walkwithgantz.com
  • Home
  • About
    • Who I Am
    • Author
    • AT Ridgerunner '10
    • Professional Guide
  • Current Adventure
  • Hiking in PA
    • Trails A-L >
      • Allegheny Front Trail
      • Appalachian Trail
      • Backpacking with Dogs
      • Black Forest Trail
      • Blue Marsh Lake
      • Bucktail Path >
        • Trails East of Bucktail Path
        • Square Timber Wild Area
      • Chuck Keiper Trail >
        • Dennison Fork
        • Eddy Lick Loop
        • Yost Run Loop
      • Conestoga Trail
      • Donut Hole Trail
      • Horse Shoe Trail
      • John P Saylor Trail
      • Laurel Highlands Trail
      • Loyalsock Trail
    • Trails M-Z >
      • Mid State Trail
      • Old Loggers Path
      • Pinchot Trail System
      • Quehanna Trail System
      • Standing Stone Trail
      • Susquehannock Trail
      • Terrace Mtn Trail
      • Tiadaghton Trail
      • West Rim Trail
  • Long Distance Hikes
    • Appalachian Trail 2005 >
      • AT pics
    • Cohos Trail 2017
    • Great Eastern Trail >
      • Pre-Hike Schedule
      • Detailed Gear List
      • GET Pics North to South
      • GET Journal
    • Long Trail >
      • LT 2007
      • LT 2010 >
        • LT Journal 2010
    • Mid State Trail, Pennsylvania
    • Northville-Lake Placid Trail 2019
    • PA Wilds Trail 2020
    • Pacific Crest Trail 2009 >
      • Pre-Hike Schedule
      • Pre-Hike Drop Box Schedule
      • PCT Pics
      • PCT Journal Entries
    • Tuscarora Trail 2016
  • Support Crew
  • Gear
    • Leki Trekking Poles
  • Links
  • Blog

​Standing Stone Trail

Picture
​​The Standing Stone Trail (SST) was awarded PA DCNR trail of the year in 2016. This well-maintained, linear trail leading approximately 84 miles along rocky ridges, offers days of enjoyable backpacking in Central PA. The first lesson for hikers of this trail is to recognize multiple trail names along the way: Originally called the Link Trail because it 'links' the Tuscarora Trail with the Mid State Trail, this route is now known as the Standing Stone Trail because of the large historically significant stones kept throughout towns in this part of the country. The trail also utilizes other shorter, independently named trails. Luckily, the trail is well blazed (orange blazes) and is quite easy to follow. The southern terminus is at Cowan's Gap State Park, while the northern terminus is located at a junction with the Mid State Trail along Detweiler Run in Rothrock State Forest.

Picture
Lesson two: ridges, roads, and rocks: Backpacking the entire trail requires multiple days of consistent rocky ridge walking along with a good amount of road walking. It is a very enjoyable hike, although water may be scarce during the summer months (lesson three...be sure to carry plenty of water). The effort is worth it though; the SST has stunning vistas and clear paths. There are several miles of paved road walking along this route, but there is also ice cream available at a gas station along the way! Another short road walk further north along this route takes the hiker directly through a small town with a pizza shop before crossing the Juniata River on a road bridge. Be sure to call ahead to confirm operating hours of local businesses if you plan to resupply along the trail!

Picture
Lesson four: Legal camping is scarce on the SST. The hiker will want to pay attention to land ownership while looking for camping spots because many areas along the trail are closed to overnight camping, including some state designated natural areas and the famous 1,000 steps section of trail. Please respect private property so the trail can be enjoyed by all for years to come! A current trail guide is not available, but free downloadable maps can be found at The Standing Stone Club.

Picture
Lesson five: Keep walking! If 80+ miles of backpacking is not enough for you, feel free to continue walking north along the Mid State Trail to New York, or south along the Tuscarora Trail which eventually leads to Alabama! The SST makes up a small portion of a brand new long distance trail running from New York to Alabama. This is known as the Great Eastern Trail.

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.
  • Home
  • About
    • Who I Am
    • Author
    • AT Ridgerunner '10
    • Professional Guide
  • Current Adventure
  • Hiking in PA
    • Trails A-L >
      • Allegheny Front Trail
      • Appalachian Trail
      • Backpacking with Dogs
      • Black Forest Trail
      • Blue Marsh Lake
      • Bucktail Path >
        • Trails East of Bucktail Path
        • Square Timber Wild Area
      • Chuck Keiper Trail >
        • Dennison Fork
        • Eddy Lick Loop
        • Yost Run Loop
      • Conestoga Trail
      • Donut Hole Trail
      • Horse Shoe Trail
      • John P Saylor Trail
      • Laurel Highlands Trail
      • Loyalsock Trail
    • Trails M-Z >
      • Mid State Trail
      • Old Loggers Path
      • Pinchot Trail System
      • Quehanna Trail System
      • Standing Stone Trail
      • Susquehannock Trail
      • Terrace Mtn Trail
      • Tiadaghton Trail
      • West Rim Trail
  • Long Distance Hikes
    • Appalachian Trail 2005 >
      • AT pics
    • Cohos Trail 2017
    • Great Eastern Trail >
      • Pre-Hike Schedule
      • Detailed Gear List
      • GET Pics North to South
      • GET Journal
    • Long Trail >
      • LT 2007
      • LT 2010 >
        • LT Journal 2010
    • Mid State Trail, Pennsylvania
    • Northville-Lake Placid Trail 2019
    • PA Wilds Trail 2020
    • Pacific Crest Trail 2009 >
      • Pre-Hike Schedule
      • Pre-Hike Drop Box Schedule
      • PCT Pics
      • PCT Journal Entries
    • Tuscarora Trail 2016
  • Support Crew
  • Gear
    • Leki Trekking Poles
  • Links
  • Blog