434:
35:
338:
1205:
574:, then makes a U-turn and follows the north shore. The MST then leaves the lake, continues to the north, and reaches the New York border after 526 kilometers (327 miles) in Pennsylvania. The footpath continues to the north into New York as the Crystal Hills Trail, a branch of the
243:, with all guidebooks and signs using metric distances while maps also show metric elevations. It was the first significant hiking trail in the United States to do so. This is because the founder of the trail, Tom Thwaites, was a proponent of
492:
corporation and takes hikers past the company store. (This segment of the trail is sometimes closed.) After continuing through some low valley areas with a few farms, the MST next reenters
Tiadaghton State Forest and rises to the top of the
537:
North of
Blackwell, the Mid State Trail has been routed and mapped, but as of 2022 some segments are still under development. The trail climbs back out of Pine Creek Gorge toward the top of the Allegheny Plateau again. It crosses
566:. The trail skirts the west side of Hammond Lake, crosses PA Route 287 again, then continues north through lightly developed rural areas. Approaching the New York border, the trail reaches the shore of
546:, then continues north while exiting Tiadaghton State Forest. Most of the rest of the trail is on private lands through which passage has been negotiated with landowners. The MST crosses
930:
1217:
201:
The Mid State Trail is known for its feeling of remoteness, though it is never more than 2 kilometers from a road. It is mostly on public lands, including state forest and
1266:
239:
The MST is marked by orange blazes, with some spur trails to nearby points of interest marked by blue blazes. The MST holds the distinction of being measured entirely in
405:
and then a defunct railroad tunnel through a ridgeline. Poe Paddy State Park also includes a junction with the Reeds Gap Spur Trail, which leads southwest 13.9 miles to
236:
in Tioga County. It has since been extended to both the south and north, reaching from
Maryland to New York and connecting with other trails in those states.
267:. That state's Green Ridge Hiking Trail reaches the border, and continues into Pennsylvania as the Mid State Trail. After some road walking, the MST enters
923:
311:
563:
303:
284:
205:, and it passes through numerous state parks, wild areas, and natural areas. In its southern half, the MST mostly follows rocky ridgetops in the
1256:
712:
441:
North of R.B. Winter State Park, the MST continues to climb up and down several different ridgelines and uses a rural road overpass to cross
374:, then finally reaches the end of Tussey Mountain and rises to the top of Thickhead Mountain. The trail next reaches a junction with the
916:
275:, staying on top of this ridgeline (with a few gaps) for about 200 kilometers ahead and following it primarily to the northeast. Above
635:
244:
1174:
323:
737:
660:
466:
383:
359:
17:
1059:
462:
442:
367:
327:
299:
295:
206:
202:
155:
127:
1261:
547:
131:
115:
387:
363:
225:
83:
1149:
1049:
474:
315:
111:
213:. The northern segment of the trail traverses slightly less rugged but still challenging landscapes on top of the
1139:
1004:
502:
379:
371:
433:
999:
331:
517:, continuing through various parcels of Tiadaghton State Forest and State Game Lands 75. The MST then enters
302:
expressway. The MST then climbs up the next segment of Tussey
Mountain and passes through multiple tracts of
255:
The Mid State Trail is traditionally described from south to north, and has been divided into four sections.
16:
This article is about the hiking trail in
Pennsylvania. For the similarly-named trail in Massachusettes, see
1134:
555:
551:
522:
450:
422:
410:
276:
233:
1164:
1129:
1114:
984:
559:
539:
526:
514:
485:
481:
446:
418:
280:
194:) to traverse the state from one border to another. A portion of the Mid State Trail is also part of the
954:
571:
510:
506:
454:
414:
394:
355:
351:
307:
291:
268:
175:
1144:
1109:
1089:
1054:
543:
406:
398:
375:
264:
74:
1169:
1124:
1099:
1039:
1034:
1024:
1019:
792:
195:
191:
595:
1029:
979:
969:
575:
518:
470:
457:, and crosses PA Route 880. North of that park, the MST follows a segment of the Native American
186:, United States. It is the longest hiking trail in Pennsylvania, and one of just three (with the
679:
1074:
1064:
959:
856:
733:
708:
656:
631:
505:
near the town of Ramsey, crossing the river on a defunct railroad bridge that also serves the
494:
458:
214:
187:
179:
758:
1184:
1104:
1084:
1044:
1014:
994:
989:
567:
498:
306:. Another abrupt break in the ridge must be tackled at Loysburg Gap, along Beaver Creek and
210:
884:
513:. The MST then climbs very steeply back to the top of the plateau. The trail walks through
1179:
1154:
1069:
318:, the MST descends, follows rural roads and city streets through the town, then joins the
272:
1194:
1119:
1094:
350:
North of US Route 22, the MST climbs up the next segment of Tussey
Mountain and enters
229:
221:
1250:
1189:
1159:
974:
263:
The MST begins at the southern edge of
Pennsylvania, at the Maryland border north of
240:
943:
183:
171:
57:
413:, the MST trends to the north and climbs up and down several ridgelines, crossing
310:. The MST continues to the northeast through more of State Game Lands 73 and then
964:
908:
707:(11th ed.). Huntingdon, PA: Mid State Trail Association. 2008. p. 19.
402:
319:
521:
and descends into the canyon formed by Babb Creek, walking through the town of
298:
on a rural road bridge, then walks through
Everett and uses a street under the
1232:
1219:
732:(Fourth ed.). Woodstock, Vermont: Backcountry Publications. p. 19.
1009:
98:
65:
34:
630:(13th ed.). Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania: Stackpole Books. p. 5.
529:
and briefly joining the Pine Creek Rail Trail again in Pine Creek Gorge.
489:
337:
322:(a rail-trail) and walks easily for about 18 kilometers, alongside the
461:, reenters Bald Eagle State Forest, and descends to the valley of the
160:
Uneven and wet terrain, rattlesnakes, mosquitoes, ticks, black bears
39:
The Mid State Trail in
Detweiler Run Natural Area, Huntingdon County
1204:
939:
596:"Pennsylvania Names the Mid State Trail as 2019 Trail of the Year"
432:
336:
912:
469:
expressway, then uses another road to cross the river between
684:
Pennsylvania
Department of Conservation and Natural Resources
655:. Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania: Stackpole Books. p. 104.
378:
at Detweiler Run Natural Area. The trail then walks through
370:. The trail walks along the ridgeline around three sides of
449:. Now trending primarily to the north, the MST passes into
341:
The "Roman Tower" on the Mid State Trail in Centre County
501:
and tackles a particularly difficult gap, descending to
401:; at the latter it uses a former railroad bridge over
600:
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania: Pennsylvania Pressroom
220:The original route of the trail extended from near
154:
146:
138:
122:
107:
97:
89:
64:
52:
44:
27:
797:Mid State Trail Association: State College Region
465:. The trail uses a rural road to pass under the
924:
382:, and later uses a culvert to pass under the
330:at a parking lot for the bike trail, west of
8:
861:Mid State Trail Association: Woolrich Region
621:
619:
617:
362:in an area that features several vistas of
931:
917:
909:
1267:Long-distance trails in the United States
889:Mid State Trail Association: Tioga Region
705:Guide to the Pennsylvania Mid State Trail
170:(MST) is a 327-mile (526 km) linear
653:Backpacking Pennsylvania: 37 Great Hikes
674:
672:
587:
245:converting America to the metric system
570:, follows the south shore parallel to
437:The Mid State Trail in Lycoming County
324:Frankstown Branch of the Juniata River
24:
879:
877:
851:
849:
7:
753:
751:
749:
445:to the east of its interchange with
296:Raystown Branch of the Juniata River
294:, the MST descends and crosses the
14:
1203:
730:50 Hikes in Central Pennsylvania
209:and reaches dozens of expansive
33:
763:Mid State Trail: Everett Region
393:Next, the trail walks through
18:Midstate Trail (Massachusetts)
1:
1257:Hiking trails in Pennsylvania
885:"Mid State Trail Association"
857:"Mid State Trail Association"
793:"Mid State Trail Association"
759:"Mid State Trail Association"
463:West Branch Susquehanna River
228:in Huntingdon County, to the
128:West Branch Susquehanna River
84:Lawrenceville, Pennsylvania
82:New York State border near
1283:
628:Pennsylvania Hiking Trails
15:
1201:
950:
626:Cramer, Ben, ed. (2008).
380:Penn-Roosevelt State Park
372:Bear Meadows Natural Area
271:and climbs to the top of
207:ridge and valley province
73:Maryland border north of
48:327 mi (526 km)
32:
550:roughly halfway between
651:Mitchell, Jeff (2005).
451:Tiadaghton State Forest
411:Bald Eagle State Forest
728:Thwaites, Tom (2001).
560:Hills Creek State Park
515:Little Pine State Park
438:
423:R.B. Winter State Park
342:
1233:39.79337°N 78.54675°W
834:Mitchell, p. 126-130.
558:, then walks through
507:Pine Creek Rail Trail
455:Ravensburg State Park
436:
395:Poe Valley State Park
368:Penn State University
352:Rothrock State Forest
340:
269:Buchanan State Forest
176:Appalachian Mountains
142:Moderate to strenuous
126:Road crossing of the
1050:Jack Paulhamus/Garby
509:, then encountering
484:, the MST traverses
407:Reeds Gap State Park
399:Poe Paddy State Park
376:Standing Stone Trail
346:State College Region
312:State Game Lands 118
265:Flintstone, Maryland
75:Flintstone, Maryland
1262:Great Eastern Trail
1238:39.79337; -78.54675
1229: /
1140:Slippery Rock Gorge
1005:Eastern Continental
782:Thwaites, p. 59-62.
564:State Game Lands 37
304:State Game Lands 73
285:State Game Lands 97
196:Great Eastern Trail
192:North Country Trail
1000:Eagleton Mine Camp
714:978-1-931-496-09-4
602:. January 24, 2019
576:Finger Lakes Trail
519:Tioga State Forest
497:. It then reaches
439:
343:
326:. The MST crosses
1212:
1211:
843:Thwaites, p. 208.
825:Thwaites, p. 206.
680:"Mid State Trail"
495:Allegheny Plateau
459:Great Island Path
215:Allegheny Plateau
188:Appalachian Trail
180:Allegheny Plateau
164:
163:
1274:
1244:
1243:
1241:
1240:
1239:
1234:
1230:
1227:
1226:
1225:
1222:
1207:
1165:Terrace Mountain
1135:Rockton Mountain
1115:Potomac Heritage
1105:Old Loggers Path
1060:Laurel Highlands
933:
926:
919:
910:
900:
899:
897:
895:
881:
872:
871:
869:
867:
853:
844:
841:
835:
832:
826:
823:
817:
816:Thwaites, p. 75.
814:
808:
807:
805:
803:
789:
783:
780:
774:
773:
771:
769:
755:
744:
743:
725:
719:
718:
701:
695:
694:
692:
690:
676:
667:
666:
648:
642:
641:
623:
612:
611:
609:
607:
592:
499:Pine Creek Gorge
453:, walks through
386:expressway near
360:Pine Grove Mills
279:the MST crosses
203:state game lands
99:Elevation change
37:
25:
1282:
1281:
1277:
1276:
1275:
1273:
1272:
1271:
1247:
1246:
1237:
1235:
1231:
1228:
1223:
1220:
1218:
1216:
1215:
1213:
1208:
1199:
955:Allegheny Front
946:
937:
906:
904:
903:
893:
891:
883:
882:
875:
865:
863:
855:
854:
847:
842:
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833:
829:
824:
820:
815:
811:
801:
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756:
747:
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715:
703:
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698:
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670:
663:
650:
649:
645:
638:
625:
624:
615:
605:
603:
594:
593:
589:
584:
568:Cowanesque Lake
535:
480:After crossing
431:
429:Woolrich Region
348:
273:Tussey Mountain
261:
253:
174:located in the
168:Mid State Trail
78:
40:
28:Mid State Trail
21:
12:
11:
5:
1280:
1278:
1270:
1269:
1264:
1259:
1249:
1248:
1210:
1209:
1202:
1200:
1198:
1197:
1192:
1187:
1182:
1177:
1172:
1167:
1162:
1157:
1152:
1147:
1145:Standing Stone
1142:
1137:
1132:
1127:
1122:
1117:
1112:
1107:
1102:
1097:
1092:
1090:Minister Creek
1087:
1082:
1077:
1072:
1067:
1062:
1057:
1055:John P. Saylor
1052:
1047:
1042:
1037:
1032:
1027:
1022:
1017:
1012:
1007:
1002:
997:
992:
987:
982:
977:
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967:
962:
957:
951:
948:
947:
938:
936:
935:
928:
921:
913:
902:
901:
873:
845:
836:
827:
818:
809:
784:
775:
745:
738:
720:
713:
696:
668:
661:
643:
636:
613:
586:
585:
583:
580:
534:
531:
430:
427:
347:
344:
260:
259:Everett Region
257:
252:
249:
230:West Rim Trail
162:
161:
158:
152:
151:
148:
144:
143:
140:
136:
135:
132:Clinton County
124:
120:
119:
116:Bedford County
109:
105:
104:
101:
95:
94:
91:
87:
86:
68:
62:
61:
54:
50:
49:
46:
42:
41:
38:
30:
29:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
1279:
1268:
1265:
1263:
1260:
1258:
1255:
1254:
1252:
1245:
1242:
1206:
1196:
1193:
1191:
1188:
1186:
1183:
1181:
1178:
1176:
1173:
1171:
1170:Thunder Swamp
1168:
1166:
1163:
1161:
1158:
1156:
1153:
1151:
1150:Susquehannock
1148:
1146:
1143:
1141:
1138:
1136:
1133:
1131:
1128:
1126:
1125:Rachel Carson
1123:
1121:
1118:
1116:
1113:
1111:
1108:
1106:
1103:
1101:
1100:North Country
1098:
1096:
1093:
1091:
1088:
1086:
1083:
1081:
1078:
1076:
1073:
1071:
1068:
1066:
1063:
1061:
1058:
1056:
1053:
1051:
1048:
1046:
1043:
1041:
1040:Hickory Creek
1038:
1036:
1035:Great Eastern
1033:
1031:
1028:
1026:
1025:Glacier Ridge
1023:
1021:
1018:
1016:
1013:
1011:
1008:
1006:
1003:
1001:
998:
996:
993:
991:
988:
986:
983:
981:
978:
976:
975:Bucktail Path
973:
971:
968:
966:
963:
961:
958:
956:
953:
952:
949:
945:
941:
940:Hiking trails
934:
929:
927:
922:
920:
915:
914:
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907:
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886:
880:
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874:
862:
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840:
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779:
776:
764:
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746:
741:
735:
731:
724:
721:
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710:
706:
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685:
681:
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673:
669:
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647:
644:
639:
637:9780811734776
633:
629:
622:
620:
618:
614:
601:
597:
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588:
581:
579:
577:
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569:
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561:
557:
553:
549:
545:
541:
532:
530:
528:
524:
520:
516:
512:
508:
504:
500:
496:
491:
488:owned by the
487:
486:company lands
483:
478:
476:
472:
468:
464:
460:
456:
452:
448:
444:
443:Interstate 80
435:
428:
426:
424:
420:
416:
412:
408:
404:
400:
396:
391:
389:
388:Potters Mills
385:
381:
377:
373:
369:
365:
364:State College
361:
357:
354:. It crosses
353:
345:
339:
335:
333:
329:
325:
321:
317:
313:
309:
305:
301:
297:
293:
288:
286:
282:
278:
274:
270:
266:
258:
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227:
223:
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212:
208:
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185:
181:
177:
173:
169:
159:
157:
153:
149:
145:
141:
137:
133:
129:
125:
121:
117:
113:
110:
108:Highest point
106:
102:
100:
96:
92:
88:
85:
81:
76:
72:
69:
67:
63:
59:
55:
51:
47:
43:
36:
31:
26:
23:
19:
1214:
1079:
1030:Golden Eagle
980:Chuck Keiper
970:Black Forest
944:Pennsylvania
905:
892:. Retrieved
888:
864:. Retrieved
860:
839:
830:
821:
812:
800:. Retrieved
796:
787:
778:
766:. Retrieved
762:
729:
723:
704:
699:
687:. Retrieved
683:
652:
646:
627:
604:. Retrieved
599:
590:
562:followed by
540:PA Route 287
536:
533:Tioga Region
527:PA Route 414
482:PA Route 150
479:
475:Jersey Shore
467:US Route 220
447:PA Route 880
440:
419:PA Route 192
392:
384:US Route 322
349:
316:Williamsburg
289:
281:PA Route 326
262:
254:
238:
219:
200:
184:Pennsylvania
172:hiking trail
167:
165:
123:Lowest point
79:
70:
58:Pennsylvania
22:
1236: /
1175:Tracy Ridge
1075:Mason-Dixon
1065:Lost Turkey
960:Appalachian
894:October 11,
866:October 11,
802:October 11,
768:October 11,
689:October 11,
606:October 11,
572:PA Route 49
511:PA Route 44
415:PA Route 45
403:Penns Creek
356:PA Route 26
328:US Route 22
320:Lower Trail
308:PA Route 36
300:US Route 30
283:and enters
226:US Route 22
182:of central
112:Martin Hill
1251:Categories
1224:78°32′48″W
1221:39°47′36″N
1185:Twin Lakes
1085:Mill Creek
1045:Horse-Shoe
1015:Fred Woods
995:Donut Hole
990:Darlington
739:088150372X
662:0811731804
582:References
548:US Route 6
503:Pine Creek
332:Alexandria
222:Alexandria
150:Year-round
139:Difficulty
66:Trailheads
1180:Tuscarora
1155:T-Squared
1080:Mid State
1070:Loyalsock
985:Conestoga
556:Mansfield
552:Wellsboro
523:Blackwell
417:and then
409:. Now in
397:and then
290:South of
277:Rainsburg
234:Blackwell
103:Very high
1195:West Rim
1130:Rock Run
1120:Quehanna
1095:Morrison
490:Woolrich
314:. Above
56:Central
53:Location
1190:Warrior
1160:Tanbark
1110:Pinchot
292:Everett
156:Hazards
1020:Gerard
736:
711:
659:
634:
544:Antrim
358:above
241:metric
211:vistas
147:Season
134:, 195m
118:, 829m
93:Hiking
80:North:
71:South:
45:Length
965:Baker
542:near
390:.
251:Route
232:near
114:, in
896:2022
868:2022
804:2022
770:2022
734:ISBN
709:ISBN
691:2022
657:ISBN
632:ISBN
608:2022
554:and
525:via
473:and
471:Avis
425:.
366:and
190:and
178:and
166:The
60:, US
1010:Elk
942:in
477:.
421:at
334:.
224:on
130:in
90:Use
1253::
887:.
876:^
859:.
848:^
795:.
761:.
748:^
682:.
671:^
616:^
598:.
578:.
287:.
247:.
217:.
198:.
932:e
925:t
918:v
898:.
870:.
806:.
772:.
742:.
717:.
693:.
665:.
640:.
610:.
77:.
20:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
