Trails: 23-mile loop hiking trail in the Lackawanna
State Forest near Thornhurst in northeastern PA. Access fee: Nearest town: Thornhurst, PA Trail map: Available on the state forest website Web site:PA State Forest Hiking
Trails Points of interest: Other activities: Lodging: Scranton and Wilkes-Barre have several choices of
accommodation Camping: Weather forecast:Thornhurst Tourism info:Northeast Pennsylvania Visitors
Bureau Getting to the trail: The trail is about 15 miles south of
Pinchot Map of local region:
Thornhurst
Trail Name: Pinchot Trail I have hiked there: Once I last hiked there in: August, 2004 Trails that I hiked: Pinchot Trail Favorite trails: It was all good Best time to go: Any time would be great Trail marking: Very good Trail maintenance: Very good Rating: 4.5 stars What I liked: Pretty country, well marked trails, good
water! What I disliked: There wasn't anything to dislike,
really Additional comments: When you get to the trail head, you
find a huge sign telling you that the Pinchot Trail is marked in
blue. Don't believe it. The trail is blazed orange. Don't know
why they say it should be blue. Once you get past that one, the
rest is really great. Submitted by: Delaware Chuck from: Bear, Delaware Date submitted: Aug 9, 2004
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Trail Name: Pinchot Trail I have hiked there: A few times I last hiked there in: June, 2004 Trails that I hiked: The Pinchot trail (all the orange
labeled). Favorite trails: Painter Creek trail. Scrup oak trail. Best time to go: Late spring, early summer Trail marking: Fair Trail maintenance: Poor Rating: 3.5 stars What I liked: I like the fact that the trail is a
continuous loop and that there is such variety of scenery. There
was plenty of great tasting water to fill up on, and a good
amount of wildlife. The trail's altitude was pretty consistent
which is good for beginners. I've vacationed up in this area all
my life and I never seen half the things that I saw along the
trail. There's some good jeeping/4wheeling trails there too. What I disliked: I've hiked a lot out west, so I think I
was spoiled there. I did enjoy hiking the trail, however the
scenery at time was monotonous, yet at the same time beautiful.
The terrain, I felt, was awful. I would estimate that it was at
least 75% rock/root, 15% mud, and 10% dirt/grass. The rocks got
old really quick-- make sure you wear really hard soles on your
boots. There were also a lot of fallen trees to climb over. I was
planning on hiking the trail in two days, but I decided to make
it a day hike. Make sure you get an early start and be prepared
for some sore feet. Additional comments: Choke creek is a good place to camp
for a while. I think Birchstill trail has all the fallen trees. I
am very glad that I hiked this trail, although not too happy that
I did it in a day with a weekend pack. It's a fun place with good
scenery. Submitted by: ny from: Date submitted: June 14, 2004
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Trail Name: Pinchot Trail I have hiked there: A few times I last hiked there in: Apr, 2004 Trails that I hiked: Lackawanna State Park, Hickory Run
State Park, Ricketts Glen State Park, Appalachin Trail Favorite trails: No favorite trail. All were pretty easy.
All trails were well marked except one trail. I forget wich one.
It was either the McClintocks Trail or the Birchstill Trail. A
tornado must have hit this area. We had to climb over a lot of
trees. The trail stays straight in that section. Best time to go: I hiked in the spring. plenty of
water Trail marking: Very good Trail maintenance: Very good Rating: 4 stars What I liked: Trails were nice. Fairly easy. First time
out for the year. Could have done it all in one day. It's a good
start or a good place to bring your girlfriend. What I disliked: Additional comments: Wacth out for the section I talked
about above. the trail stays straight through all the trees. It
wasn't fun going through them with a full pack. Submitted by: dball from: Dunmore Date submitted: April 26, 2004
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Trail name: Pinchot Trail Times that I hiked there: Few Date that I last hiked there: June, 2001 Trails that I hiked: Favourite trails: Best time to go: Trail marking: Very good Trail maintenance: Very good Rating: 4 stars What I liked: Trail system well-suited to varying routes,
able to choose loops rather than have to contend with drop-off
and pick-up for through hiking, don't have to back-track. Permits
available for overnight back-country camping. Plenty of water
available. Spring is a good time to go for camping and fishing
along the Choke Creek. Wide variety of terrain and scenery. What I disliked: There are quite a few very muddy
stretches, at least in the spring. Waterproof hiking boots
recommended. Comments: Suitable for relatively inexperienced hikers
except in some rocky sections. Beginners should avoid the Sunday
Trail (it's NOT a Sunday stroll). Submitted by: RCS from: Pennsylvania Date submitted: Jan 5, 2002
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