Pine Creek Gorge, nestled in the Tioga State Forest, is more commonly known as the Grand Canyon of Pennsylvania. The canyon runs for approximately 47 miles and has a maximum depth of 1,450 feet (Trip Advisor, 2021). There are several areas to get a great look of the canyon. We chose to follow the GPS location and hiked a short trail, known as the overlook trail. You could find the directions we followed here.
When we first arrived, we were immediately faced with the incredible view of the natural landmark. It was incredible to see the canyon walls and the river flowing in between. There are several trails to take to be able to capture all the canyon’s beauty, including the rail trail which runs for thirty miles along the canyon floor. We visited Pine Creek Gorge on a rainy day, so we stuck to simple trails to avoid slippery rocks.
The overlook trail is approximately a one-mile looped trail (All trails, 2021). It was a simple hike that led to the “Otter View.” Otter View provided such a breathtaking view of the nature put forth by this canyon. Since we went on a rainy day, there was some fog forming and the fog didn’t take away from the view rather it heightened its beauty. Past Otter View begins the loop back around to the trailhead. We discovered a few small waterfalls just off the trail path on our way back to the trailhead. It was so cool to see how rushing the water was through these falls due to the rainfall. It was a slightly steep climb down towards the fall over tree trunks or I would have gotten closer to the fall for a photo. The climb down wasn’t ideal due to the rain falling, leaving it muddy and slippery. When we returned to our initial overlook, it was completely covered in fog and you could barely see the canyon, so we got our hike and view in just in time! I would highly recommend this hike and during any season the views are more than likely always astonishing. I would love to return during the summer and bike the thirty-mile rail trail, #hikingneauty!
Citations:
All Trails. (2021). Grand Canyon of Pennsylvania Overlook Trail. All Trails.
https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/pennsylvania/grand-canyon-of-pennsylvania-overlook-trail
Google. (2021). Google Maps. https://www.google.com/maps/place/Pine+Creek+Gorge/@41.2709562,-77.3348027,15z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x89ce56e3f6fabe0f:0x4c822e00960b4b6e!8m2!3d41.270941!4d-77.3260479
Trip Advisor. (2021). Pine Creek Gorge. Trip Advisor. https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g28959-d266624-Reviews-Pine_Creek_Gorge-Pennsylvania.html