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for footpaths in and around Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
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- The "high hunting seasons": In
2008 Spring Gobbler season runs from MID-APRIL THROUGH MEMORIAL
DAY MONDAY, WEAR ORANGE!!!! Hikers should pay
especial attention to the small game, wild turkey, spring gobbler, black
bear, and deer seasons listed here.
It is THE LAW for all persons (INCLUDING HIKERS) on State
Game Lands (MANY footpaths, including parts of the Appalachian
Trail, use Game Lands) to wear a BLAZE
ORANGE cap or vest, from November 15 through December
15. Always show respect to our fellow lovers of the outdoors, especially
at this time of year.

Lorrie Preston photo
- Rausch Gap Bridge CLOSED. Blue
Mountain Eagle Climbing Club (the A.T. maintaining club for the
affected section of the Trail) and ATC Mid-Atlantic Regional Office
in cooperation
with the Game Commission has opened a temporary re-route of the A.T
on May 4, 2008. The
temporary relocation fords the creek compass north, Trail-west, of
the closed bridge. The relocation affects the A.T. between the blue-blaze
to Rausch Gap shelter, and the Stony Valley railroad grade. Signs are
posted. Hikers will need to suffer wet feet crossing Rausch Creek
for
the near
future. The Pennsylvania Game Commission has CLOSED to ALL hikers and bikers, the
bridge over Rausch Creek in SGL 211, northern Lebanon County, shared
by the Appalachian
Trail and the Stony Valley rail trail. Built in 1854 by the Schuylkill & Susquehanna
Railroad, high water early in 2008 has undermined its foundations and the
stone arch is collapsing.
Also SATC member Brandy Watts offers
historical information at her unofficial
web site. Updates will be posted when
available.
- BURN BAN: No open fires from 4/1 to 5/25, from 10/1 to 12/15, and whenever
declared otherwise by DCNR Bureau of Forestry. In Spring and
Fall, when there are no leaves on the trees, sunlight dries out the duff
and leaves on the ground very quickly... And the danger of fire is high.
Use your self-contained stoves. Only the Chechako (tenderfoot) builds
a bonfire.
- Can I camp on Game Lands? Can I build a fire on
Horse-Shoe Trail? Click here for
some answers.
- Bear alert: From the Pennsylvania Game Commission Wildlife Conservation
Officer for northern Dauphin county: I've been spending
some time on the Trail lately and I am
concerned
that
few hikers
were using
bear
bags. The bear population seems to be higher this year. I already moved one
human-habituated bear from Clarks Valley, and I know there are several more
in the Dauphin area. It is important for north-bound hikers to realize that
once they cross the Susquehanna at Duncannon, they are leaving an area where
bears are uncommon and entering an area where bears are common and to be
expected. Hikers should take the usual
precautions--there's
no need for alarm, just common sense. Thanks.
WCO Mike Doherty
PGC District 6-22-1
Northern Dauphin County
610-926-3136
- Horse-Shoe Trail Relocation- There has been a significant
relocation of the Horse-Shoe Trail in the Stony Valley area of State Game Lands
#211, Dauphin County, in the past year due to an unsafe crossing of Stony Creek
for hikers. The trail previously crossed the creek at a cable crossing about
a mile east of Ellendale Forge. The cable crossing was always dangerous for
hikers and was damaged by flooding in 2004.
The trail follows a route from the south up and over Second Mountain on a gas
pipeline and then used to go all the way down the north side of the mountain
to the crossing of Stony Creek. It then crossed the Stony Valley railroad bed
and ascended Sharp and Stony Mountains on the Rattling Run Road (game commission
service road) from near its western junction with the railroad bed.
The relocated trail for hikers still descends down the gas pipeline on the
north side of Second Mountain but instead of going all the way down to Stony
Creek, the trail now turns to the right (east) after .6 mile from the top of
the mountain onto a short path leading to a logging road. It follows the logging
road for 3 miles to cross Stony Creek at Kurtz’s Bridge. It then climbs
briefly to the Stony Valley railroad bed and turns right (east) on it for 2.2
miles until it reaches the eastern junction of Rattling Run Road. The trail
then climbs this portion of that road up Sharp Mountain to meet the existing
trail just past the Kabob Monument. The relocated portion of trail is 6.2 miles
long. The former route was about 9 miles long.
This relocation is described and shown correctly on the latest Horse-Shoe Trail
guidebook and map set (23th edition, July 2006). The route of the trail shown
on the KTA map AT in PA sections 7 & 8 (2004 edition) is now obsolete.
Note: There is a separate, partially different relocation route of the trail
for horses that is also described in the newest Horseshoe Trail guidebook and
map set. This route follows the gas pipeline all the way down Second Mountain
to the original crossing of Stony Creek and then turns right (east) on the
railroad bed, which it follows all the way to the eastern junction with Rattling
Run Road.
- Tuscarora Trail has been thrown off private land northwest
of Carlisle. The affected section is west of PA 74 (Waggoners Gap Road) and
east of Colonel Denning State Park. Check this
link for details.
- Shikellimy Trail: The Shikellimy
Trail has recently been relocated by the SATC. The one-mile long, blue-blazed
side trail on the south
side of Peter’s Mountain,
Dauphin County, connects the Appalachian Trail on the top of the mountain
with PA Rt. 325 (Clark’s Valley Road).
Previously, the trail terminated
near the eastern edge of the private Camp Shikellimy grounds in Clark’s
Valley. The short relocation places the entire trail within surrounding
state game commission lands and the new trailhead at Rt. 325 is across
the road from adequate parking.
The trailhead along PA 325 can be located
as follows: From the intersection of PA Rt. 225 and Rt. 325 East, which
is north of Dauphin, head east on
Rt. 325 for about 8 miles. Between PennDOT mile markers 210 & 220,
just past Camp Shikellimy, is a long parking pull-off on the right (south)
side of the road. Park here and look for blue blazes on north side of
the road at the end of guardrail. A trail sign will be put up in the
near future
to identify the trail.
The Shikellimy Trail and parking area is shown correctly
on the newest version (2004) of the map Appalachian Trail in Pennsylvania
Sections 7 & 8
Susquehanna River to Swatara Gap, published by the Keystone Trails Association.
- Yellow
Springs Trail: A portion of the Yellow Springs Trail in State
Game Lands #211, Lebanon County, was severely damaged by flooding, probably
during heavy rainstorms
in the summer/fall of 2004. This blue-blazed side trail connects the
Stony Valley Railroad Grade with the Appalachian Trail on Sharp Mountain.
It
then continues north to connect with the Stone Tower Trail at the top
of Stony Mountain, goes past the old stone tower, and loops back to the
Appalachian
Trail at the Yellow Springs village site.
The .8 mile long section of the
trail on the south side of Sharp Mountain, which had followed an old
elevated incline plane much of the way, was apparently
washed away at various points by rushing flood waters. Large deep gullies
and a lot of rocks and debris make this portion of the trail unsafe for
hiking. The loop portion of the trail north of the Appalachian Trail
is still intact and passable but currently is not maintained. Do not
plan
on using the damaged portion of the Yellow Springs Trail for loop hikes
or access to the AT.
- The access from Ft. Indiantown Gap (Cold Springs
Road), could soon be taken over by a "Stryker unit" of military
vehicles if you don't speak out. Check out http://www.savestonyvalley.com/ for
details and updates on this generation's fight to Save Stony Valley!
- Keystone Trails Association
also posts hiker alerts to their web site.
- If you know of a condition that should be listed here, contact SATC and
provide as much information as possible. Thanks!
PA Capital
Region Hiking and Activity Schedule | Scheduled
Trail Maintenance
Events
Home | About
SATC | Nearby Trails: Map/Guide
Sources | PA Camping & Fire Rules | Trail
Alerts | PA
Hunting Seasons
SATC Archives and History | Landscape
Preservation and Conservation Issues | Links
to Other Web Sites | Join
CVATC | Join
SATC | Contact
SATC
Peter Fleszar
Last Updated May 6, 2008