Pennsylvania trails · Appalachian National Scenic Trail
Appalachian National Scenic Trail
A 226.3-mile section of the Appalachian National Scenic Trail in Pennsylvania, with 1,742 ft of climbing. The full trail runs about 2,197 miles. Reaches Bake Oven Knob and other arch/pass/spring/summit destinations. Managed by Appalachian Trail Conservancy.
Elevation profile
The climbing leans toward the first third: 52% of the ascent falls between mile 0.0 and mile 122.3. It gives back about 25,288 ft along the way, so it rolls rather than climbing steadily.
3-D terrain
USGS 3DEP ELEVATION × ESRI WORLD IMAGERY · VERTICAL ×1.5
Reaches
- Bake Oven Knob (summit)
- Swatara Gap (pass)
- White Rocks (summit)
- Dans Pulpit (summit)
- Smith Gap (pass)
- Pulpit Rock (arch)
- Whisky Spring (spring)
- Lehigh Furnace Gap (pass)
- Mount Minsi (summit)
- Rocky Mountain (summit)
Heads up
Getting there
Appalachian National Scenic Trail access. 40.25988, -77.10334 · directions
Daylight at the trailhead
On August 31, 2026 — the day this page was generated — first light reaches this trailhead at 6:06 a.m., the sun rises at 6:34 a.m. and sets at 7:42 p.m., and the last usable light fades about 8:10 p.m. (EDT) — 13 h 08 min of daylight. At about 2.7 mph plus 30 minutes per 1,000 feet of climbing, the 226.3-mile route works out to roughly 84 h 41 min of walking — more than a single day of daylight here, so plan it as an overnight or hike it in sections.
Loop options
- Appalachian National Scenic Trail + Cumberland County Biker/Hiker Trail — 1.7 mi loop, 41 ft gain
- Appalachian National Scenic Trail + Cumberland County Biker/Hiker Trail + Pole Steeple Trail — 3.7 mi loop, 607 ft gain
- Appalachian National Scenic Trail + Pinnacle Trail + Blue Trail — 8.1 mi loop, 1,206 ft gain
Nearby trails
- Mason Dixon Trail — 11.2 mi
- Michaux State Forest – Snowmobile Trail System (Northern) — 29.9 mi