It meanders for 70 miles atop Laurel Ridge, over rugged sandstone formations, under deep hemlock cover, and along ledges high above the Youghigheny River. The only fully state-maintained long distance trail in Pennsylvania, the Laurel Highlands Hiking Trail (LHT) connects the busy outdoor recreational community at Ohiopyle State Park to the western extreme of the Conemaugh River Gorge, near Johnstown, and is a spur of the Potomac Heritage Trail, a National Scenic Trail spanning from Washington, D.C. to Pittsburgh.

According to veteran hiker Jim Austin, a former Pittsburgh resident, "The LHT is perhaps one of the East's best kept secrets. It is mostly well-maintained, relatively easy -- though there are short strenuous challenges -- and there are lots of opportunities for solitude." Austin has hiked the trail in all seasons, and like others before him, find it crowded only on weekends. Nearly 50,000 hikers and 34,000 campers enjoyed the trail's natural wonders in 1997.

At the trail's northern end, rhododendron tunnels lead to rock outcrops with breathtaking views of the Conemaugh River. Climax forests characterize the northern peaks; mountain laurel, basking in sunlight, grows tall towards the sky. South of PA Rt. 271, it dips into lower terrain, wandering through tight mazes between towering rocks. The trail traverses logged-out hills -- covered with ferns, mosses, and mountain laurel -- then drops down into cool hollows where hemlocks crowd around gurgling springs. Crossing over U.S. 30, the trail heads into its most interesting section: interspersing boulder mazes with tangled jungles of rhododendron, masses of ferns, and cool, clear, sand-bottomed runs. Beam Rocks provides a stunning panorama of the Allegheny Plateau; a side trail leads to Laurel Summit Road. Beyond, the approach to the Pennsylvania Turnpike is flanked with bogs and waterfalls. After crossing the turnpike bridge, hikers regain a sense of solitude while heading towards the trail's midpoint. Wildflowers carpet the rolling hills in Forbes State Forest, where trillium and trout-lily show their vivid colors in early May.

Past PA Rt. 31, the path climbs though pine forests towards its highest point. To Mike Nagel of Valencia, PA, this segment was the best part of his trip. "It was in April, and from a great distance the ski slopes came into view, with the white snow contrasting with the surrounding, spring countryside. Just walking through those few miles was the most beautiful part." Hikers who approach the 2,950 foot peak may find the walking treacherous from November through April -- the trail crosses the slopes at Seven Springs. Several miles beyond, after a steep climb in and out of the gorge surrounding Blue Hole Creek, the trail flattens out. "The section between Rt. 653 and Rt. 31 is very popular...it's the easiest, most comfortable segment along the trail," says Donna Pletcher, administrative assistant for Laurel Ridge State Park.

Just beyond Rt. 653, the trail plunges down a rocky hillside past a shelter area and into a wilderness of state game lands; hikers cross many creeks, and, if lucky, startle a grouse or a wild turkey. After passing through miles of forest punctuated with dripping, moss-draped rocks, the trail finally bursts forth on a promontory overlooking the Youghigheny River Gorge. From there on, it conforms to the rugged landscape above the river, dropping into hollows graced with waterfalls and abundant spring wildflowers, and clambering up steep slopes to rock overhangs above the rush of the river. Its arrival in Ohiopyle is almost anticlimactic, as it parallels the railroad tracks to PA Rt. 351.

Tom Thwaites, author of 50 Hikes in Western Pennsylvania, notes that "hiking the LHT is hiking in the 21st century. It's built for high usage levels, built to high standards generally not found on other trails. It's maintained by user fees, not volunteers. It's relatively free of illegitimate users like horses, bicycles, and ATVs because there are state park rangers around every day. Camping at shelters is by reservation only, so you are assured of a place even if you drag in late." Careful planning went into the development of the trail, which unlike the multitude of volunteer-maintained trails in our state, stays primarily on state owned lands -- parks, forests, and game lands -- atop the ridge. In the late 1960s, volunteers from the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy worked with the state to identify an ideal route along Laurel Ridge. State park personnel then cut brush, moved stones, and built bridges. By the fall of 1976, the LHT was ready for its first crop of long-distance hikers. An estimated 75,000 people explored portions of the trail in its first year.

Many formal groups use the trail year-round to teach newcomers backpacking skills, and seasoned backpackers enjoy the unusual luxuries afforded by the trail: excellent blazing, good maintenance, and comfortable shelters. Shelter areas are located every six to twelve miles apart. "The shelters are almost decadent compared to what I'm used to," says Austin, a veteran Appalachian Trail hiker. Each area has five three-sided shelters, sleeping four comfortably, with a fireplace positioned to radiate heat into the sleeping platform. There are an additional 30 flat spaces for tents, some with fire rings or grills. Chopped firewood is provided by park rangers, discouraging hikers from hacking their own. Rounding out each area is a hand pump to draw water from a well, and two sets of latrines. "Pit toilets in stalls, mirrors on the walls, urinals in the men's room...not exactly your typical Appalachian Trail privy!" notes Austin.

The reservation system bothers some hikers, who find it inflexible. State regulations prohibit pitching a tent anywhere but at a shelter area. As Thwaites points out, "you can't camp just anywhere that looks good to you." For Rich Scanlon of the Keystone Trails Association, having a ranger show up at 9:30 p.m. was a surprise. "Especially when he asked if I had reservations -- and that checks would be fine -- while holding his clipboard and zippered money bag with change. Not what I am used to when hiking the trails of Pennsylvania!" Scanlon and his hiking party spent Memorial Day weekend of 1997 hiking through a deluge, another downside to the reservation system. You can't stay in your tent on a rainy day: you must move on to your next assigned campsite. Since pets are not welcome at shelter areas, hikers with pets are also excluded from overnight excursions on the trail.

Nevertheless, day hikers and backpackers alike agree that the trail is an important recreational resource. "The LHT is a good trail for beginning backpackers since you don't have to carry a tent," says Thwaites, who walked the length of the trail in 1979. "When I hiked it, there was a father and his 10 year old son on his first backpack. The boy was clearly enjoying every minute...it was a wonderful experience for a father and son to share, and I'm sure both of them will remember it all their lives."

TRAIL NOTES
Parking areas are plainly marked with small brown signs indicating "trail head parking." The Seward parking area is paved; some of the other approach roads are very rough. Trailheads are located at:

PA Rt. 351, north of Ohiopyle
Maple Summit Road, east of Bear Run
PA Rt. 653, east of Mill Run
PA Rt. 31, east of Donegal
US Rt. 30, west of Jennerstown
PA Rt. 271, west of Johnstown
PA Rt. 56, at Seward


BACKPACKING CONSIDERATIONS
1. RESERVATIONS: Overnight reservations must be made prior to your hike, no more than a month in advance. Shelters are reserved on a first-come, first-served basis. Contact: Laurel Ridge State Park,1117 Jim Mountain Rd, Rockwood PA 15557, or call 724-455-3744. Per-person overnight camping fees are charged. Hikers staying overnight must also register at the trailhead. A registration box is located on each blue-blazed approach trail. Parking is at your own risk: last summer, vandals broke into cars at both the Ohiopyle and Seward lots. It's best to arrange a ride to the trailhead.

2. GUIDES: The trail is well-blazed in yellow, but you may wish to request a free trail map. For more detailed information, such as the location of scenic views and unusual geological formations, order a copy of A Hiker's Guide to Laurel Highlands Trail. It's available from the Pennsylvania Chapter of the Sierra Club, P.O. Box 8241, Pittsburgh, PA 15217. You'll also find information about the trail on the Laurel Ridge State Park website .

3. LOGISTICS: Experienced backpackers concur that a "countdown" hike -- from mile 70 at Seward to mile 0 at Ohiopyle -- is the best approach for anyone interested in hiking the entire trail. Not only are the hills are more gradual and more forgiving, the scenery improves dramatically as you head south. Melanie Stecker "grew up on that trail." She suggests "hike it north to south, and spend the seventh day whitewater rafting the Yough!" Since the trail passes right through Seven Springs Mountain Resort (814-352-7777), you can work in a luxurious mid-trail break at the hotel. Additionally, Hostelling International runs a hostel at Ohiopyle (724-329-4476). No resupply is available along the trail, but several small grocers are within five miles of the Rt. 31 trailhead.

4. GEAR: If you do not reserve a shelter in advance, you will need to carry a tent or bivy. Use of a backpacking stove is advised, although it is possible to cook using the fireplace grills. Dress for the season: unexpected snowfalls can happen as late as May and as early as October. While well water is available at all shelter areas and at some of the parking areas, some of the wells have a terrible rusty taste. Bring your water filter and filter your own water prior to these shelter areas: Turnpike, Rt. 31, and Grindle Ridge. Except at the Rt. 56 shelter area, the trail segment from Seward to PA Rt. 271 is dry.

This article first appeared in the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, 1998
I thru-hiked the Laurel Highlands Trail in May 1998
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