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August 2025
August brings harvests and hints of cooler weather. It’s a bittersweet time of changes afoot. A transition from longer, sultry days ripe with growth to shortening periods of sunshine packed with golden, welcoming hours to appreciate Pennsylvania’s grandeur. It’s a preview of fall, a season brimming with adventures and activities. Want to give back to trails and public lands? Volunteer for the Trail Love Weekend in the Allegheny National Forest, with free camping, plenty of food, cool trail projects, and, yes, special tie-dyed t-shirts for all. October’s Keystone Hiking and Outdoor Weekend in the PA Wilds invites your participation. The breadth of outings and featured trails are sure to satisfy outdoor longings. The event is filling fast. Register today. Seeking to expand your backcountry skills? Sign up for Backpacking 101 in September or Wilderness First Aid in November. Each course has a few spaces remaining. Do you prefer a respite from the extended darkness of the coming winter? Enter the lottery for the service trip to Virgin Islands National Park and/or a one-of-a-kind expedition to Bermuda. The challenges of the planet can wear us out, but the stewardship ethic and spirit of discovery and camaraderie permeating the world of KTA offers hope. Enjoy the seasonal changes, but, more importantly, engage and help make positive changes for the land we love. See you on the trail.~ Brook Lenker, Executive Director
2025 Trail Care Season
July 2025 KTA & Central Pennsylvania Conservancy Trail Care day
July in Pennsylvania is generally hot and humid, with pop-up drenching thunderstorms, and 2025 did not disappoint in that category for our trail crews. However, our awesome Trail Care volunteers persevered and helped improve and tame some awesome hiking trails! July 10-13, twelve people, including Volunteer Leader Victoria Buckwash, sweated through 204 hours of volunteering on the Allegheny Front Trail. We put a huge dent in the vegetation in the east/northeast portion of the trail -- mowing, sawing, brushing, and painting our way through. It was almost too hot for a campfire. Luckily, there is an ice cream concession and lake with a beach to cool off our volunteers at Black Moshannon State Park, and we were treated with rattlesnake and bear sightings.
The next weekend, we took our talents to the West Rim (of the PA Grand Canyon). We had 14 people contribute 188 hours of trail maintenance! In addition to the brush that was cut and mowed, we really made a postivie impact on the storm-damaged area from 2024. Several large root ball holes were filled and the trail stabilized, widened, and cleared of blowdowns. We also removed a vandalized trail register and installed a new one near the southern terminus of the West Rim Trail. Again, we were lucky to spot a black bear along the creek near the campground. Thanks to Volunteer Leader Wanda Shirk for helping organize work sites, etc.
At the end of July, volunteers headed back to the increasingly comfy accommodations at KTA's Panther Run Cabin in Sproul State Forest to continue our Chuck Keiper Trail Care Blitz. Amongst all the eating of fabulous pie, blueberry pancakes, and other various food and snacks contributed by volunteers, we also trimmed back some vegetation near Fish Dam and also cleared dozens and dozens of downed trees with the help of Sproul forestry personnel. There is more to do. Come help us restore this beautiful and rugged trail to stellar hiking shape in 2025! We'll be working on the CKT again in August, September, and October.
Just last week, a small but mighty crew headed to Bald Eagle State Forest as part of an impromptu "Flash Crew" Trail Care. On Monday and Tuesday, we built two new hiking footbridges, redecked another, and built the gabion abutments for yet another! More details and pictures will be in the next newsletter after the last bridge is finished. ~ Jenn Ulmer, Manager of Trail Maintenance & Training
Before and after on Chuck Keiper Trail in Drake Hollow
Weekday Trail Care Series
On Wednesday July 23rd, we had a fantastic mix of veterans and newbies during the Trail Care event at Greg's Woods Preserve with Central Pennsylvania Conservancy! Eight volunteers lopped, sawed, and dug their way along the trail for a couple hours. This was a great opportunity for beginners and those local to Juniata and surrounding counties to check out CPC's awesome preserves and give Trail Care a try.
August & September 2025 Trail Care Opportunities
Check out the 2025 Trail Care schedule here. Opportunities in August and September are below.
#12- 📅 Aug. 7-10: Trail Care 🏞️ PINCHOT STATE FOREST TRAILS 🏕️ Camp: Tobyhanna State Park
#13- 📅 Aug. 21-24: Trail Care (PA Wilds) 🏞️ BUCKTAIL PATH / ELK SF TRAILS 🏕️ Camp: Sinnemahoning State Park
Registration open for Trail Love: Allegheny National Forest
Registration is open for 2025 Trail Love! This year's event will be held in Allegheny National Forest. Celebrate National Public Lands Day with KTA. During this celebratory one-day trail maintenance extravaganza, volunteers and community partners will tackle multiple trail maintenance projects on several trails in Allegheny National Forest. An optional forest camporee and cookout on Friday evening and breakfast and lunch will be provided during projects on Saturday. This event is being supported by Athletic Brewing Company's Two For The Trails grant program! Register and learn more here.
KTA Trail Care in the Virgin Islands
**If you've been thinking about joining us, enter the lottery by August 12th for a chance to reserve a spot!**
The KTA Trail Care Program is embarking on an international adventure: we'll be traveling to the U.S. Virgin Islands for a service trip on the tropical island of St. John! Join KTA's Manager of Trail Maintenance and Training for this opportunity to escape winter weather in PA and help revitalize trails and historic sites, assisting Friends of Virgin Islands National Park staff and volunteers. Volunteer work will likely occur from 8 am to 2 pm on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday. The work can be physical and demanding, but during the "off time", we're welcome to explore the island and reefs. For more information on this fun and rewarding trip, and to enter the lottery click here.
Bermuda Afoot - KTA International Fundraiser
Join KTA for another grand adventure. Enjoy a balmy winter getaway on the semi-tropical island of Bermuda before the crowds and cruise ships arrive. Best known for its crystal blue waters and charming architecture, the island also boasts the extensive Railway Trail, South Shore National Park, and other exploration-worthy parklands, affording approximately three to six miles of hiking each day.
From Baltimore, we fly direct to Bermuda – a short two-hour flight. A limo transports participants to lodging at The Sandpiper Guest Apartments in Warwick Parish. These studio units are equipped with a full kitchen and conveniently located along South Shore Road within a short walking distance of beaches, public transportation, restaurants, groceries, and the Railway Trail. There is also a swimming pool on the premises.
The expedition includes easy, bucolic treks and plenty of time to savor the scenery, discover cultural sites, relish the pink beaches, and venture a refreshing swim or snorkel. The price of $2,995.00 includes a shuttle from Harrisburg to Baltimore (and return), round trip airfare, baggage fees, six nights lodging (double occupancy), ground transportation to and from various points on the island, guided outings, fees for select excursions, and a special farewell dinner.
Participation is limited to 12 people. Registration for the trip lottery opens August 8. Names will be drawn on September 2. Participants must be competent hikers in good physical condition. Learn more and enter the lottery here!
Great Outdoors Reading Challenge
Keystone Trails Association is excited to annouce the next five titles of our Great Outdoors Reading Challenge. These books are primarily about Pennsylvania or written by PA authors. They include adventure, reflection, history, overlooked perspectives, and lessons learned outdoors. Books can be purchased on the KTA online store.
Cradle of Conservation by Allen Dieterich-Ward
He Was Too Young to Die by Welles Lobb
Proudly Made by Tataboline Enos
Rosalie Edge, Hawk of Mercy by Dyan Zaslowsky
Walking Towards Peace by Cindy Ross
How Will The Repeal Of The Ban On Sunday Hunting Affect Pennsylvania Hikers?
Photo courtesy of hunter-ed.com
Well, it’s finally happened. The ban on Sunday hunting has been repealed in Pennsylvania. I’m going to explain how we got here and how it is likely to affect those of us who like to hike in Penns Woods. Spoiler Alert: It will mean some changes for us, but it does not mean that the apocalypse has arrived. ~ read Jim Foster's essay on Sunday Hunting in Pennsylvania here.
Friendly & A Fan of KTA?
If so, we'd love to have you volunteer with us at an upcoming festival so that more people can learn about KTA! We've been at 11 events across PA this year and have more on the horizon! Stop by and see us at these September festivals: XPonential Music Festival on the Camden waterfront, Wild & Uncommon Weekend in York County, and the Dam Bridge Challenge in York County. A massive thanks to those who have volunteered this year to help get KTA on more people's radar. If you're interested in joining the volunteer team please email Kate Prisby, Manager of Events & Programs, at prisby@kta-hike.org.
Leave No Trace Weekend Recap
Responsible fire training at the KTA Leave No Trace Level One Training
Beneath towering trees in the Allegheny National Forest, purple mushrooms, orange newts, and delicate mosses caught sunlight. This was the backdrop for a three-day, trails-based Level One Leave No Trace Instructor training where participants experimented with different ways to communicate the importance of treading gently in outdoor spaces.
Before arriving, everyone shared why they were attending the training and who they hoped to educate about Leave No Trace. On the trail, everyone tried their hand at interactive teaching using the trail as their source material. Impacted areas that housed cultural artifacts demonstrated the outcome when people step off trail and crush vegetation; dead, carved trees revealed how cutting the protective outer layer of trees can leave them vulnerable to disease; food scraps slowly decomposing impressed the importance of the need to pack out all trash.
Many of us think Leave No Trace is self-explanatory, but it's nuanced. The graduates who became certified instructors plan to use their training in a variety of ways from recovery programs that integrate hiking into the 12 step program, community-based outdoor art workshops, firefly habitat education, training for trail clubs, and integrating Leave No Trace into state-wide watershed steward organizations.
The Leave No Trace organization has scientists across the United States (and the world) that help inform the educational materials they provide instructors and trainees. In 2021, their social scientist team found that roughly half of the US population was engaging in outdoor recreation monthly, with 20% being brand new to their outdoor pursuit (read more of this study here). While some may think that Leave No Trace education is the responsibility of landowners, consider for a moment that in the next fiscal year many federal lands likely will lose employees who have been pivotal in doing this education. Billions of dollars are proposed to be cut from the National Park Service, Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, and US Fish & Wildlife Service. This comes on the heels of significant reductions to staff this year, like the 24% cut to permanent National Park Service employees. With so many of us getting outdoors in a time of shrinking personnel on public lands, it's that much more imperative to practice and encourage embodying Leave No Trace.
As we stood beneath Allegheny National Forest's old growth canopy, our class did not fail to recognize the importance that a single individual can have in stewarding outdoor spaces for future generations. The Wilderness Act, a pivotal piece of legislation that preserved some of our country's most beloved forests like the Allegheny National Forest, was penned by Howard Zahniser who grew up in the very woods we wandered. The legacy of the woods we traversed were a reminder that tending to outdoor spaces takes all of us. It always has and always will.
Featured KTA Store Item
Explore the wonders of nature with the vibrant 70-page guidebook, Falls & Views Loop: Exploring the Wildness of Worlds End State Park and Loyalsock State Forest featuring three full-color maps! The first 18 pages provide essential information about the park and forest, followed by over 50 pages of detailed turn-by-turn directions to stunning waterfalls, scenic views, and unique geological formations. Discover vital trail registers, water sources, and alternate routes along the way. Delve into the rich history of Sullivan County as you learn about coal mining, railroads, and the Civilian Conservation Corps. This guidebook is your key to an unforgettable adventure that blends nature and history! Purchase here!
Pennsylvania Hiking Trailers
The Chuck Keiper (rhymes with “viper”) Trail is a long-distance backpacking trail that visits some of the wildest and most visually arresting public lands in Pennsylvania, offering remarkable solitude.
The CKT consists of a main loop of 47.3 miles, with a cross-connector (the East Branch Trail) of 3.3 miles. Using the cross-connector, backpackers can form a western sub-loop of 31.2 miles or an eastern sub-loop of 22.7 miles. The CKT passes through two Natural Areas and two Wild Areas. It also visits a significant waterfall on Yost Run and the historic remains of a splash dam on Eddy Lick Run.
A special thanks to Caleb Fisher for providing images for this video.
Backpacking for Beginners 2025 KTA's Backpacking for Beginners series in September is nearly full. Please register before August 23. This multi-weekend workshop on some of PA's most iconic trails offers a chance to learn a variety of backpacking skill, from how to pack your pack, cooking systems, water filtration methods, trip planning, and much more. Register here!
Trail Love: ANF Edition - National Public Lands Day September 27, 2025 | Allegheny National Forest Celebrate National Public Lands Day with KTA! During this one-day trail maintenance extravaganza, volunteers and community partners will tackle multiple projects on several trails in Allegheny National Forest. Enjoy an optional forest camporee and cookout on Friday evening. Breakfast and lunch will be provided on Saturdays workday. This event is being supported by Athletic Brewing Company's Two For The Trails grant program! Register here!
Keystone Hiking & Outdoor Weekend 2025 October 17 - 19, 2025| The PA Wilds Registration for activities and lodging is now open! Room blocks will expire August through September so don't delay in booking your accommodations to ensure a discounted rate. The PA Wilds is a sought-after destination in autumn for elk bugling and leaf peepers. Join us for a weekend exploring this amazing landscape. Register & book your room here!
Wilderness First Aid Training November 1 - 2, 2025| Mill Run, PA As we approach autumn, the temperatures drop and the days grow shorter. With these seasonal changes, the stakes become higher for folks injured in the wilderness. Learn how to tend to the most common outdoor adventure-related injuries and what should always be in your first aid kit. Learn more and register here!
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. The first five organizations with representatives registered for the event will receive a special donation from KTA. Registration opens September 5th and closes October 10. Registration opening in September.
Registration is now open the for Greenways and Trails Summit! The Summit is Pennsylvania’s premier networking, training, and inspirational event for those engaged in all aspects of trail and greenway work. Learn more and register through WeConservePa.
The Shapiro Administration is focused on expanding Pennsylvania’s outdoor recreation economy, improving access to public lands, and closing trail gaps across the Commonwealth. To meet the goal of having every Pennsylvanian within 10 minutes of a trail, the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) is investing in projects that enhance trail access, connect communities, and promote economic growth. Learn more, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
One of the notable achievements the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) is commemorating in its 30th year is the establishment of the Pennsylvania Outdoor Corps, which will celebrate its 10-year anniversary in 2025. Originally launched as a pilot program with only five youth crews, it has now expanded into a comprehensive statewide initiative that has involved over 1,500 young Pennsylvanians in practical conservation work, workforce development, and community service. Learn more at PADCNR.
The 2025 Appalachian Trail Hiker Yearbook is now open for submissions! If you are a 2025 hiker or know someone who is, please encourage them to submit their information for inclusion in the yearbook through the Appalachian Trail Museum.
Pennsylvania Envirothon team earns 7th place! Congratulations to the Penncrest High School–Delaware County Envirothon team on an impressive 7th place finish at the 2025 NCF-Envirothon Competition.
Pennsylvania is emerging as a prime location for data centers, which store digital data for users and companies. Its ample land, water, and energy resources make it appealing for such facilities. However, like any large-scale development, data centers come with potential pros and cons. To assist municipalities in planning for these facilities, PennFuture has introduced new resources providing essential information and tools.
The Endless Mountains Heritage Region is seeking feedback on a new survey regarding outdoor recreation in the four counties it serves. The survey takes only a couple of minutes to complete. By participating, individuals will contribute to the development of outdoor recreation across Bradford, Sullivan, Susquehanna, and Wyoming Counties. Complete the survey here.
Other PA Club & Org Events
8/15- 8/17: Sierra Club PA's Annual Outing at Hickory Run State Park: This free event is located at Hickory Run's Group Cabin Campground (think summer camp!) so you don't need to own a tent to participate. Beginning campers are encouraged to attend. If you'd prefer not to camp, you're welcome to join just for the day or find your own place to stay overnight nearby. Register and learn more with Sierra Club Pennsylvania
9/7: The Wyoming Valley Mushroom Club is hosting its annual Wild Mushroom Fair on Sunday, September 7th, at the Francis Slocum State Park Nature Center from 11 AM to 4 PM. This free, family-oriented event features mushroom identification, forays, cultivation techniques, culinary uses, medicinal applications, and much more. For additional information, interested participants can contact the club at wyomingvalleymushroomclub@gmail.com.
9/13: Lancaster Conservancy T
9/18-21: Wild & Uncommon Weekend is the Horn Farm Center’s biggest annual event. As a new expansion of the long-running York County Pawpaw Festival, Wild & Uncommon now spreads fun, education, and pawpaw-enthusiasm across the Lower Susquehanna Region! Learn more at Horn Farm Center.
9/20: The 7th Annual Dam Bridge Challenge features three different timed races along the Susquehanna River, stretching from the historic river town of Wrightsville to Lake Clarke and the Safe Harbor Dam. Whether you’re a junior or master paddler, compete in your watercraft of choice—kayaks, canoes, surfski, or stand-up paddleboards.
9/31: The AT Museum will host Shayla “Kiddo” Paradeis, author of Footprint of a Heart. Attendees can enjoy an afternoon of storytelling and original folk songs inspired by her book, featuring experiences from the Appalachian Trail, Pacific Crest, Continental Divide, and Te Araroa in New Zealand. Having walked 21,000 miles, Shayla is currently on her third thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail. She is a poet, singer/songwriter, and a strong believer in the kindness of strangers.
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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