Hiking Tiadaghton Country Forest, Pa - Waterville To Picayune Pino Country Park

ABOUT THE PARK:
Tiadaghton State Forest - Pennsylvania DCNR
Mid State Trail Woolrich Region - Mid State Trail Association

DIRECTIONS:
GPS Coordinates 41.31207, -77.37766

Waterville Recreational Parking Lot

TRAIL MAPS:
Tiadaghton Trail together with Mid State Trail Map together with Brochure - Pennsylvania DCNR
Pine Creek Map - Pennsylvania Grand Canyon - Lizard Maps

Powered past times Wikiloc

HIKE DISTANCE: 12.4 miles

THE HIKE:
I had followed the hike equally described on the Purple Lizard Map site. It was real helpful with 1 exception - the description was based on a hike done inwards the wintertime hence unopen to of the views described are non at that spot when leaves are on the trees.

The hike starts at the far destination of the parking lot on the Pine Creek Rail Trail to the left of the kiosk.

There are the yellowish blazes of the Tiadaghton Trail together with orangish blazes that I don't come across on whatever maps.

Just a brusque distance in, the trail leaves to the correct on a mowed path (no plough blazes).

A brusque distance ahead is the trail sign. Orange is belike for the Old Wagon Road.

The trail ascends adjacent to the rails trail.

Yellow makes a sudden correct plough (no blazes) when orangish goes straight.

Now going upward yellowish steeply on switchbacks.

The rails trail downward below.

Views equally the trail climbs higher.

Pine Creek downward below.

The trail becomes a woods route ascending to a greater extent than gradually.

I had been noticing a lot of orangish ribbons. Turns out the Call of the Wilds 25K race was taking identify together with the ribbons marked the route. Runners started coming towards us merely when nosotros got to the easy, apartment department of this hike which meant that well-nigh every 5-10 steps nosotros had to pace off trail to permit runners pass. This went on for almost 1 1/2 miles together with slowed us downward tremendously. I was concerned nosotros powerfulness non complete the 12-mile hike earlier sunset. It was a 3 3/4 threescore minutes receive to larn hither hence fifty-fifty with leaving habitation at 5:30 AM nosotros did non start hiking until 9:30 AM.

Coming upward on Huntley Road where at that spot was a depository fiscal establishment gibe betoken for runners together with a duet of kids who were lavishing all kinds of attending on Brodie. He loved that! How could I deny him or the kids? Now fifty-fifty further behind schedule.

Continuing on the other side of Huntley Road where nosotros ran into the final someone of the race who was taking downward the ribbons. Now nosotros could brand upward unopen to time. Or could we?

The trail started going downward steeply merely earlier the view.

An master copy Tiadaghton Trail blaze earlier the trail was blazed yellow.

The trail descends extremely steeply on unloose rocks. Even the large rocks wobbled. The painting demonstrate does non practice judge to how steep it was. It was painfully tedious going all the agency down, 1 pace at a fourth dimension testing each basis first. And I even hence slid together with cruel once. Now fifty-fifty agency to a greater extent than behind schedule.

Finally the storey flattens unopen to together with at that spot are fewer rocks equally the trail follows a pretty creek.

A footling wintertime wren singing from with the creek.

The trail stone hops over the creek together with continues on the other side.

Looking dorsum upward at the creek spell stone hopping over.

Nice, smoothen trail at 1 time together with making upward unopen to time.

It's a footling confusing where to plough merely earlier this household but it's ...

... to the left of the picnic tabular array together with to the correct of the piped spring.

The trail descends together with crosses the creek again.

Looking dorsum for a amend persuasion of where the trail turned earlier the picnic table.

Now nosotros climb 1 time again but on a smoother trail surface.

Happy Acres Resort downward below.

At Boone Run Road I had to brand a decision. Turning correct together with route walking to Little Pine State Park would knock 2 miles off of the hike together with nosotros would definitely complete earlier dark.

To assist inwards my conclusion I reread the description of the 2-mile department I was going to cutting off that continues the other side of Boone Run Roa. When it said that 1 time at the top when you lot plough correct on the Mid State Trail "the ridge is narrow together with filled with stone outcroppings together with fantastic views" I merely had to maintain going. After all, I figured worst representative scenario, the final 2 1/2 miles were route walk together with rails trail hence equally long equally nosotros were out of the woods past times dark, the destination would last OK past times flashlight, wouldn't it? So on nosotros went.

Boone Run

Another steep uphill on by together with large smoothen trail.

Almost at the top where views aspect us.

A correct on the Mid State Trail ...

... where at that spot volition last views whatever infinitesimal now.

There were no views. Looking back, that description was based on a hike done inwards Jan when at that spot were no leaves on the trees. With leaves even hence on the trees, no views. But from this betoken forward, the residual was on much gentler terrain than nosotros had been on hence far together with nosotros were able to speed it upward together with brand upward unopen to time. And it was a real pretty ridge.