Pinchot Trail System

Dogs Leashed

Features Birding · Commonly Backpacked · Fall Colors · River/Creek · Waterfall · Wildlife

Parking is free, permits are needed if your groups is larger than 10 individuals or you plan to stay at 1 site for more than 1 night. Check for seasonal fire bans from March 1 to May 25.

Rocky in spots near Stone Tower and near the Watres Trail Connectors, can be very muddy in south loop near Choke Creek

The Pinchot Trail is a roughly 23-mile loop located in the Thornurst Tract of the Pinchot State Forest, Pennsylvania. This scenic trail is named after Gifford Pinchot, a key figure in American conservation and the first chief of the U.S. Forest Service.

The main trailhead is along Bear Lake Rd (Google maps Coords: 41.219200, -75.631610), this is also the parking area used for the Pine Hill Vista so be aware it can be quite packed at times. There is a secondary trailhead parking area about 3/4 mile west at the intersection of Bear Lake Rd and Tannery Rd (Google Coords: 41.215423, -75.642375). For the purposes of this description I will be using the main parking as the starting point traveling counter-clockwise, but the trail can be in either direction or you can run only the north or only the south "loops".

The Pinchot Trail System is designated with orange blazes and utilizes several other trails along the way so pay more attention the the color of the blaze than the name of each trail section.

The north loop is the shorter section at about 9 miles and follows a bit rockier and hillier terrain. These are no massive climbs or overly technical sections. Your best chances for water are at Spring Run and Painter Creek. You'll find camp sites dotted along the trail, especially near Painter Creek. Keep an eye out for purple blazed trees, this marks private property and camping is not allowed beyond it.

The southern loop is longer at about 14 miles. With the exception of Stone Tower the trail is relatively flat especially along Choke Creek. There are plenty of water options on this loop along Butler Run, Sand Springs Run and Choke Creek. Camp sites are also more plentiful in the south as well.

What this trail lacks in sweeping vistas it more than makes up for in natural beauty. Take your time and enjoy the surroundings.

Black Bear, Coyote, White Tail Deer, ticks, Red Fox, Porcupine, Opossum, Barred Owls, Garter Snakes, Red Newts, Hemlock Trees, Red Pine, White Pine, Birch, Maple, Oak, Ash, Blueberry, Rhododendron, Mountain Laurel,