One of Many Sweeping Viewpoints on Stone Mountain
The TRAIL was first laid out between 1978 & 1982. The original route was 68.1 miles in length. Over time the forest encroached on the original clearing. Extensive work has been done since the mid-1990's to rehabilitate the trail and continues as SST takes its place in the Great Eastern Trail footpath network from Alabama to New York.
The TRAIL runs through Huntingdon, Mifflin, and Fulton Counties in Central Pennsylvania. The trail can be reached within four hours or so from anywhere in Pennsylvania, and the Washington D.C. area. It is a north-south trail with its northern terminus at Greenwood Furnace State Park.
One of Many Sweeping Viewpoints on Stone Mountain
On its journey south the trail makes use of vast tracts of State owned land. You will travel through four State Game Lands, two State Forests and one Natural Area. Its southern terminus is Cowans Gap State Park. The route links the Mid State Trail to the Tuscarora Trail. Hence the original name LINK TRAIL.
Rocky Ridge Natural Area
In Martin Gap Natural Area the trail passes by and through Oriskany Sandstone rock formations. In the sandy soil of Rocky Ridge and Martins Gap Natural Area a rare wildflower called Obolaria grows. This plant grows only in one other place in Pennsylvania. The endangered Putty Root Orchid, along with hundreds of lady's-slippers, also call the ridge home. The Gap is truly a place of beauty in late spring and into early summer.
Hiking the SST also means stepping back into time. Paralleling the Standing Stone Trail in the valley to the west is the historic route of the Standing Stone Path. An American Indian Path, the Standing Stone Path connected Fort Littleton with Fort Standing Stone (present-day Huntingdon).
When the area became industrialized in the mid 1800’s, surrounding forests were harvested, some for lumber and RR ties, but most of the wood was burned to make charcoal. In Central Pennsylvania, hundreds of charcoal burning iron furnaces sprung up, producing iron for a rapidly expanding nation.
Winter shows off the dinkey grades in Jack's Narrows
The SST makes use of many of the old logging trails, log slides and railroad grades that were used to take the logs to the colliers' camps where it was turned into charcoal and then carted to the furnaces and used as fuel to melt the iron ore. The trail will take you by more than 70 charcoal flats, and the remains of at least one logging camp.
Greenwood Furnace was one of these iron furnaces, Established in the mid 1800’s, it was also one of the last to shut down. As a result the old furnace along with many of its support buildings still stand. The trail head is near the old furnace. The hiker may get a better understanding of the whole process of making iron by a visit to the Park. I recommend the short hike known as the Collier’s Trail, located in the Greenwood Furnace State Park.
Another major point of interest and perhaps the highlight of the trail is the Thousand Steps ( actually there are almost 1100 ).
Looking Up the Thousand Steps
There are Over 1,000 Steps!
Located in Jack’s Narrows near Mount Union, the steps were built in the 1930s by quarry workers who cut away a large slice out of Jack’s Mountain, while quarrying the ganister stone used to make silica bricks.
Looking Down the Thousand Steps
Watch your knees!
The quarry opened around 1900, with its heyday in the early 1920’s. Local factories turned out nearly one half million bricks daily to earn Mount Union the title, "Bricktown USA."
This is some of what you see from Jacks Mountain
once you climb all the
Thousand Steps
About 2,000 yards east of the Thousand Steps hidden by US Route 22 was the junction of two major American Indian Paths - the Juniata Path and the Frankstown Path. At this location in 1744, a trader named Jack Armstrong was killed by Indians. Jack's Mountain and Jack's Narrows are named for him.
Windy Vista
on Jacks Mountain, South of Mapleton
South from Mapleton and SST's crossing of the Juniata River at the head of Jack's Narrows, reclimb Jacks Mountain to many more vistas...
The Throne Room
...and a few more rocks.
Hall of the Mountain King
The next to last historical point on the trail, is a small stretch of railroad grade known as Vanderbilt’s Folly. During the late 1890’s William Vanderbilt decided to set up a competitive railroad with the powerful Pennsylvania Railroad. He proceeded to dig several tunnels through the mountains and smooth out a grade and install culverts and bridges. However the project failed and was never completed. Years later most of the right of ways and the tunnels were paved to form the Pennsylvania. Turnpike.
Finally the last quarter mile of the trail uses a small portion of Forbes Road. During the French and Indian War, British troops, under the command of General John Forbes, used this road in their campaign to capture Fort Duquesne (Pittsburgh) from the French.
So you see a hike on the Standing Stone Trail is a hike that will take you back in time from the 1700's, the 1930’s, and to today. This historical trip is done by using a most interesting route traversing rugged mountains with many vistas, to gentle sloping benches covered with blueberry bushes. Elevations run from a low 660 feet to a 2283 foot high point at Raven’s View on Jack’s Mountain. Yet, the trail is not considered an up - down trail. Once the hiker is on top of a mountain he will stay up for several miles before dropping back down into a valley crossing.
The STANDING STONE TRAIL is located in central Pennsylvania, the trail winds through Huntingdon, Mifflin and Fulton Counties. It crosses several major highways,making the trail is easy to get to from any where in the state. The trail lies near State College, Huntingdon, Raystown Dam, Trough Creek State Park, Mount Union, Three Springs, Fort Littleton and McConnellsburg. Southern portions are about a one hour drive west of Harrisburg on the turnpike. Northern portions can be accessed from Harrisburg by driving west on Route 322. It takes about a 4 hour drive from Philadelphia or Scranton to reach the trail and is only 4 1/2 hours from Pittsburgh.
The SST is also about a 30 minute drive east of Interstate 70 and it's junction with the Pennsylvania Turnpike at Breezewood. Major highways that cross the Trail are State Routes 22, 522 and Interstate 76 better known as the Pennsylvania Turnpike.
The trailhead to the SST is found in Greenwood Furnace State Park. The park is located about 20 minutes south of State College, Pennsylvania, on State Route 305 southeast of the town of Mc Alevy's Fort.
Route 655 can be used to access the southern end of Stone Mountain or the northern portion of Jacks Mountain. The trail crosses Route 655 about 3 miles north of the town of Mill Creek, just north of the wide spot in the road called "Fousetown," at the cement bridge that crosses over Saddler Creek. Two signs mark the point that the trail crosses Route 655.
A wide spot in US Route 22 marked "Foot Access to State Game Lands," 2 miles west of the US 22/522 junction opposite Mount Union, is a good point to start or end a hike to The Thousand Steps. It is also about the mid point on the trail. SST also passes Mapleton Park on the connecting road between US 22 west and PA 655 south, on the opposite river bank from the Borough of Mapleton.
At the end of Jacks Mountain, the trail crosses Route 829. This takes you to east to the town of Three Springs where it meets State Routes 747 and 994, Coming in on Interstate 76 ( Pennsylvania Turnpike ), take the Fort Littleton exit to access the Link Trail. Fort Littleton is also the junction point of Route 522 and the Pennsylvania Turnpike. The SST currently runs through this town. Route 522 will parallel most of the southern half of the trail.
Some township roads and several dirt roads add further points of access. The best maps to use to help you get around on the local roads are the Rothrock and Buchanan Forest maps cover the area well. The NEW State Forest Public Use Maps show Standing Stone Trail as "Link Trail" which it used to be.
Water sources are few and far apart on the Standing Stone Trail. It is an element for which you must properly plan ahead or suffer the consequences. Dehydration can be deadly, so do not overlook this problem. Most good water sources lie between 8-10 miles apart, so most can be reached in a days travel. What’s the problem you ask? None really, except the only area with abundant water is State Game Lands #112 on the lower levels of Stone Mountain. The hiker must plan their mileage and camping spots with water in mind.
I will describe the water sources located on the Link from north to south. Starting at Greenwood Furnace State Park, several water sources can be found in the picnic area. Leaving the park the trail follows a stream up through a hollow. This will be the last water you will see until you come half way down the top of Stone Mountain. Water there is in the form of a spring on the Martin Trail, which usually runs year round. If the spring is dry, water may be found by turning right on Frew Road and walking to the village of Martin Gap. ( 3 cabins ) Here 2 streams merge into one.
Water may also be found 1 mile away on the trail. This source is found where the Link drops back down from Rocky Ridge and once again crosses Frew Road. If this stream is dry you can follow the Carbon Trail up to a spring located in a clear cut. This spring is about 200-250 yards from the road and is usually available after the stream runs dry.
Within the borders of State Game Lands #112 water is abundant. This last good water before Route 655 is usually running year round and is about 1 to 1 1/2 miles from Route 655.
The Standing Stone Trail crosses Saddler Creek at Route 655. This stream runs through Big Valley and contains farm run off, and septic tank pollution. It is not fit to drink.
Climbing up Jacks Mountain, you will come to a cabin/trailer erected right in the middle of the path in 1991, at a dramatic viewpoint over Big Valley. They have installed a long pipe from a stream in the valley that provides free-running water.
Getting closer to Jacks Narrows you come to a radio tower. Here the Link Trail meets the Quarry Loop Trail. Unfortunately, the best water on the mountain lies almost a mile down hill from this point, on the blue-blazed trail.
See? It's not
ALL rocks!
The better hiking is found on the orange blazed Link Trail. Do not worry, by following the main trail to where it rejoins with the blue-blazed trail, you will also find water, but just a little further down the trail. By following the blue trail down to the Y in the road you will find a well built spring pond on your left. This pond was probably built by quarry workers. The resulting stream from this spring is the same water which washes out the old quarry road you soon will be turning onto.
Once past the spring you turn left onto an old quarry road that leads to the Thousand Steps. The previous mentioned stream soon joins the road and stays on road to within a quarter mile of The Thousand Steps. If you choose to follow the orange trail to the Steps, it is a short and easy walk north to the stream.
Water is found at the bottom of the Steps where this stream once again gushes out of the mountain in the form of the fabled Jacks Spring. Note this spring is laced with PCB's and is not fit to drink
Once across the Juniata River and past the town of Mapleton, the hiker will be traveling into a gap that will take them into Scrub Run Valley and a steep climb back up Jacks Mountain. Scrub Run is aptly named, as it will often be running from dirty to muddy. The condition of the stream will depend on the amount of any recent rain, with the slightest run off stirring up the mud. If you carry a water filter you should be fine.
Singers Run 4.2 miles later will be your next opportunity to fill your water jugs. This water is a little better then Scrub Run, but also should be filtered.
The best and last water source on Jacks Mountain is Deeter Spring. The spring is 4.7 miles from Singers Run and 6.5 miles from the end of Jacks Mountain at Route 994. Deeter Spring is found to your right, shortly after you leave Rothrock State Forest and enter State Game Lands #99. This happens about 1 mile after you arrive at Butler Knob Road. There may still be an old metal sign which was hard to read, but may still alert you to the spring.
Hoopers Gap in SGL 99
Water's a long way down here
While taking that 6 mile valley walk between the town of Three Springs and the village of Meadow Gap, you will cross and follow Lick Run. You will also cross over the Aughwick Creek. Both suffer to some minor degree of farm and septic run off.
Blacklog Mountain has only one good water source, found almost 7 miles from the Aughwick Creek crossing between Blacklog Mountain and Gobblers Knob. This spring fed stream is about a ¼ mile before Ramsey Path.
The Little Aughwick Creek runs along the western side of the road on the way to Fort Littleton. It also flows on the north side of Route 522, and as stated before this stream suffers to some small degree of pollution.
Nine-mile Run should be potable once you are south of Vanderbilt’s Folly and the small pond which drains into the creek. This is the last source of water as the hiker starts to climb Cove Mountain.
Of course water is available in Cowans Gap State Park. Water can be obtain at both the picnic area and campgrounds.
NOTE: NONE OF THE ABOVE MENTION SPRINGS OR STREAMS HAVE BEEN TESTED TO SEE IF THEY ARE FIT FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION. IT IS BEST TO FILTER , BOIL OR CHEMICALLY TREAT ALL WATER BEFORE DRINKING. THE MAJORITY OF THESE SPRINGS AND STREAMS RUN THROUGHOUT THE SUMMER UNLESS HAMPERED BY A SEVERE DROUGHT .
The happy backpackers are prepared!
The KTA publishes a guide to the Link Trail (the trail has been renamed Standing Stone Trail but there are plenty of guide books left). This guide can be obtained by using this form.
MAPS of Standing Stone Trail can be downloaded from this site. Click Here!
Department of Conservation and Natural Resources
Bureau of Forestry
PO Box 8552
Harrisburg, PA 17105
717 783-7941
There is no charge for these maps.
NPF 1/8/2008