Explorer’s Guide 50 Hikes in Central Pennsylvania: Day Hikes and Backpacking Trips

Veteran trailblazer and outdoor activist Tom Thwaites, the author of two other 50 Hikes guides to Pennsylvania, has completely revised and updated this guide to the central portion of Penn's Woods. Roughly bound by US Routes 219 and 15, this lightly traveled region of wild country and wildlife offers a vast network of maintained trail systems. State forests and wilderness areas, railroad grades, ridgelines, and river valleys provide miles of hiking opportunities. Thwaites has added many new hikes in this edition to reflect changing trail conditions, most notably along several scenic and rugged sections of the recently completed Allegheny Front Trail. He also updates old favorites, like the precipitous hike along the rim of Pine Creek Gorge (the Grand Canyon of Pennsylvania), a 3-day backpacking trip along the Mid State Trail, and a walk through rhododendron and hemlock in Hook Natural Area, the largest natural area in the state. Each hike description includes a topographic map, information on mileage and rise, and a detailed description of the route. An overview chart of the 50 hikes at a glance makes it easy to plan your trip. Throughout, Thwaites provides knowledgeable commentary on the human and natural history you'll encounter along the way.