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October 2025
The Keystone Hiking and Outdoor Weekend is only weeks away. There's still time to sign up for this epic October weekend of adventure in the Pennsylvania Wilds. Openings also remain for the Keystone Trails Symposium. If you represent a PA-based group with trail and hiking interests, join us for the symposium on November 15th for a collegial day of sharing and learning at Kings Gap Environmental Education Center in the South Mountains. December brings yet another convening with the Pennsylvania Hiking Awards Celebration on December 6 at the Ned Smith Center for Nature and Art in Millersburg. This beautiful property offers more than 10 miles of hiking trails so plan to arrive early and explore. While we would all rather spend our hours navigating trails, KTA is striving to understand the effects of the current government shutdown on federal public lands in the commonwealth. Should any of our events be affected, we'll communicate with registrants as quickly as possible. Please check Leave No Trace for responsible outdoor recreation practices to keep in mind during this challenging period. Federal agencies, like the U.S. Forest Service and National Park Service, have updates on their websites, too. In the meantime, keep speaking out for the care and conservation of the lands we love. ~ Brook Lenker, Executive Director
President's Trailhead
Dear members and Friends - Get out there and bring a friend on a hike! I hope you have been enjoying the colors of fall on one of the many hiking trails in Pennsylvania. Each of you makes a difference on Pennsylvania hiking trails and for hikers.~ Wayne Gross, KTA Board President
PENNSYLVANIA HIKING AWARDS AND VOLUNTEER CELEBRATION
Join Keystone Trails Association on December 6th for a momentous evening at the idyllic Ned Smith Center for Nature and Art to recognize and celebrate impressive hiking accomplishments and outstanding volunteers. Festivities kick off at 5:00 pm with conversation and an Italian-themed buffet dinner in the Olewine Gallery followed by the presentation of awards in the Ned Smith Gallery at 6:15 pm. Come early and enjoy exploring the property's 10 miles of trails. With special guest master of ceremonies, Pennsylvania's Director of Outdoor Recreation, Dr. Nathan Reigner, it promises to be a most memorable affair.
Keystone Trails Association is honored to announce two nominees to our Board of Directors: Trish Turo and George Conrad. Read their full biographies linked here.
Pennsylvania Hiking Photos Wanted
Capture the beauty of Pennsylvania's trails! Submit your favorite hiking photos taken in Pennsylvania to be featured in the 2026 KTA calendar. Help show us why Pennsylvania is a hiker's paradise! Calendars will be available for purchase this holiday season. Proceeds will support the care and maintenance of PA's hiking trails!
My firsthand experience with a tick-borne microscopic parasite called Babesia, which causes the disease Babesiosis, is not meant to deter people from enjoying the great outdoors and hiking our favorite trails and areas, but to educate them. I was familiar with Lyme disease, but I had never heard of this specific condition. It's rare, with fewer than 3,000 cases throughout the United States each year. - Read more here about the personal account from Wayne Gross, President of KTA's Board of Directors.
Favorite Pennsylvania Hikes Published
Thank you for submitting your favorite Pennsylvania hiking trails!
👉 Check out which trails made the top five lists here!
October 2025 KTA Trail Care Updates
Chuck Keiper Trail Care Crew from Trail Care #14
August saw Trail Crews in Pinchot, Elk, and Sproul State Forests. First, with the assistance of Volunteer Leaders Shira Blady and Brian MacNamara, we fielded an impressive group of 18 to tackle some rough spots on Pinchot Trail, as well as side trails such as the Choke Creek Nature Trail and Butler Trail. Additionally, the full moon rising over the lake at Tobyhanna State Park was an unforgettable experience! August 22-24, 14 volunteers, aided by Volunteer Leader Victoria Buckwash, completely opened up some trails near Sinnemahoning State Park (our base camp): Phins Trail and Joe King Trail. August rounded out the final of three Code Orange Trail Care events on the Chuck Keiper Trail (CKT). Volunteers worked on approximately ten miles of trail! The CKT is really coming around, and we hope more hikers and backpackers take advantage of this remote, rugged trail experience.
The first weekend of September, volunteers descended upon Tiadaghton State Forest and tackled some side trails (Hilborn, Dragons Back, and Quarry Mountain) and portions of the Golden Eagle Trail. Then we returned to Panther Run Cabin for some more Chuck Keiper Trail revitalization. A small but mighty crew finished work to reopen an abandoned portion between Diamond Rock and Drake Hollows. The weekend of September 27, National Public Lands Day, we had the big Trail Love event in Allegheny National Forest. A total of 35 people participated in four projects: sidehill remediation on the North Country Trail near Salmon Creek, trail widening and clearing on Loleta Trail, puncheon construction on the Sojourn Songbird Trail at Buzzard Swamp, and on Seldom Seen Trail at Beaver Meadows. Everyone enjoyed camping at Loleta Recreational Area! Thanks to our partners at Allegheny National Forest and the North Country Trails Association for their assistance with this great event, and to Athletic Brewing for the grant support.
***STAY TUNED: We're working with a local, enthusiastic volunteer to coordinate a Trail Care day exclusively for women/female-identifying folks! This will be in Cumberland County, and we're looking at Sunday, November 16th, maybe in Pine Grove Furnace State Park or Michaux State Forest.
Volunteers from Trail Love: ANF Edition on September 27, 2025
Check out the 2025 Trail Care schedule here. There’s still time this year to give Trail Care a try; there’s free camping and lots of fun.
#19- 📅 October 9-12th: Trail Care (PA Wilds) 🏞️ CHUCK KEIPER TRAIL 🏕️ Camp: KTA Panther Run Cabin
#20- 📅 Saturday November 1st (CODE ORANGE) 🏞️ KTA's A.T. SECTION 📍 Meet: Lehigh Gap East Parking lot
PAW Mega Loop Hiking Project
We’d like to introduce you to the PAW Mega Loop. You may have heard rumblings of this project from fellow hikers and backpackers! Together with an elite volunteer committee of hikers and backpackers, along with the added expertise of a GIS guru, KTA has helped shepherd this idea closer to reality. This ~300-mile loop in the PA Wilds was devised to showcase some of the most amazing views, waterfalls, and trails that the PA Wilds Conservation Landscape has to offer. The current route connects eight state forest hiking trails: Susquehannock Trail System, West Rim Trail, Mid State Trail, Golden Eagle Trail, Black Forest Trail, Donut Hole Trail, Chuck Keiper Trail, and Quehanna Trail. More planning is underway exploring optimal routing. prospective amenities and infrastructure, and potential new connector trails. Stay tuned for future updates.
The second bi-annual issue of Expedition Pennsylvania is out now! Want a copy? Become a member of Keystone Trails Association to receive Expedition Pennsylvania straight to your mailbox — and support our mission to promote, protect, and preserve hiking opportunities statewide.
The John P. Saylor Memorial Trail in Gallitzin State Forest features a 12-mile easy main loop and a tougher 5-mile side loop that can be combined into a 17.5-mile figure-eight. Mostly flat and beginner-friendly, it’s ideal for day hikes or an easy overnight trek (note: camping is not allowed in the wild area). A special thanks to Katie May, Kristen Joivell, and Caleb Fisher for providing content for this video.
Keystone Hiking & Outdoor Weekend 2025 October 17-19, 2025| The PA Wilds KHOW has nearly 60 ways to explore the Pennsylvania Wilds, a state designated conservation landscape. Come join us to: hike, bike, learn, toast over a locally-brewed pint, join a book discussion, make art, learn plant identification, see elk and bear, and engage in land stewardship. Registration is required and closes at 8:00 am on October 15th. Come for one, two, or three days. Registration is $25 a day, or opt into a no-questions-asked scholarship. Register & book your room here!
KTA Webinar: In the Soul of the Sproul: Chuck Keiper Trail October 28, 2025 - 6:00 pm | Virtual Join KTA's Regional Trail Care Coordinator to learn about the Chuck Keiper Trail! We will cover the trail's terrain stats, day hike and backpacking options, current conditions, history, natural wonders, and more! This 50-mile trail and the surrounding trail system lies in Sproul State Forest, Pennsylvania's largest state forest located in Clinton and Centre counties. Register here!
Wilderness First Aid Training November 1-2, 2025| Mill Run, PA Registration is now full.
1st Annual Keystone Trails Symposium: A Retreat for Pennsylvania Organizations with Trail and Hiking Interests November 15, 2025| Kings Gap Mansion, Carlisle, PA Join us for an inspiring day of learning and sharing at Kings Gap Environmental Education Center in the beautiful South Mountains. Geared toward leaders of hiking clubs and other volunteer-driven groups with a focus on trail-based recreation, the symposium features premier speakers and presentations on communications, advocacy, volunteerism, state outdoor recreation priorities, and trail maintenance and design. Facilitated discussions will engender a greater understanding of the successes, challenges, and needs experienced by this vital community of organizations. The event is free, but limited to two representatives per group. Lunch and morning coffee provided. Complimentary Friday-night lodging is available upon request. Registraion closes October 10th. Register here!
KTA ExtraGive Hike on the Conestoga Trail November 21, 2025 - 2:00 pm| Lancaster, PA Trek five miles of a historic Lancaster County trail! We'll pass cultural sites and follow the Conestoga River before a celebratory happy hour at Lancaster City's South County Brewing Co. ExtraGive is a day of giving to nonprofit organizations that support a vibrant, healthy Lancaster County. When you register, we ask that you make a donation of your choice. Thanks for your generosity! Learn more and register here!
KTA ExtraGive Happy Hour at South County Brewing November 21, 2025 - 5:00-7:30 pm| Lancaster, PA ome raise a pint, grab a bite, and make a donation to support the work of KTA during ExtraGive in Lancaster City on November 21. ExtraGive is a 24-hour online fundraising event to support nonprofits that have a presence in Lancaster County. Make a donation online on November 21 and/or come to happy hour. No RSVP required; come in your favorite hiking attire and join us at South County Brewing (26 West King Street, Lancaster, PA 17603).
Governor Josh Shapiro outlined new strategies to strengthen Pennsylvania’s $19 billion outdoor recreation industry, which supports more than 168,000 jobs statewide. His message: outdoor recreation is more than a way of life — it’s a powerful driver of the state’s economy. Read the press release from Pennsylvania Department of Conservation of Natural Resources.
The Appalachian Trail Museum recently unveiled two new exhibits: one celebrating some of the trail’s youngest hikers, complete with a flip book of their stories and original gear, and another, Timeless on the Trail, highlighting two remarkable older hikers. Visitors can view the exhibits through October, with hours Fridays 12–4 p.m. and Saturdays & Sundays 9 a.m.–4 p.m. Check out the History of the Appalachian Trail, History & Culture Shorts by PCNTV covering Jim Foster.
Shapiro Administration Accelerates Effort to Establish 1,500-Mile 9/11 National Memorial Trail Across Pennsylvania Ahead of 25th Anniversary State agencies are partnering with local governments to install signage through 25 counties and 129 municipalities, connecting the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and the Flight 93 Memorial in Somerset County. Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.
The Appalachian Trail Conservancy released an impact report detailing emergency response and recovery efforts following Hurricane Helene, which caused the most severe damage in the Trail’s history.
Stay up to date with the North Country Trail in Ohio and Pennsylvania! Sign up here for the NCTA’s volunteer newsletter, Trail Talk.
Lancaster Conservancy opened a new 2-mile trail at High Family Nature Preserve, featuring restored meadows, massive diabase boulders, and two cold streams flowing into Conewago Creek.
A new 1.7-mile connector trail at Warriors Path State Park is transforming the site into a regional recreation hub, linking it to the Riddlesburg Trailhead and driving a 47% increase in visitation. Built on a rehabilitated railbed, the project is boosting Bedford County tourism a milestone celebrated by DCNR Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn. Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.
Other PA Club & Org Events
10/8: Conservation and Natural Resources Advisory Council public webinar: “CNRAC Conversations." On October 8th from 12-1 p.m. join the webinar: The Power of People: The Expertise and Workforce Capacity Needed to Support DCNR’s Mission. Learn more and register at CNRAC.
10/8: Free Trail Planning Webinar by the Pennsylvania Parks and Recreation Society. The free Trail Planning Webinar Series covers the fundamentals of creating a public trail, from funding and design to community support and development. Learn more and register at PPRS.
10/10-10/13: The 43rd Annual Appalachian Long Distance Hikers Association Gathering will be held in Abingdon, VA, at the Southwest Virginia Higher Education Center. Learn more and register at ALDHA.
10/11: Leave No Trace Hike with 52 Hike Challenge at Staple Bend Tunnel. Learn more and register with 52 Hike Challenge.
11/22: The Appalachian Trail Museum is pleased to announce their 2025 Appalachian Trail Hall of Fame Banquet. Tickets can be purchased through Appalachian Trail Museum.
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