035) about 4 miles north of the town of Pavia on PA-869. Signs in the area mention Blue Knob State Park, and the region is very heavily wooded. The drive to the top was eventless. I parked in the parking lot near some buildings and tried to stay clear of the couple of workers up there doing general maintenance. It was drizzly and foggy. I walked around the grassy top a bit, clambering up the two or three "hills" at the base of the ski-lift buildings, including one where some guy was busily working. I didn't stay long and hit the road north for a try at Schaeffer Head, the Blair county highpoint.
Alas, I didn't succeed on Schaeffer Head. The rain started to fall heavier, and Schaeffer Head was going to be a bushwhack all the way to the top. I just did not want to get soaked, so I passed. On the drive out of the area, the fog was so thick I could see about 50 feet, if that. I had to cross some junctions and I did so knowing full well another vehicle coming on the other road wouldn't see me until the last moment. Needless to say driving in the fog isn't much fun. Fortunately it lifted as I made my way to Altoona and Tyrone and the Centre County highpoint, next on my agenda.
This is an easy highpoint, located about a mile off a highway with a good dirt road leading almost to the radio tower. This was good as the weather was really rotten when I showed up and it was nice to be able to just run out, snag the highpoint and be on my way. This was the 5th of 6 highpoints for the day, having just visited Blue Knob in Bedford County
I started from the town of Tyrone on Interstate-99 about 15 miles north of Altoona. It was about 4 p.m. and the storm clouds were really thick. I couldn't see the hills and mountains and in town it was misty and rainy and generally pretty miserable. I took a food break and a Burger King in Tyrone, then set out toward the highpoint. From Tyrone, it's about a 7-mile drive up PA-453. Just before it makes a dog-leg turning west, a decent dirt road heads north. Less than a mile up this road is a gated road on the left. I parked here in the pea-soup fog and hiked the remaining quarter-mile to the radio tower, about 30 feet of gain. I couldn't see much so I just returned to my car and headed out the same way I came in. Not much to this one, and certainly not in this weather! Now, onto the Huntingdon County highpoint via State College and Penn State.
This was my sixth Pennsylvania county highpoint of the day, my most recent being Centre County's apex not far from here. Big Flat is easily accessed from the city of State College, which is home to Penn State University. I had been here way back in 1987 visiting some friends that I knew when I lived in Australia, but I remembered almost nothing about the area. On US-322 east of the city, take Bear Meadows Road south through some very nice mansions toward the Tussey Mountain Ski Area. Follow the main road as it gains clockwise around a ridge for about 4 miles to North Meadows Road. The road loses its pavement not long after the Tussey Ski Area junction. Follow North Meadows Road about 3 miles or so (the sign at the junction is wrong) to Gettis Ridge Road on the right. Drive up Gettis Ridge Road a short bit until it crests. This is the highpoint. The road crosses right through the 2,400-foot contour. I didn't spend long here but I did walk the area and into the woods to surmount small rock piles to "ensure" a successful highpoint. It's a heavily wooded area but very pretty, almost like a park. With some benches and trails it could be. That was it for today. Rainy, but successful. I spent the night further east in Danville.
After a night's sleep in Danville, I made my way up PA-487 to the two gated entrances onto a dirt road that leads to a lookout tower and the Columbia County highpoint. Vehicle traffic isn't allowed but there were no restrictions against hiking. Hey, the weather was fantastic today!
The hike up the dirt road was easy, with a pleasant gradient. Parts of the road were muddy and one section was flanked by hundreds of cut trees ready for transport. Soon, the road tops out at a huge lookout tower. All this is in Luzerne County. To get to the Columbia county highpoint, follow a path on the west side of the tower down a bit toward the forest. Many of the trees should be marked with "Posted" notices warning against trespassing. This to me indicated I was probably at the county line. Sullivan county also meets here. I walked north and south along the wooded area and found a squarish cement block painted white which probably (I can't be sure) indicated the corner for Columbia, Sullivan and Luzerne counties. This highpoint requires a bit of gridding to ensure a good faith effort. The views to the south are pretty nice. The tower is closed to civilians. I was back to my car about 40 minutes after setting out, about 2 miles round trip and 200 feet of gain. Now onto my next objective, the heavy bushwhacking up Cherry Ridge in Luzerne County.
From the Columbia County highpoint access along PA-487 north of the town of Red Rock, I drove about 4 miles up the road to a Pennsylvania Game Lands access road to the right, then east and south clockwise for 2 miles to Opperman Pass, noted on the topo map. It's not marked on the road, so I had to watch my odometer carefully and try to sense when the road "crested" and started to drop. The area has many downed trees and lots of crud. I wasn't sure if I was in the right place, so I parked and just started to explore ways into the forest, and got kind of lucky when I found the trail. The trail is pretty primitive, but it is marked with orange and white blazes on the trees and rocks. It looks to me like it's there for the hunters. About a half-mile and 100 feet of gain, I came out to a grassy swath in the forest which was an old railroad! It's been removed, but the ground still has the bumpy texture from where the ties laid down for the tracks. I turned right and followed this for about 2,000 feet as it started to drop slightly. According to the map, this put me just below the summit of Cherry Ridge.
Unfortunately, there is no improved trail to the top, just good-old bushwhacking. I left the old railroad grade and just started up the hill using dead reckoning to guide me. The woods are thick, and there were an enormous number of old downed trees, probably from a long-past storm. Footing was sometimes tricky in the slick wet slope. After about a half-hour I came out to the "top", as best as I could determine. The downfall was pretty awful and it made getting around really tough. I hiked and clambered carefully to where the highest area seemed to be, then walked a few hundred feet along the ridge in opposite directions to be sure there weren't other higher points. I'm pretty sure I hit the highpoint, as I found surveyor's ribbon tied to some branched in the area. While this doesn't prove for certain I was at the highest point, it's a good indicator. I am 95-99% sure I was at or within 20 feet of the highpoint. This was easily one of the most heavily jumbled mass of huge downed trees I've ever seen!
The hike out was fairly easy, once I was back to the railroad grade and the trail. The rest of the day was spent doing much easier, less bushy highpoints. Next up: Schuylkill County.
Schuylkill County's highpoint is an easy drive-up, which was fine with me as I'd just come off of a nasty bushwhack up in Luzerne County, and a long stretch of driving through the hills in Northumberland county. I'd tried Northumberland's highpoint, which is south of Shamokin a bit, the the roads into the woods were really bogged up by the recent rains, so I only got about half-way in before I decided not to chance it further. A bit frustrated, I headed east toward Bears Head, the Schuylkill highpoint, but unfortunately I had to pass through a number of towns and very slow traffic. I was making bad time. I passed through the towns of Shamokin, Kulpmont, Mt. Carmel and Ashland. All of these towns are real charming places with architecture from the early 1900s, flags everywhere, et cetera. But by the fourth town, I was pretty tired of the charm... I just wanted to drive! Eventually I made it onto Interstate-81 and let it fly. Only a few minutes later I arrived to the town of Delano, and the base of Bears Head.
The drive up Bears Head is easy: up PA-1016 northeast of town, then up a well-marked, well-maintained dirt road to the summit. I decided to park a few feet below at a pullout and walk the remaining 100 feet or so to the radio tower. The highest point appeared to be in an area west of the tower, where a turn-around exists in the road. I didn't spend long here, just long enough to count it. Now, onto Lake Mountain over in Carbon County.
Lake Mountain is an active ski resort known as Big Boulder, just a few miles off of Interstate-80 in eastern Pennsylvania. The map appeared to show two options to the summit: a road up the east side and a trail up the north side from the ski area. I scouted both options and decided to hike the road up the east side. From I-80, take the exit at PA-115 near the Pocono Raceway, and proceed south about two miles. Turn right (west) onto PA-903, and hit the Carbon county line about a mile later. A mile further west of the county line, PA-903 passes the main entrance to the ski area, then swings south. At this point, a dirt pull-out area is on the right. The road leads in from here but is normally gated. Signs explicitly ban unauthorized motorized travel on these roads but don't ban foot traffic.
The road dips slightly, crosses a rock reservoir, then makes a hard left at a junction (staying straight would take you to the ski area). Head up this road about a mile to the summit towers. The highpoint appears to be a bunch of rocks a few hundred feet west of the first towers. Some very old rusted steps allow access to the very top, but I'd just as soon suggest to avoid these steps altogether and make your own way up the rocks, about a 10-foot gain. From the highway to the rocks is about a shade over a mile one-way with about 400 feet of gain. The road is well maintained and appears to have been paved at one time. My round-trip time was about 40 minutes, with a nice jog down on the return.
I left Pennsylvania for just a bit, entering into New Jersey near Port Jervis at the PA/NY/NJ tricorner. Next up: New Jersey's state highpoint at Kittatinny Mountain.
Valley Forge Road is residental street and a county boundary. Some lucky sap lives at a county highpoint and probably doesn't know it! For me, this one culminated a long day in which I generally stayed well north of Philadelphia, going as far north as to get the New Jersey state highpoint around 4 in the afternoon. Then it was a long drive down the turnpike toward Philadelphia (with food breaks). When I arrived in the area, I figured I'd knock off this miserably easy highpoint. From Interstate-76 west of Philadelphia, I exited onto US-30, which has a local name that I never bothered to look at. It was about 8:30 in the evening. This area looks to be fairly well-off, with the standard mix of shops, gas stations and residences. Some nearby universities give it a college atmosphere, as best I could determine. Problem was, I didn't have a map but I had a description of where the highpoint was: on Valley Forge Road on the county's west edge. But where was Valley Forge Road? I drove out to the county line but couldn't find it by luck, so I went back into town a bit and stopped at a CVS drug store, found a city map of the area, and went back.
By now, with traffic and my general cluelessness, it was close to 9:15-9:30 and I went back out west on US-30 to very near the Delaware-Chester county line, where I was originally. Here, I turned left (south) onto Sugartown Road for about a mile (one stoplight along the way) to Valley Forge Road. The only indication that this road straddles two counties is the change in appearance of the street signs. By now it was dark. Keep in mind I had no specific idea where the highpoint was, but now at least I had the right road. Fortunately Valley Forge Road extends for just a mile or so along the county line, with one place where it leaves a bit then comes back. So I drove this stretch of road first, seeing if there was an obvious place where the highpoint might be. I found two points where the road crested. So then I retraced my route and stopped at these crests to get out and put my feet on the ground to properly claim it. This is an area of some very large mansions and I didn't want to waste time lest someone get suspicious. I did not bother to go onto the lawns or hedges or other man-made built-up areas. For this county, I called it good to stay on the public right-of-way, however brief.
Later, checking the maps on topozone, I found I had properly located the highpoint on the first rise east of Sugartown Road, at the above address. For heaven's sake, don't go hassling them. It was getting late so I attempted to find a hotel, but I ended up driving a ways before finally finding some hotels off of I-95 south of Philly. The next day, I started with a quick extra-Pennsylvanian-excursion to visit the Delaware state highpoint.
From the Delaware state highpoint I returned into Pennsylvania and headed west along US-30 toward Lancaster and Gettysburg, right in the heart of Amish country. In fact, as I drove into the town of Gap, about 15 miles east of Lancaster, I saw my first Amish horse-and-buggy riding along the highway at a moderate gallop. This was an enclosed buggy so I didn't get a good view of the rider. Then, as I drove through Gap, I innocently made a lane switch from the left lane to the right lane but then had to switch back real fast as there was another horse-and-buggy on the road, this time ridden by two young men (no trademark beards) in an open buggy. I made my way into Lancaster, got kind of lost, then resumed on US-30 through York and Gettysburg, stopping briefly at the Gettysburg Civil War site. I thought about stopping for a tour but it was absolutely packed with tourists, so I opted instead to just drive the perimeter. It seemed very interesting; I'll have to make a return trip some day.
Today's immediate objective was Blue Mountain, which contained the county highpoints for both Perry and Cumberland counties along the main ridge. From Shippensburg, I took some local highways (PA-696 and PA-997) north toward the range. Again, I was smack in the middle of Amish country. One thing I learned is that they don't necessarily live segregated from the non-Amish. The Amish farms and the non-Amish farms seemed to be evenly distributed. The Amish farms, houses and barns were pretty obvious for the lack of any vehicles or anything looking "modern", and for their absolutely spotless, everything-in-its-place appearance. The barns were enormous! I was genuinely impressed.
Anyway, the highpoint. About where PA-696 and PA-997 meet near the Pennsylvania Turnpike, I took Three Squares Hollow Road up into the mountains, where the pavement turned to good gravel, which I followed for about 9 miles, paying attention to junctions and other reference points. Topo maps are pretty vital. The route to the highpoints would be along a muddy "fire-road", closed to passenger vehicles. This would be my longest hike of the trip, 4 miles round trip, but the gross gain would be about 100 feet, including drops. The sun had come out, but the recent rains had pocked the road with large pools of water. The hike was easy but muddy, and often I had to hike in the woods to avoid the pools. I did scare up some toads, as well as two deer at one point. The first mile and a half gains about 50 feet ever so slightly, so it's almost level. Then the road drops noticeably (relatively speaking) for about a quarter-mile before rising noticeably for about another 50 feet to the area noted with a spot elevation of 2,270 feet along the road. This is the Cumberland highpoint. The county line doesn't pass through the spot elevation on the map, so to be sure, I hiked north into the woods a bit to "get" Perry as well. A use-trail helped matters. The hike out went quickly and I made the round-trip hike in about 45 minutes.
I drove out the way I came in. A large Amish family had ridden their buggies up the road and were picnicking in the woods just off the road. I waved hi as I drove down. Then, a big bee somehow flew into my car and buzzed me most annoyingly. I swatted it into the space where the dashboard and the windshield come together, and it disappeared, but I didn't kill it. About 5 minutes later it re-emerged, buzzed around, and I swatted and killed it while at the same time managing the car so I wouldn't crash.
Big Mountain is the highpoint for both Franklin and Fulton Counties, assuming the county line passes right over the summit. Not all maps are in agreement on this, so to be sure, I also visited nearby Kimber Mountain which was the only other possible (not probable) contender for the Franklin County highpoint.
I left US-30 at the county line sign and followed Augwick Road north about a mile to Tower Road, which led to the top. The roads were paved or gravel and easy to drive. The road rings the top, with parking spaces and places to make short hikes. I walked the top area, surmounting rockpiles as I saw fit. A spot elevation of 2,458 was noted on older maps. On the newer maps, a spot elevation of 2,453 feet is noted at the south end of the loop road. The county line appears to swing just east of the summit, which would place the entire top in Fulton county. Just to be sure, I walked the perimeter of this road to "get" Franklin's highpoint as well.
Access to Kimber Mountain is from the tiny town of Enid. From US-30, I took PA-915 north to PA-4013 to Enid, then turned left onto Enid Road, which merged with Schenk Road, which eventually leads to the top of the range. From here, I hiked in a jeep road, keeping right at the junction, for about 1/2 of a mile. Where this road crested I bushwhacked southeast a bit to a rounded, wooded summit. While this peak probably has little chance of superceding Big Mountain regardless of where the county line is drawn, I had fun and enjoyed the back roads.
The weather was holding up nicely. It was about 2 in the afternoon and next on my agenda was the state highpoint, Mount Davis.
This was my 16th and final Pennsylvania county highpoint of the trip, although I didn't plan it that way. It's not really that convenient to access from other Pennsylvania county highpoint areas but is rather convenient from down below in Maryland. I came down US-220 from Bedford to Cumberland, Maryland, then west a bit on Interstate-68 to US-219, then north about 4 miles to the town of Salisbury, back inside Pennsylvania. From here it was a fairly easy drive along PA-669 and some local roads to the Mount Davis Recreation Area. I arrived at the highpoint parking area around 5 in the afternoon and was the only person there. Mount Davis is a real mountain but it has such a broad, gently sloping summit that it's really imperceptible to the eye. The is no climbing required, just a short walk to the lookout tower and some big boulders that contain the benchmark and the state's highest natural point. I took my photos, then scaled the lookout tower for some really superb views. After a few minutes, I retreated and was on my way. I drove west on I-68 into West Virginia and one more highpoint for the day in Monongalia County, in an oncoming storm!
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(c) 2001, 2007 Scott Surgent. For entertainment purposes only. This report is not meant to replace maps, compass, gps and other common sense hiking/navigation items. Neither I nor the webhost can be held responsible for unfortunate situations that may arise based on these trip reports. Conditions (physical and legal) change over time! Some of these hikes are major mountaineering or backpacking endeavors that require skill, proper gear, proper fitness and general experience. |