Black Forest Trail Backpacker, N-Central PA

The full 43 – mile Black Forest Trail is considered the most challenging hike in Pennsylvania. We will not do the entire 43 miles, just the Northern half, which is about 26 miles long. It is located in the Tiadaghton State Forest in the North Central part of Pennsylvania. This challenging hike will include over 4,000 feet of elevation gain and multiple stream crossings. Depending on the amount of recent rain, it may be necessary to put on water shoes frequently. There are multiple beautiful scenic vistas and waterfalls on this hike.

The parking area from which we will begin our backpacking is located on the right of PA-44, 34.9 miles north of exit 120 from US-220 in Jersey Shore, PA. The coordinates for parking are 41.525153, -77.598460 (Google Maps).

I plan on getting there on Thursday evening and camping in the area overnight. There are multiple campsites on the trail within a mile of the parking lot. This allows time to acclimate to the elevation, plus it eliminates a 4-hour drive early in the morning. Finally, getting a parking spot won’t be as much of a challenge. If you would also like to get there on Thursday, contact me and we can coordinate carpooling. If multiple people will drive up there on Friday, I can help you coordinate carpooling, if desired. If you DO drive up Friday morning, please be there no later than 11:00 AM. The breakdown of the trip is as follows: Day 1 (Friday) – 6.5 miles. Day 2 (Saturday) – 10 miles. Day 3 (Sunday) – 8.5 miles. Because of the difficulty level, I anticipate averaging 2 miles per hour.

If you are interested or have any questions, please contact Gary Reeser. Text or call 443-350-0659 or email

From the intersection of US 220 and PA 44 (Exit 120) in Jersey Shore, PA, go 34.9 miles North on PA 44. Parking area is about 2 miles north the Black Forest Inn Airport.