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Full Text of: Following the North Country Trail |
The following text is excerpted from the book "Following the North Country Trail," written by the North
Country Trail Association's magazine editor Wes Boyd and published by the NCTA. The book is sent free of charge
to new NCTA members, but you also may read the entire text on our web site.
Once the hiker crosses into Pennsylvania, there are still 104 miles of the first largely completed segment ahead. The initial 95 miles of the North Country Trail meanders through the rolling hills and stream valleys of the Allegheny (Pennsylvania spells it differently than New York) National Forest. Marked with white paint blazes and routed wooden signs, this northwestern Pennsylvania trail is one of the more established along the route of the NCT.
A national forest since 1923, the forest has 512,000 acres. When you see the variety of tree and wildlife species, it's hard to believe that the area was called "The Allegheny Brushpatch" in the 1920s. Extensive logging a century ago left the area nearly barren. The original forest of beech, hemlock and sugar maple was cleared by settlers or logged by lumber companies who used narrow-gauge railroads to remove the trees; now a growth of black cherry, red maple, sugar maple, oaks, birch and beech h ave taken their place.
The outstanding recreational opportunities of the Allegheny National Forest are enhanced by the Kinzua Dam. Completed in 1966, this flood-control facility harnesses the Allegheny Reservoir, a 12,000 acre impoundment. Snuggled in rugged plateau country, the forest's rolling, sometime steep topography, cut deeply by hundreds of miles of creeks and streams, boasts elevations ranging from 1,000 to 2,300 feet. The NCT passes through some unique old growth forests, the 4,080 acre Tionesta Natural and Scenic Area, and the 120 acre Heart's Content Scenic Area, boasting 300-year-old white pine. Seven National Forest campgrounds are located along or a short distance off the trail. In addition, primitive camping is permitted anywhere within the forest, but not within 1500 feet of the Allegheny Reservoir or roads along the reservoir.
Other excellent trails maintained by the Forest Service, including the Black Cherry and Tracy Ridge National Recreation Trails, connect with the North Country Trail.
Black bear are present in the forest, with hundreds of sightings each year. Bear precautions should be taken.
The Allegheny National Forest, along with other national forests, has been working hard to improve the quality of informational material about the trail in the forest. A new and informative brochure on the trail in the forest, along with specially marked forest maps, is available from Allegheny National Forest, PO Box 847, Warren PA 16365. "Certified Sections of the North Country Trail", by Byron and Margaret Hutchins, also has a section about the Allegheny National Forest and Cook State Forest, one of the best and most recent hiker's guides available about the area. It is available from the NCTA Bookstore for $4.50.
The Allegheny Outdoor Club offers a patch for users completing the trail in the Allegheny National Forest. For more information, contact Don and Brita Dorn, Star Route Box 476, Sheffield, PA, 16347.
At the south border of the Allegheny National Forest, the hiker follows a short section of the Baker Trail southward to Clear Creek State Forest. The Baker Trail is a 140-mile hiking trail established and maintained by American Youth Hostels, Inc., Pittsburgh Council, 6300 Fifth Ave., Pittsburgh, PA 15232. It extends from Freeport, PA, to the junction with the NCT in the Allegheny National Forest; unfortunately, the NCT only uses a few miles of this trail.
Following the Baker Trail south, after about three miles the hiker enters Clear Creek State Forest. Here, a 1.5 mile segment of the Baker Trail is certified in this small, isolated parcel of state land. In addition to the official NCT markers, the segment is marked with yellow paint blazes and routed wooden signs. Trailside camping is permitted for one night only. For more information, contact District Forest Office, Pennsylvania Bureau of Forestry, Box 705, Clarion PA 16214.
Immediately to the south, the NCT and the Baker Trail follow approximately 8 miles of the Cook Forest State
Park's 27-mile trail network. This 6,422 acre park, created in 1927, preserves an original stand of white pines
and hemlocks. It is now one of the largest stands of virgin timber in the state, and the trees are from 250 to
300 years old. In Cook Forest State Park, camping is permitted only at the 226-site developed campground, which
is open year around, and at two group sites. The trail is marked with the official NCT marker and wooden signs.
For additional information, contact Superintendent, Cook Forest State Park, PO Box 120, Cooksburg, PA 16217.
About two miles southwest
of Cook Forest, at the Gravel Lick Bridge, the planned route of the NCT departs southwestward from the southbound
route of the Baker Trail, and the hiker is at the end of 470 miles of nearly-continuous marked and usable trail.
It's about 100 miles from the Gravel Lick Bridge to Jennings Environmental Education Center north of Butler. Trail
development in Pennsylvania has turned busy in the last few years, and several routes have been proposed, explored,
and some rejected in favor of other routes, so the situation in this section is in flux. It's fair to say that
this section is currently seeing some of the most intensive development of the trail by NCTA chapters anywhere
along the route, and almost anything detailed over this area is likely to be outdated almost immediately. For the
most current information about this segment, contact the North Country Trail Association to get contact persons.For
the near future, though, the hiker will have to use county maps from Clairon and Butler Counties to find the way
across low-use roads to the next steppingstone, in Moraine State Park, about 6 miles northwest of Butler, PA, on
SR8.
The trail picks up again at Jennings Environmental Education Center, at the east end of the park. A one-mile segment here joins with 13 more miles of the Glacier Ridge Trail in Moraine State Park. These trails are marked with blue paint blazes and the NCT markers. A wide variety of day-use facilities are found in the park, but no camping is allowed; several private campgrounds are in the vicinity, and a restaurant is located in the park. For information: Jennings Environmental Education Center, R D 1, Slipprey Rock, PA, 16057, and Superintendent, Moraine State Park, RD 1, Portersville PA 16051. The NCTA leases the Davis Hollow Cabin in Glacier Ridge State Park as a focal point for Pennsylvania chapter efforts.
Construction of a 3-mile connection between Glacier Ridge State Park and McConnel's Mill State park is also under way. For the latest information, contact either park superintendent. At McConnel's Mill, the NCT uses 1.4 miles of the Alpha Pass and Kildoo Trails along Slippery Rock Creek; a three-mile extention to the west in McConnels Mill State Park is in development by the Keystone Trails Association. Day-use facilities and outstanding points of interest await the hiker. The gorge of the creek provides a scenic setting for the trail, which is marked with the NCT marker and routed wooden posts. Along the trail are a covered bridge and the restored McConnel's Grist Mill, a national historic landmark. For a map and brochure on the trail, write Superin tendent, McConnel's Mill State Park, RD 1, Portersville, PA 16051.
Once past McConnel's Mill, the planned route of the NCT heads west-southwest for about 20 miles, using maps of Lawrence and Beaver Counties, to one of the newest segments of the NCT.
In 1991, local NCT activists, working with a group that is promoting a scenic tourist railroad, were able to conclude an agreement for the purchase of former Montour Railroad line in western Pennsylvania and eastern Ohio, long seen as about the only possible route for an off-road trail, partly due to a bridge problem. Treadway for the trail, now under development, will share the right- of-way with this steam-operated railroad. While similar arrangements have been proposed elsewhere, this is the first time, at least along the NCT, that this has been done, and the route is not yet certified.
This trail picks up at Darlington, Pennsylvania, about eight miles east of the state line, and follows the lightly-used railroad grade westward. While the rail traffic is both light and slow, hikers should remember that trains do not stop easily, so they have the right of way!
While much work remains to be done on the North Country Trail in Pennsylvania, the state boasts the highest percentage of planned NCT certified in any of the seven states the North Country Trail crosses, and it's all very interesting trail.
For more on the Trail in Pennsylvania, try these choices:
| Slide Show | A visual tour of the trail in Pennsylvania |
| Trail Condition Reports | Up-to-date news on any trail problems in the state |
| Clarion County Chapter | A local club of the NCTA that is working to build, protect and promote the trail in Clarion County. |
| Butler County Chapter | A local club of the NCTA that is working to build, protect and promote the trail in Butler County. |
| Rock Chapter | A local club of the NCTA that is working to build, protect and promote the trail near Slippery Rock University. |
| Greater Pittsburgh Chapter | A local club of the NCTA that is working to build, protect and promote the trail with members from the greater Pittsburgh area. |
| Wampum Chapter | A local club of the NCTA that is working to build, protect and promote the trail in Lawrence and Beaver Counties. |
For information on a different state, click on the map below:
