Best Hikes In Pennsylvania

Here are some of the best hikes in Pennsylvania. Here are some of the best hikes in this state that I have done. These hikes are very beautiful and they all offer different kinds of experiences. There are short ones, long ones, difficult ones and easy ones. A lot of them are close to each other also so if you do one hike, you may also do another hike that is close by if you want a good workout.

1. Pulpit Rock And The Pinnacle Loop

This place is absolutely beautiful because of the lookouts. This place isn’t that hard while offering two amazing vistas for people to enjoy. You can also use the road to make half of the hike very easy. I saw a lot of families and dogs while I hiked this place. This is a great hiking trail for beginners, and for experienced hikers as well.

2. Bake Oven Knob Loop Hike

This is a very easy hike especially if you do not do the loop. I did the loop but I often recommend for people to go the viewpoint and then go back down. The loop is not that good and there are really no more viewpoints. This a good hike for beginners and for people that are not very physically fit. I saw a school bus filled with kids when I hiked this place. There are a lot of hawk watchers or bird watchers that come to this place also. The parking lot is very expansive so it is doubtful that you will run out of parking space.

3. Hawk Mountain Sanctuary

You have the option of doing an easy hike or doing a strenuous one. The easy hike is great. You will be able to see various viewpoints in the first mile or so. You can go back to the parking lot easily as well. The elevation gain is rather low. The long hike is strenuous with lots of boulders. You will end up climbing down or up this steep slope. The viewpoints in the long trail is not that good but doing the long trail will give you a good workout. There is a fee to be able to hike this place.

4. Lehigh Gap East Loop Hike

This is a very short hike but the elevation gain is somewhat decent. This is a good quick hike that you can do easily. You can get in and get out in one to three hours. The views are amazing as well so if you are a photographer, this is a great place to hike.

5. Glen Onoko Falls Hike

This is a great hike but the trail is often closed. There are three waterfalls that you will see as you get up the mountain. People keep playing on the top and on the bottom of the waterfalls which often lead to injury. You will see waterfalls in this hike and you can go to the bottom of them to take a shower. Not recommended due to safety reasons but you do have the freedom to do so.

6. Ricketts Glen State Park Falls Trail

This place has a lot of waterfalls. This is very popular and great for beginners. I saw a lot of photographers and tourists when I went to this place. The waterfalls are very beautiful but they are often dry so I recommend going to this place during April or after a rainfall. There are no lookouts or viewpoints, just a lot of waterfalls. I didn’t experience any mosquito bites during my time here but I came here during October.

7. Lehigh Furnace Gap

This is a very long hike but people can shorten it if they want. The views are in the North trail so if you just want a quick hike to look at the landscape and scenery then you can go back down after the North trail. This is a beautiful hike and you will see a lot of backpackers and people that are doing the Appalachian trail in this hiking trail. You can do the longer version but be warned, it can get very exhausting on a hot day.

8. Mount Tammany – Honorable Mention

This hike is not in Pennsylvania but it is very close to Pennsylvania border which is why I will mention it.

This is a very popular hike and hiking this during the weekends is not recommended. You will find a lot of people at the viewpoint which kind of ruins the solitude kind of feeling. This hike is often very crowded during the weekends so I recommend hiking this place during the weekdays. There are three parking lots, a great viewpoint and a small waterfall. This is a great hike for beginners and for people who want to have a good workout as well.