Baker Trail

The Baker Trail merges with the North Country Scenic Trail just south of Cook Forest State Park, on the banks of the Clarion River. The trails then meander through Cook Forest State Park and pass through the Forest Cathedral: a stand of ancient White Pines and Hemlocks. This outing had us hiking a section of the Baker Trail as it traversed through the Forest Cathedral. We also used some of the other many trails in the State Park to make a pleasant morning circuit hike.

Read more: Baker Trail: Strolling Through the Forest Cathedral in Cook Forest

June 2nd, 2012 was National Trails Day. An opportunity to raise awareness of hiking and hiking trails and a chance to get out and hike. This year I wanted to take Shari out to the Baker Trail and show her this trail that was near to where she grew up. I had did a hike here earlier in the year, near Crooked Creek Lake Park, and I decided that Shari and I would continue hiking the trail where I left off. The hike started off well and looked promising with some nice views over the Crooked Creek Lake but we were soon disappointed with what we found. The Baker Trail, at least the section that we decided to hike, was not the ideal trail to be exploring on National Trails Day.

Read more: Baker Trail: A Disappointing Outing

The Baker Trail extends from its southern terminus near Freeport on the Allegheny River to the northern terminus just outside the Allegheny National Forest. It is a hiking trail in places and in other places it follows dirt roads as it meanders through woods and fields. This was my first hike on the Baker Trail and I decided to hike a section of the trail as it followed Cherry Run through the woods within Crooked Creek Lake Park in Armstrong County. On what turned out to be a very nice and relatively warm late February Sunday, I headed off to find Crooked Creek Lake Park and discover the Baker Trail.

Read more: Baker Trail: First Explorations