Tracy Ridge Hiking Trail System Explained

Tracy Ridge Hiking Trail System
Location:McKean County and Warren County, Pennsylvania, US
Length Mi:33.7
Trailheads:Pennsylvania Route 321, western McKean County
Use:Hiking
Elev Change:Moderate
Difficulty:Moderate
Season:Year-round
Hazards:Uneven and rocky terrain, rattlesnakes, mosquitoes, ticks, black bears

The Tracy Ridge Hiking Trail System is a 33.7miles system of interconnected hiking trails in Allegheny National Forest in northwestern Pennsylvania.[1] The system was designed to visit the most remote areas of the Tracy Ridge portion of Allegheny National Recreation Area.[2]

Hiking options

The Tracy Ridge Hiking Trail System can be reached from two main trailheads in western McKean County: the northern segments of the network can accessed from Tracy Ridge Campground off of Pennsylvania Route 321, and the southern segments can be accessed from a small parking lot on PA 321 near Nelse Run.

The westernmost trails in the network walk along the shore of the Allegheny Reservoir for significant distances.[3] The system connects with the North Country Trail several times,[4] includes two named trails known as the Tracy Ridge Trail and Johnnycake Trail, and also includes several short unnamed trails from which a variety of hikes can be formed.[5] The unnamed trails are denoted by numbered junctions on maps published by the National Forest.[6] An "outer loop" of 10.3 miles, consisting of the Tracy Ridge Trail, Johnnycake Trail, and the connecting segment of the North Country Trail, is often promoted as an introduction to the Allegheny National Recreation Area's hiking options.[7]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: United States Department of Agriculture . Tracy Ridge Hiking Trail . United States Forest Service . 20 June 2022.
  2. Web site: United States Department of Agriculture . Tracy Ridge Recreation Area . United States Forest Service . 20 June 2022.
  3. Book: Mitchell . Jeff . Backpacking Pennsylvania: 37 Great Hikes . 2005 . Stackpole Books . Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania . 0811731804 . 255–258.
  4. Book: Mitchell . Jeff . Hiking the Allegheny National Forest . 2007 . Stackpole Books . Mechanicsburg, PA . 9780811733724 . 32–34.
  5. Book: Pennsylvania Hiking Trails . Stackpole Books . 2008 . 9780811734776 . Cramer . Ben . 13th . Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania . 122–123.
  6. Mitchell, Backpacking Pennsylvania, p. 257-258
  7. Book: Thwaites . Tom . 50 Hikes in Western Pennsylvania . 2000 . Backcountry Guides . 0881504734 . 3rd . Woodstock, VT . 136–138.