Best Hikes in Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania's best hiking is on the Appalachian Trail (105 miles of PA traverse), in Ricketts Glen's waterfall canyon, through Pine Creek Gorge, and along the Youghiogheny River in the Laurel Highlands.

Ricketts Glen: Falls Trail (7.2 miles, strenuous)
Pennsylvania's most spectacular trail — the loop descends Kitchen Creek through 22 named waterfalls, the highest 94 feet (Ganoga Falls). The old-growth hemlocks, the mossy canyon walls, and the frequency of waterfalls make this one of the finest trail experiences in the mid-Atlantic. The trail is challenging — steep, rocky, and wet — but extraordinarily rewarding.

Pine Creek Gorge: Rim Trail (West Rim, 30 miles)
The "Pennsylvania Grand Canyon" — Pine Creek Gorge in Tioga County is 1,000 feet deep and 4 miles wide. The West Rim Trail follows the gorge rim with views into the gorge and across the Allegheny Plateau. Turkey Path (a 4-mile round trip descent to Pine Creek) is the most dramatic short hike — descending 1,000 feet through forest to the creek bottom.

Appalachian Trail: Delaware Water Gap to Wind Gap (25 miles)
The Pennsylvania AT follows Kittatinny Ridge — the section from the Delaware Water Gap north through the Pocono area is one of the AT's most scenic stretches. The Sunfish Pond (a glacial tarn on the ridge in NJ) and the views from Hawk Mountain (accessible from the PA AT) are highlights.

Ohiopyle: Youghiogheny River Trail and Meadow Run Waterslides
The paved Youghiogheny River Trail (70 miles total) passes through the gorge between Connellsville and Ohiopyle. The Meadow Run Natural Waterslides (a short walk from Ohiopyle) are a natural flume in bedrock — a favorite family destination in summer.

McConnells Mill Gorge (2 miles)
Through Slippery Rock Creek Gorge — boulder hopping among house-sized glacial erratics and cascading stream sections. Short but intensely beautiful.