This Land is Your Land.

So What are You Waiting For?

Photo: Mary Linkevich

Recreation along the Kittatinny Ridge and Appalachian Trail

The Kittatinny Ridge is a place we go to reconnect with nature by taking part in our favorite pastimes. Hikers along the Appalachian Trail, photographers, painters, birdwatchers, and curiosity seekers flock to the Ridge in all seasons, but especially in the fall when the foliage is spectacular and kettles of migrating raptors fill the skies. Hunters frequent the multitude of State Game Lands on the Ridge, as well as private lands. Anglers may not visit the Ridge itself very often, but nearly every quality stream in the region has its headwaters on the Ridge. The Kittatinny Ridge has something for everyone and hundreds of thousands take advantage of this treasured recreational resource each year.

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Birdwatching

The Kittatinny Ridge is internationally-known as a destination for birdwatching, primarily for witnessing the fall raptor migration at sites like Hawk Mountain Sanctuary, the Cliff Jones Field Station at Waggoner’s Gap, and Bake Oven Knob. Songbirds, hummingbirds, and even butterflies also follow the Ridge during their migrations, attracting visitors during the spring and fall to state parks, state game lands, and other natural areas. During the summer months, the vast forests of the Ridge host a variety of nesting songbirds, some of which are difficult to find elsewhere in the region.

KITTATINNY RIDGE E-BIRD OBSERVATIONS
HAWK WATCHING SITES
PA BIRDING TRAILS

Hiking

The Appalachian Trail (A.T.), the most famous hiking trail in North America, extends 2,181 miles from Georgia to Maine. A National Scenic Trail administered by the National Park Service, the A.T. follows the Kittatinny corridor for 125 miles from the Delaware Water Gap into Cumberland County. The Appalachian Trail Conservancy provides hikers with an interactive map to find a hike and local information on parking and transportation to trailheads. Where the Appalachian Trail turns south off the Ridge in eastern Cumberland County, the Tuscarora Trail begins and follows the Kittatinny Corridor west and south for 60 miles into Maryland, eventually rejoining the Appalachian Trail in Virginia. Various other intersecting trails along the Ridge offer opportunities for day-hikes and loop hikes for both experienced and casual hikers and everywhere in between.

APPALACHIAN TRAIL – DAY HIKES
HAWK MOUNTAIN SANCTUARY TRAILS
HIKING CENTRAL PA (SATC)
HIKING THE TUSCARORA TRAIL
LEHIGH GAP NATURE CENTER TRAILS
EXPLORE PENNSYLVANIA TRAILS
SCHUYLKILL COUNTY TRAILS DIRECTORY