short hike in PA

[wallace]

I am looking for a place for a short 3 day hike within a relatively short drive of the Philadelphia area. I’ve hike the NJ side of the Delaware water gap and would like to try something different. My wife has done the Allentown/Lehigh Valley area and would like to do something with a less rocky trail.

I was thinking of trying the Duncannon area, perhaps parking around the Doyle. If I did this, what are your recommendations, north or south and why? Are there any issues of parking at or around the Doyle?

I’m also open to other suggestions. We will be hiking at the end of July.

[Wise Old Owl]

If you head south from Ducannon, the trail is more walking through farmers fields after the Darlington Shelter. Travel north and you have miles of green tunnel with outlooks. 30 miles would roughly put you at Fort Indiantown Gap or past the Raush Shelter

[ki0eh]

Duncannon to Whiskey Springs (junction with Mason-Dixon "trail" roadwalk) is 31.7 miles; or to PA 443 near Swatara Gap is 33.5 miles about per http://www.mikecalabrese.com/users/m...st/atdist.html .

Ask at the Doyle if you can park in back, the "bubble" should have settled down by end of July so hopefully they will be OK with a couple nights there (they've offered that to me before in the off season). http://www.doylehotel.com

As W.O.O. says you have different experiences in 30 miles north vs. south of Duncannon. Rocks are spotty, in more spots north vs. south.

South of D offers more diverse scenery, with the green tunnel about half relieved by the Cumberland Valley crossing which runs through groves of trees and a fair number of fields now owned by the National Park Service, and a passage through the pretty town of Boiling Springs. End of July will bring HEAT. However the trail is mowed so you can have confidence you're not wading through eye-high grass. Perhaps on your schedule, there will be a brief detour on this route at the I-81 crossing with a free "ferry", see the alert on http://www.geocities.com/cvatclub/

North of Duncannon is green tunnel with just a few overlooks. More difficult to see for the casual hiker and perhaps not of interest to all is some of the history of the "St. Anthony's Wilderness" you will pass through. If you scroll about 40% down this page: http://www.satc-hike.org/hikemap.html you will see some links of possible interest for this area.

Last year water dried up through these areas by end of July but this year has been wetter so hopefully most of the springs will at least be trickling. Darlington Shelter's spring is perhaps the first to dry up and Rausch Gap probably the last.

Having done both, I think south from Duncannon is slightly more interesting due to the diversity of the three physiographic provinces vs. the one going north. I suspect that's a minority opinion though, the green tunnel's much more solid heading north. (And if you head north you will pass through my club's including my own section. )