A1 Trails
Hiking in Pennsylvania

Hiking the West Rim Trail

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Trails: 30-mile linear trail runs north-south along west rim of the Pennylvania Grand Canyon through the Tioga State Forest.
Access fee:
Nearest town: Ansonia and Blackwell, PA
Trail map: Available on the website
Web site: PA State Forests
Points of interest: Pennylvania Grand Canyon is up to 800 feet deep
Other activities: Bicycling the Pine Creek Trail
Lodging: Wellsboro has a few choices of accommodation
Camping: Colton Point State Park has 25 sites, Leonard Harrison has 30 sites
Weather forecast: Ansonia
Tourism info: Tioga County Tourism 1-800-332-6718
Getting to the trail: The north end of the trail is just south of Ansonia. Pine Creek Outfitters offer a shuttle service.
Map of local region: Ansonia | Blackwell

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Number of ratings: 6
Average rating: 4.42

Trail Name: West Rim Trail
I have hiked there: Once
I last hiked there in: Apr, 2005
Trails that I hiked: West Rim Trail, Black Forest Trail, Naval Run Trail
Favorite trails: West Rim
Best time to go: Spring
Trail marking: Very good
Trail maintenance: Very good
Rating: 5 stars
What I liked: Spectacular views up and down the trail of the Pine Creek Gorge
What I disliked: nothing.
Additional comments: Outstanding weekend trip. Spectacular views, great campsites, easy access.
Submitted by: Tim Boyle
from: Hanover, Pa
Date submitted: July 7, 2005

Trail Name: West Rim Trail
I have hiked there: Several times
I last hiked there in: July, 2004
Trails that I hiked: West Rim, Black Forest Trail, Golden Eagle. Pine Creek Trail (Bike)
Favorite trails: They are all good.
Best time to go: anytime
Trail marking: Very good
Trail maintenance: Fair
Rating: 4.5 stars
What I liked: There is great scenery, views, varied forests, wildlife, lots of water and abundant camping spots.
What I disliked: When going solo a point to point trail can be inconvenient. It is nice to see a resource like the WRT being used so much but it is relatively crowded compared to most PA rails I hike. There is also a little too much “civilization” near by, especially in the north.
Additional comments: I really like Northern Pennsylvania towns and the great inns. The Blackwell Hotel near the Southern Terminus is very pleasant way to finish a hike. Wellsboro is also a very nice town. Anyone who complains about inadequate trail marking is nuts. This trail gets so much use it probably does not need markings (except at roads). There is lots of great hiking in the region.
Submitted by: WSH
from: Bellefonte, PA
Date submitted: July 28, 2004

Trail Name: West Rim Trail
I have hiked there: Few
I last hiked there in: May, 2003
Trails that I hiked: Turkey Path Trail, West Rim Trail, Bee Tree Trail
Favorite trails: Turkey Path Trail, West Rim Trail
Best time to go: After Mud Season, Late Spring till Fall
Trail marking: Fair
Trail maintenance: Very good
Rating: 4 stars
What I liked: Scenery is great, The Switch backs down to the falls from Turkey Path Trail are great, barely bike-able
What I disliked: W. Rim Trial had a 4 foot section eroded away on the southern exposure to pine creek as you make towards the waterfalls.
Comments: DO NOT Try and go down Turkey Path Trail on a mountain bike unless your insane
Submitted by: Kenny B
from: Philadelphia PA
Date submitted: March 2, 2004

Trail Name: West Rim Trail
I have hiked there: Several
I last hiked there in: Feb, 2003
Trails that I hiked: Turkey Path and many other trails in the area.
Favorite trails: Probably the West Rim Trail.
Best time to go: I enjoy the off season. Backpacking is not for crowds.
Trail marking: Very good
Trail maintenance: Very good
Rating: 5 stars
What I liked: The West Rim Trail offers great scenery, easy to moderate hiking, great places to tent up and spend the night. The trail is marked well. A unique mix of hardwoods, clear-cuts, vistas and mountain streams. An all around nice backpacking trip. We have done the trail several times in the winter, for a snowshoeing trip.
What I disliked: During peak tourist season there are too many day hikers. During the winter there tend to be alot of snowmobiles in the area.
Comments: Great backpacking trip for someone interested in backpacking as a hobby.
Submitted by: Bizz
from: Middlebury Center Pa.
Date submitted: Jan 8, 2004

Trail Name: West Rim Trail
I have hiked there: Few
I last hiked there in: ,
Trails that I hiked: west rim
Favorite trails: west rim trail
Best time to go: any
Trail marking: Poor
Trail maintenance: Fair
Rating: 3.5 stars
What I liked: the scenery is beautiful especialy the grand canyon. but other than a couple of steap climbs the majority of the 28.6 miles is along the top of the ridge can get boring at times if you enjoy a challenge
What I disliked: to easy
Comments:
Submitted by: dave coyle
from: sayre , pa
Date submitted: June 10, 2003

Trail Name: West Rim Trail
Times that I last hiked there: Once
Date that I last hiked there: August, 2001
Trails that I hiked: West Rim
Favourite trails: West Rim
Best time to go: Probably summer
Trail marking: Fair
Trail maintenance: Fair
Rating: 4.5 stars
What I liked: Amazing Scenery but difficult hike
What I disliked: Water sources are not guarenteed. If you start in Astonia then pack water for the last two mile.
Comments: Lack of water in the last few miles is tough.
Submitted by: cb
from: Philadelphia
Date submitted: March 1, 2002

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