# Hiking in Eastern Pensylvania **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 2, 2011, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hiking-in-eastern-pensylvania/587637 "2011-07-02T16:42:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Uber\_the\_Goober](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/58956e/32.png) [@Uber\_the\_Goober](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uber_the_Goober)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2011, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hiking-in-eastern-pensylvania/587637/1 "2011-07-02T16:42:22Z")
I’ve been googling all morning. I’m not quite getting what I want, so I thought I’d enlist the help of any like-minded people who may be here at the Dope. 🙂 I’m looking to do a starter-hike in eastern PA. One overnight, so it can’t be more than around 15 miles long. I say starter because my potential hiking partner is an over-eager asthmatic with more desire than gear/ability. I’m comfortable with just about anything up to three nights, but I don’t want to kill my buddy! So I know the appalachian trail goes right through PA, and nearby too! What I’d like to know is if anyone has hiked parts of it before, if they maybe would recommend it to someone just starting out? Obviously I’m looking for something more remote than the local state park but not quite middle-of-nowhere. I’m pretty close to Bake Oven Knob, but willing to drive a few hours to get to the start point, and the wife won’t mind a few hours to the pickup point. ---
**Author:** ![Swords\_to\_Plowshares](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b38774/32.png) [@Swords\_to\_Plowshares](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Swords_to_Plowshares)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2011, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hiking-in-eastern-pensylvania/587637/2 "2011-07-02T17:47:20Z")
If you are willing to drive, might as well look in to some of the longer gorge trails in Ithaca. ---
**Author:** ![Count\_Blucher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Count\_Blucher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Count_Blucher)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2011, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hiking-in-eastern-pensylvania/587637/3 "2011-07-02T17:55:43Z")
I always see people hiking the Appalachian trail out by the Delaware Water Gap, but I can’t honestly say thats a starter hike. Maybe you could talk them into a hike around Bushkill Falls just to see what they can manage with a full pack? The full red trail, not the short green one. Not near as long as the distance you mentioned, but those steps up the rock face on the far side will work the upper leg muscles harder than it might seem that they would and will give you an idea as to your partner’s endurance. That and lets face it: its Hot out now. The breeze off the stream will feel nice. ---
**Author:** ![Uber\_the\_Goober](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/58956e/32.png) [@Uber\_the\_Goober](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uber_the_Goober)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2011, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hiking-in-eastern-pensylvania/587637/4 "2011-07-02T18:28:36Z")
> [@Count\_Blucher](#): > > I always see people hiking the Appalachian trail out by the Delaware Water Gap, but I can’t honestly say thats a starter hike. Maybe you could talk them into a hike around Bushkill Falls just to see what they can manage with a full pack? The full red trail, not the short green one. Not near as long as the distance you mentioned, but those steps up the rock face on the far side will work the upper leg muscles harder than it might seem that they would and will give you an idea as to your partner’s endurance. > > That and lets face it: its Hot out now. The breeze off the stream will feel nice. I thought Bushkill was a dayhike place? Like they close up at night? I’ve been there and I love it. It would make a good endurance test too… ---
**Author:** ![Azeotrope](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/0ea827/32.png) [@Azeotrope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Azeotrope)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2011, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hiking-in-eastern-pensylvania/587637/5 "2011-07-02T20:28:49Z")
It might be further out of the way than you want to go to get to it but the Falls Trail at [Rickett’s Glen](http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/stateparks/parks/rickettsglen/rickettsglen_trails.aspx)is a pretty and challenging hike. ---
**Author:** ![Turble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8dc957/32.png) [@Turble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Turble)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2011, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hiking-in-eastern-pensylvania/587637/6 "2011-07-03T17:27:56Z")
Wind Gap to Fox Gap on first day, then Fox Gap to Delaware Water Gap puts you right around 15 miles. No climbing but the path has lots of jagged rocks approaching the Water Gap. I grew up in the area and have walked both sections many times. I’d say it’s a nice introductory hike with an easy bail-out point in the middle if your partner doesn’t take well to the adventure. Bonus: Blueberries are getting ripe now. ---
**Author:** ![Uber\_the\_Goober](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/58956e/32.png) [@Uber\_the\_Goober](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uber_the_Goober)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2011, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hiking-in-eastern-pensylvania/587637/7 "2011-07-03T19:26:18Z")
> [@Turble](#): > > Wind Gap to Fox Gap on first day, then Fox Gap to Delaware Water Gap puts you right around 15 miles. No climbing but the path has lots of jagged rocks approaching the Water Gap. > > I grew up in the area and have walked both sections many times. I’d say it’s a nice introductory hike with an easy bail-out point in the middle if your partner doesn’t take well to the adventure. > > Bonus: Blueberries are getting ripe now. I like the sound of that. Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![Count\_Blucher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Count\_Blucher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Count_Blucher)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2011, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hiking-in-eastern-pensylvania/587637/8 "2011-07-10T00:45:03Z")
> [@echo6160](#): > > I thought Bushkill was a dayhike place? Like they close up at night? I’ve been there and I love it. It would make a good endurance test too… You are 100% right. Was there today: “We close at sunset, be off the property by 7PM. Have A Nice Day!” :dubious: ☹ Thought I saw tents in the distance 2 summers back, but they had to have been on a neighboring property if at all. There are some KOA sites w/1 3 miles of there, but thats a stretch. Sorry. ---
**Author:** ![mack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b19c9b/32.png) [@mack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mack)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2011, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hiking-in-eastern-pensylvania/587637/9 "2011-07-10T04:10:36Z")
> [@Turble](#): > > Wind Gap to Fox Gap on first day, then Fox Gap to Delaware Water Gap puts you right around 15 miles. No climbing but the path has lots of jagged rocks approaching the Water Gap. I remember it that way too. Practically begging for a hundred yards that wasn’t so rocky. Hiking the AT, say, 20 miles in on the Jersey side to the gap wasn’t as bad IIRC. That was decades ago though. Maybe the rocks have smoothed over since then :D. ---
**Author:** ![Turble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8dc957/32.png) [@Turble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Turble)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2011, 4:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hiking-in-eastern-pensylvania/587637/10 "2011-07-10T04:33:04Z")
Nah. Around here we sharpen the rocks every spring. 😉