Guide to the Quehanna Trail: Second Edition (Keystone Trails Series)

Master the wild beauty of Pennsylvania’s most remote landscapes with this definitive, point-by-point guide to the 73-mile Quehanna Trail loop.Definitive Navigational Authority: This comprehensive guide provides meticulously verified, point-by-point navigation for the entire 73.73-mile Quehanna Trail loop, including 14 recent relocations and updated mileage to ensure hikers have the most accurate data available.Unrivaled Regional Depth: Beyond the main loop, the book offers detailed logistics for five affiliated trails—the Cut Off, West Cross Connector, East Cross Connector, Old Sinnemahoning, and Bear Run Trails—enabling hikers to customize everything from short day trips to ambitious multi-day expeditions.Essential Wilderness Logistics: Every critical detail is covered, from reliable water source evaluations and primitive camping regulations to precise GPS coordinates for official parking access points across Clearfield, Cameron, and Elk Counties.Immersive Natural History: Readers gain a deeper connection to the landscape through expert commentary on the region’s unique ecosystems, including its rare high-plateau meadows, the history of the "Corporation Dam," and insights into local wildlife like the Pennsylvania elk herd.Safety Considerations: The guide prioritizes hiker safety with specific warnings regarding challenging wet crossings, seasonal hunting considerations, and practical advice for navigating the remote Quehanna Wild Area.The 73.7-mile Quehanna Trail is a loop through portions of two state forests and three counties in north-central Pennsylvania. The main trailhead is at Parker Dam State Park in northern Clearfield County. The trail passes through two State Game Land districts, and for 34 miles, it traverses the Quehanna Wild Area. It also passes near the industrial near-ghost town of Piper and visits several areas that are still recovering from a severe tornado outbreak in 1985. The QT is the one Pennsylvania long-distance backpacking trail on which hikers are most likely to see elk in their native habitat. The Quehanna Trail’s main loop includes three different cross-connector trails – the Cutoff Trail, the West Cross Connector, and the East Cross Connector – that can be used to form several different sub-loops. The Old Sinnemahoning Trail departs from the northeastern segment of the main trail and heads to the village of Wyside where, with less than two miles of road walking, hikers can reach the western terminus of the Donut Hole Trail. Read more