This trail was hiked and written up by Renée Koma
The Mid-State Trail is a 331-mile, orange-blazed footpath traversing some of Pennsylvania’s wildest landscapes from the Maryland border to the New York border. It can be hiked in 3-4 weeks and is part of the Great Eastern Trail, an alternative to the Appalachian Trail.
Region: Mid-Atlantic (Pennsylvania)
Distance: 331 miles
Season: Four-season with proper gear and skills. Spring, summer, and fall recommended.
Total Elevation Gain: 52,803 feet
Physical Difficulty: Moderate
- Gravel forest roads, bike paths, long flat stretches
- Boulder fields and rocky trail, steep ascents and descents
- Thick brush and tall grass with footpath nonexistent or obscured
Logistical Difficulty: Moderate
- The MST passes through multiple well-spaced towns (little hitching required)
- FarOut app for navigation through poorly maintained sections
- Camping is illegal on Pennsylvania state game lands, making some sections tough logistically and financially
- Northern and southern termini are country roads with no place to leave a car
Season: Fall, spring, summer. Winter with proper gear and skills.
Hiking the Mid-State Trail
The Mid-State Trail is a lightly traveled footpath bisecting Pennsylvania south to north and is often touted as one of the state’s best-kept secrets. It traverses four geographically distinct regions and yields new and interesting terrain as hikers cross into each one. Many thru-hikers are able to complete the trail in 3-4 weeks, making it a good hike for extended time off. It is part of the longer Great Eastern Trail, an alternative to the Appalachian Trail.
The Mid-State Trail is not for those searching for a social experience or frequent jaw-dropping views. Hikers looking to complete this trail should bring a buddy or enjoy solitude. While the trail is often close to civilization, towns are highly rural, giving the trail a remote feel that the Appalachian Trail lacks farther east.
The Mid-State Trail alternates moderate walking on forest roads with tougher hiking on steep inclines and declines and sharp, rocky ridgelines. The many small points of interest on this trail—historical remnants, quiet and scenic state parks, and ecologically unique areas—keep hikers’ interest along the Mid-State Trail.
Getting to the Mid-State Trail
Southern Terminus
Nearest City: Cumberland, Maryland. ~17 miles from the trail
Getting to the Southern Terminus:
The southern terminus is at the Pennsylvania/Maryland border at the intersection of Black Valley Road and Gap Road. The nearest parking is a half mile up the road at Solid Wood Floors and Moulding (814-458-2032), which allows hikers to park across the street.
A Greyhound bus also runs to Cumberland. From here, a taxi to Flintstone, Maryland, and a 2-mile road walk or hitch could take hikers to the border to start the hike.
My dad was kind enough to drop my hiking partner and me at the border on Gap Road. This is the simplest option, but people sometimes offer shuttles on the Mid-State Trail Facebook group, and finding a suitable ride here is not out of the question.
Getting to the Northern Terminus
Nearest City: Corning, New York, ~16 miles from the trail
The northern terminus is at the intersection of Heffner Hollow Road and State Line Road on the Pennsylvania/New York border. There is no parking here.
There is no public transport to the terminus, so finding a shuttle or getting a ride will be the best option. The Crystal Hills Trail continues north from the border with orange blazes.
When to Hike the Mid-State Trail
The Mid-State Trail can potentially be hiked in all four seasons. Spring brings clouds of mosquitoes and overgrown trail, but water will be plentiful. Fall and later summer will have less of all of these, but will have sweltering temperatures and high humidity. Pennsylvania winters are typically milder than those in the taller mountains of the Southeast and New England; however, microspikes, snowshoes, gaiters, and winter backpacking experience will all be necessary to hike this trail in the colder months. Frequent, bright orange blazes make the footpath easy to find in the snow.
Mid-State Trail Terrain
The Mid-State Trail varies between highly mountainous and rocky terrain with steep ascents and descents to road walks along country lanes and isolated forest roads. Some small sections in the Everett region lack a footpath entirely and will have hikers wading through tall brush, though they are mostly well-blazed and not difficult to follow.
Logistics on the Mid-State Trail
Resupply: While the towns along the Mid-State Trail are mostly small (population > 3,000), Dollar General and similar stores are not difficult to find. If you have a special diet or want more variety, most towns also have post offices that will hold packages for hikers.
Many resupply points along the MST do not require hitchhiking, with the exception of some larger towns, such as State College and Lock Haven.
Everett: NOBO Mile 35.4
The trail runs through the town of Everett, which has a Foodliner (full grocery store) and a Sheetz convenience store, as well as a laundromat, pharmacy, and several restaurants. The lean-to in Tenley Park is the last legal camping northbound for 50 miles.
Post office info:
814-652-2525
Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:45 p.m.; Saturday, 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.; Sunday, closed
Williamsburg: NOBO Mile 80.2
The trail runs through Williamsburg, which has a Dollar General, lodging (highly recommend the Blue Lantern B&B – 814-937-1825), a laundromat, and a pizza restaurant.
Post office info:
814-832-3214
Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; Saturday, 8:30 a.m. to noon; Sunday, closed
State College: NOBO Mile 115
Getting to State College is more logistically challenging than most towns along the MST, but the town will have the most amenities, including many options for restaurants, lodging, and resupply. From the Hubler Gap vista, take the Musser Gap Trail to the Musser Gap parking lot, and then the Musser Gap Greenway to the bus stop at The Yards at Old State (apartment complex), about a 3-mile walk. The CATA bus runs Monday to Saturday and the fare as of 2022 is $2.20. https://catabus.com/ for most up-to-date fares and routes. Uber and Lyft should also be abundant in the area.
Post office info:
814-238-2435
Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Saturday, 8 a.m. to noon; Sunday, closed
Lock Haven: NOBO Mile 207.9
Hitchhiking or walking west from Route 150 will take you to Lock Haven, which boasts more amenities than neighboring McElhattan or Woolrich, both of which are much closer to the trail. Like State College, Lock Haven is a college town with lodging, restaurants, a town-wide bus service, laundry, and a full grocery.
Post office info
570-748-8055
Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m. to noon; Sunday, closed
Camping: The Mid-State Trail traverses many different types of public lands. On state forest lands, impact sites are spaced approximately every 10 miles, and many are marked on the FarOut app. About 70 miles of trail in the southern half traverses state game lands, where it is illegal to camp, and off-trail lodging arrangements must be made. Some options to work around this include:
Tenley Park Shelter: NOBO Mile 35.4
Hikers may stay for free at this three-sided lean-to in Tenley Park on the edge of the town of Everett. Call the Everett Borough at 814-652-9202 to get permission to camp.
Loysburg Campground: NOBO Mile 50.9
0.2 miles off-trail to an RV campground with a fee of $20 per night. Bathroom amenities and water access are reported to be sporadic.
Our Place Guesthouse in Martinsburg: NOBO Mile 64.1
Call 814-505-9006 to reserve a room. Pickup point is the state game lands parking lot next to Route 164, 0.6 miles south of the highway crossing.
Williamsburg: NOBO Mile 80
Dollar General and post office for resupply, Blue Lantern B&B for lodging. Beginning of the Lower Rail Trail section of the MST, which has three-sided lean-tos and water en route.
Water: While the Mid-State Trail often traverses ridgetops, it dips into plenty of stream valleys, towns, and state parks, and passes by frequent springs. The State College region is the only exception. It traverses the Tussey ridge, where water can be scarce in any season, and a long water carry or a climb down off the ridgetop may be necessary to access water.
Special Gear: While it may be tempting to hike in shorts in the heat of spring and summer, long pants tucked into long socks come highly recommended–preferably treated with Permethrin. Many sections of the MST are grown in with brush (some of it prickly) and the trail hosts scores of ticks. A sturdy pair of tweezers is also recommended to remove any ticks.
Know Before You Go
- There is no camping on state game lands. Hikers should plan around this and note that certain sections of trail on private land may be closed during the hunting season. Check the Mid-State Trail Association’s website, Facebook group, or MST’s guide in the FarOut app for the most updated information.
- Ticks abound on the MST. Brightly colored socks and/or gaiters may help you find the dark-colored bloodsuckers crawling before they bite. Permethrin, long pants, and long sleeves are recommended.
- Supply chain issues are preventing the MSTA from printing the latest maps; the FarOut app is the most current option as of this writing. The trail has also undergone several reroutes in the past year, which the MSTA keeps updated in the app.
- Bicycles are not allowed on most parts of MST, except where the route is shared with multi-use paths, such as the Lower Rail Trail.
- The Mid-State Trail was built by a Penn State professor who valued the metric system over the imperial system. All trail signs and measurements on official MST maps are in kilometers and meters.
