Quehanna Trail

The Quehanna Trail is a long-distance loop trail in Moshannon and Elk State Forests. Blue-blazed connector trails in the western and eastern sections of the main loop allow shorter but still extensive backpacking loops. The outer-loop Quehanna Trail is 74 miles in length. The southern part of the Quehanna Plateau is a mostly oak-laurel ecosystem; the northern part is characterized by northern hardwoods mixed with hemlock and pine.

Quehanna Trail Guide & Map
by Ralph Sealey

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The Quehanna Trail passes through the Quehanna Wild Area, the largest in the state. You'll also have the opportunity to view elk while hiking as a number of them have wandered south from their traditional stomping grounds north of Sinnemahoning Creek. The elk now can be found throughout the Quehanna area, but at such a low density that you are quite lucky if you catch a glimpse of one. An backpacking trip on the Quehanna Trail will give you an opportunity to experience first hand the Pennsylvania Wilds.

Hikes on the Quehanna Trail

Quehanna Trail: Finishing the Trail North of the Quehanna Highway

On the first weekend of May 2011 myself and a group of friends started hiking the Quehanna trail. We put a little over 16 miles under our belt on that hike. Fall of last year had us going back to hike an additional 13 miles of the trail. Now, almost a year later, we were back for even more backpacking on the Quehanna Trail. With our largest backpacking group yet, seven in total, we conquered another 14 miles of the trail and had us completing well over half of the 74 mile circuit trail.

Read more: Quehanna Trail: Finishing the Trail North of the Quehanna Highway

   

Quehanna Trail: A Fall Backpacking Trip

It was time for our annual fall backpacking trip. There were six of us heading out this fall and we opted to hike in the Quehanna Wild Area. Four of us had hiked a section of the Quehanna Trail in the spring and we were looking forward to logging a few more miles on the trail this fall. With rainy weather to start, we headed out on the trail to experience what would be a great weekend of backpacking on a section of the Quehanna Trail that more than exceeded my expectations.

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Quehanna Trail: Discovering the Eastern Sections of the Wild Area

It had been over 5 years ago that Mark and I last hiked on the Quehanna Trail. For our first backpacking trip of the season, it was decided to go back to the Quehanna Wild Area and hike on the Quehanna Trail. This time Mark and I were accompanied by Kaelen, Jim, and Chris. We opted for a hike on the eastern section of the trail, which provided vistas and more of a challenge than the western parts. So on a chilly morning on the first weekend of May, the five us began our spring backpacking trip on the Quehanna Trail.

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Quehanna Trail: My First Hike in the Quehanna Wild Area

You couldn't ask for a better weekend for hiking, at least not in the middle of July. With temperatures in the nineties the week before, and temperature approaching that again the week after, our hiking weekend was the jewel in the rough. We had low humidity, temperatures in the upper seventies, and a slight breeze to help keep us cool. All of this added up to a very enjoyable hike on the Quehanna trail.

Read more: Quehanna Trail: My First Hike in the Quehanna Wild Area

   

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