The following text is based on the book Following the North Country Trail written by the North Country Trail Association's former magazine editor Wes Boyd. In places this page has been updated (August 2004, provided by Glenn Oster) with current information. The book is now out of print, but you may read the entire original 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 meander through the rolling hills and stream valleys of the Allegheny (Pennsylvania spells it differently from New York) National Forest. Marked with blue paint and/or plastic nailed 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, it covers 513,000 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 have 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 passes near the 120 acre Heart's Content Scenic Area, boasting 300-year-old white pines. 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. An 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. Additionally, a 1:100,000 scale topographical map is available from the NCTA Trail Shop. "Certified Sections of the North Country Trail," by Byron and Margaret Hutchins, also has a section about the Allegheny National Forest and Cook Forest State Park, one of the best and most recent hiker's guides available about the area. It is also available from the NCTA Trail Shop. The Allegheny National Forest Hiking, 4th edition, 1999, can be ordered from the Allegheny Group, Sierra Club for $9.95, plus tax and shipping. An order form is found at http://www.alleghenysc.org/puborderform.html. This publication includes information about numerous hiking trails in the forest.
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 section of the Baker Trail southward to Clear Creek State Forest. The Baker Trail is a 141-mile hiking trail built by the Pittsburgh Council of American Youth Hostels, Inc. However, it has relinquished management of the trail, which has been assumed by the Rachel Carson Trails Conservancy, P.O. Box 35, Warrendale, PA 15086-0035 or bt@rachelcarsontrails.org. The Baker Trail extends northward from Freeport, PA, to the southern border of the Allegheny National Forest; as mentioned. The NCT uses about 16 miles of this trail. Again, a 1:100,000 scale topographical map is available from the NCTA Trail Shop covering the sector from Allegheny National Forest to Pennsylvania State Gameland # 95.
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 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; 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.
Building the Hidden River Bridge |
Westward, across the river and uphill out of Parker, the trail is once again blazed and in place through Pennsylvania Gameland # 95 and all the public lands in Butler County. Here, again, a 1:100,000 scale topographical map is available from the NCTA Trail Shop covering the sector from Pennsylvania Gameland # 95 to the Ohio State border. Hikers will marvel at the excellent bridges built by the local NCTA chapter. This sector is currently seeing some of the most intensive development of the trail by NCTA chapters anywhere along the route, and almost anything detailed concerning this area is likely to be outdated almost immediately. For the most current information about this segment, check with the North Country Trail Association to find contact persons. For the near future, though, hikers will have to use county maps in Clarion County to find their way across low-use roads, or follow the abandoned railway mentioned earlier, to the next stepping stone, in the southeast corner of Parker.
In the Butler County sector, hikers will go through Jennings Environmental Education Center, at its east end. A one-mile segment here joins with 13 more miles of the Glacier Ridge Trail in Moraine State Park. A wide variety of day-use facilities is found in the park. The NCTA leases the Davis Hollow Cabin (sometimes referred to as the Davis Hollow Outdoor Center) in the park as a focal point for Pennsylvania efforts. For a modest fee, camping, as well as limited indoor accommodations, is permitted there at such times as an attendant is resident. A new shelter exists in the park and can be used on a first come basis. A small spring is found about 30 paces south of the shelter; however, at present, no toilet facilities have been installed. A frost free hydrant and a composting toilet are funded and will be built. They should be in place in the year 2006. Other than this shelter and two reservable group sites, no other camping is allowed. However, several private campgrounds are in the vicinity. See the Old Stone House to McConnell's Mill State Park Trail Guide. For additional information, contact Jennings Environmental Education Center, R D 1, Slippery Rock, PA, 16057, and Superintendent, Moraine and Mc Connell's Mill State Parks, RD 1, Portersville PA 16051.
There is a 2.1- mile blazed road walking connector between Moraine State Park and McConnell's Mill State Park. At McConnell's Mill, the NCT uses 1.4 miles of the Alpha Pass and Kildoo Trails along Slippery Rock Creek. This area is one of the most scenic sectors of the entire NCT. It follows a deep, rocky gorge with widely varied white and still water stretches evident. It passes by a 19th century operating grist mill (a national historic landmark) with its dam and waterfalls. Immediately beyond the mill, the NCT crosses a quaint covered bridge. (As of August 2004, it isn't walkable because of recent fallen tree damage, but will be repaired in time. A detour is easily taken downstream on the left side of the creek for a mile or so to a roadway, where you turn right and cross the stream, via Eckert Bridge, back to the trail).
Once past McConnell's Mill State Park, the planned route of the NCT heads west-southwest for about 20 miles, using maps of Lawrence and Beaver Counties to the Ohio State line. Along the way are several completed sectors of the trail, east and west of Beaver River that have not as yet been described by a trail guide.
While much work remains to be done on the North Country Trail in Pennsylvania, the state claims the 3rd highest percentage of certified NCT of the seven states the North Country Trail crosses. Moreover, 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. |
| Parker to Old Stone House | guide by Glenn Oster (a pdf file, Adobe Reader required) |
| Old Stone House to McConnells Mill | guide by Glenn Oster (a pdf file, Adobe Reader required) |
For information on a different state, click on the map below:
