Walking/ Hiking Trails
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Explore PA's Beautiful Trails
There are many places to go walking or hiking in this area. The scenery is incredible no matter what season, and many of the trails provide challenges for all levels of hikers.
This page will show you many of the state parks that offer multiple hiking trails in one location, but we’ll also show the single trails that could be ideal for a quick walk with a friend or for a weekend of long distance hiking.
Single Trails
Chimney Rocks Lookout Trail – 0.7 Miles – Chimney Rocks Park, Hollidaysburg
Valley View County Park Trails – approx 3 Miles – Valley View Park, Altoona
PA Walkworks Trail – 1.25 Miles – walking loop trail at Lakemont Park.
Rocco’s Loop Trail – 0.75 Miles – begins on Beckers Lane across from the PSU Altoona Campus.
Foot of Ten Trail – 1.9 Miles – Loop that starts at Dry Run Road in Duncansville. The 6 to 10 Trail begins in the same location.
Bell’s Gap Rail Trail – 6.3 Miles – Bellwood (park near Bellwood Sportsman Lane) to just south of Blandburg
Houtzdale Line Trail – 11 Miles – Osceola Mills (Spring St) to Madera
Ghost Town Trail – 44.4 Miles – Ebensburg (Lake Rowena) to Saylor Park in Josephine, Pa (just south of Homer City)
Laurel Highlands Hiking Trail – 70 Miles – stretches along Laurel Mountain from the Conemaugh Gorge near Johnstown to Ohiopyle State Park
6 to 10 Trail
The 6 to 10 Trail runs for 10 miles from Allegheny Portage Railroad National Historic Site in Gallitzin to Dry Run Road near Duncansville. The trail is known for opportunities to view the many types of wildlife in the area and the history of the trail is quite fascinating.
Canoe Creek State Park Trails
There are nine trails at Canoe Creek State Park.
Some trails wind through areas open to hunting. Hikers should wear fluorescent orange clothing during hunting seasons.
Trails are open year-round from sunrise to sunset.
1000 Steps
The 1000 Steps trail is a part of the Standing Stone Trail and features four primary vistas: Mapleton Overlook, Mount Union Incline Vista, Shaughnessy Run Vista and Shorbs Summit Vista.
This particular route is 9.7 miles long, has a minimum elevation gain of 1,880 feet and a cumulative elevation gain of 3,660 feet.
The trailhead is located along Rt. 22 approximately 1.9 miles west of the the Rt. 22 and Rt. 747 intersection near Mount Union, PA. From the parking lot head east about 150 feet and turn left (north) after the small creek. From that point there will be signs directing you to “The Steps”.
The Thousand Steps are divided into about 12 smaller more manageable “flights” of various lengths with rest areas scattered throughout.
Prince Gallitzen State Park
Prince Gallitzin State Park, and Glendale Lake offer hikers many opportunities to observe various wildlife and enjoy scenic views. The lake has 26 miles of shoreline and there are over 30 miles of trails. Prince Gallitzin is a favorite of those who enjoy fishing, camping, boating and other outdoor activities.
Blue Knob State Park Trails
There are eight main trails at Blue Knob State Park.
Blue Knob’s difficult trails have many steep ascensions.
Trails are open year-round from sunrise to sunset.
Shawnee State Park Trails
Shawnee State Park has 9 hiking trails among its 3,983 acres. The park is on US 30 in Bedford County. There is also a 451-acre lake at this park.
Trails are open year-round from sunrise to sunset.
Black Moshannon State Park Trails
Black Moshannon State Park has 20 miles of hiking trails and over 14 trails. The state park has 3,394 acres of forests and wetlands and conserves unique, natural environments.
Trails are open year-round from sunrise to sunset.
Rails to Trails - Lower Trail
The Lower Trail is nearly 17 miles long and runs from near Canoe Creek State Park in Blair County to near Alexandria in Huntingdon County. The trail is mostly a rolled crushed limestone surface and is extremely flat with only a slightly noticeable grade from east to west. The Lower Trail is open year-round for hiking, biking, horseback riding, bird watching, photography and, any non-motorized use. It is very family and pet friendly.
Trough Creek State Park Trails
Just south of Huntindgon, Trough Creek State Park is 541 acres of scenic landscapes and waterfalls. The park boasts 12 miles of hiking trails with sights like the Balanced Rock and Rainbow Falls, and it borders Raystown Lake with all of its beautiful scenery.
Greenwood Furnace State Park Trails
Greenwood Furnace State Park lies near the town of Belleville. The park covers 423 acres and has 10 trails including the Standing Stone Trail which has its endpoint here.
Standing Stone Trail
The Standing Stone Trail is over 80 miles long. It begins in the south with the Tuscarora Trail at Cowans Gap State Park and runs north through Fulton, Huntingdon and Mifflin Counties to the Mid State Trail several miles north of Alan Seeger Natural Area.
The Standing Stone Trail is part of the Great Eastern Trail, which starts at the Florida-Alabama state line and extends 1800 miles to meet the 950-mile long Finger Lakes Trail in New York.
For more information go to the trail’s official website by clicking the link below.
Bald Eagle State Park Trails
There are seven main trails at Bald Eagle State Park.
Some trails wind through areas open to hunting. Hikers should wear fluorescent orange clothing during hunting seasons.
Trails are open year-round from sunrise to sunset.
Cook Forest State Park Trails
Cook Forest is 90 miles from Altoona. Rt 36 North takes you most of the way.
Two long-distance trails, the North Country National Scenic Trail (NCT) and the Baker Trail, pass through Cook Forest State Park.
The 140-mile Baker Trail runs from Freeport, PA, through the Allegheny National Forest.
The NCT is America’s longest national scenic trail at 4,600 miles, running from New York to North Dakota. Several park trails within Cook Forest follow along the NCT/Baker Trail route.
Ohiopyle State Park Trails
Over 20 thousand acres of natural beauty constitute the Ohiopyle State Park. The park offers a wide variety of activity options, including hiking, biking, snowmobiling, white water rafting and much more. Nearly 1.5 million people visit this park each year for recreation and relaxation.
For hikers, there are nearly 80 miles of trails to travel and an extensive variety of sights, wildlife and trail difficulties to satisfy any type of outdoor enthusiast or anyone looking to spend time exploring nature.
