Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - July/August 2020 - 55

The Cedar Run steel truss railroad bridge provides a stunning
landmark on the Pine Creek Rail Trail.

The Pine Creek Rail Trail is perhaps the real draw yearround for many visitors to Pine Creek. It follows the old
railroad bed constructed by the Jersey Shore, Pine Creek,
and Buffalo Railway in 1883. The 8- to 12-foot wide trail is
constructed of fine-packed limestone gravel and slices its way
through pristine farmlands, wilderness areas, and suburban
neighborhoods. It is never difficult riding with a less than 2%
grade over the entire trail.
The Pine Creek Rail Trail is an award-winning destination.
The all-purpose path travels along Pine Creek for most of its
62 miles, from near Wellsboro, Tioga County, on the northern
end, to Jersey Shore, Lycoming County, on the southern end.
Comfort stations (pit toilets) and access areas (parking lots) are
spaced along the trail. Primitive campgrounds can be accessed
directly off the trail by securing a no-cost Pennsylvania
Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (PA
DCNR) camping permit. The trail gives riders and walkers
an up-front view of nationally-designated natural landmark
areas. The only way to see the Pine Creek Gorge at creek level
is to ride or walk the trail, which travels through mature forests

and along mountain-fed streams and seasonal waterfalls. Most
of the path is shaded and is usually not crowded with visitors.
Often, a trail visitor is alone in nature for miles on end. Wildlife
is commonly seen along the trail.
For visitors who enjoy history, this area brings a strong
chronicle of local folklore. From the memoirs of frontiersman
Philip Tome who recounted his tales of hunting the area
accompanied by Chief Cornplanter and his braves to the
"Forest Runes" of author George Washington Sears, otherwise
known as Nessmuk, the whispers of the area's past are
almost audible. Imagine the area's rich logging history and
the locomotives that hissed and rumbled along the very
path the trail follows. Signs of the trail's railroad history are
visible. Think of the harsh lives of the settlers of this area
who struggled to make a living in the sparsely-populated and
isolated Pine Creek Valley.
There are still only a handful of towns along the trail and few
community services along the way. A few general stores, an inn
or two, ice cream stores, and delis dot the trail. This is "carry in
carry out" territory. Come prepared.
The first 8 miles of the trail from the northern terminus at
Stokesdale Junction follow the east-west wetlands along Marsh
Creek, not far from Route 6. The trail passes through a wide
valley and has a distinct look and feel, compared to the rest of
the trail. It is open space with little shade. But, it is a birder's
paradise and is part of a designated "Important Bird Area".
At the Marsh Creek Access Area (Mile 7.3), the trail passes
underneath Route 6 as it turns south and starts through the
Pine Creek Gorge, a 16-mile isolated segment that is designated
a National Natural Landmark Area. The Darling Run Access
Area, at the northern end of the Pine Creek Gorge (Mile 8.9),
falls within the Keystone Select section, where trophy trout are
stocked. Further south, two state parks rest on the rim of the
gorge and riders can look up and pick out the overlooks at each
park. Colton Point State Park is on the west side of the gorge.
Leonard Harrison State Park is on the east side. At Mile 12,
riders on the trail arrive at the Turkey Path, a 1 mile footpath
that traverses the wall of the canyon between Leonard Harrison

An angler fishing the trophy trout section of Pine Creek.
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Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - July/August 2020

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