Standing Stone Trail
Encyclopedia
The Standing Stone Trail (SST) is a 72 miles (115.9 km) long main trail
network with side trails located in the Ridge-and-valley Appalachians
of Central Pennsylvania
. The SST was known as the Link Trail, commemorating its connection from the Mid State Trail to the Tuscarora Trail
, until its name was changed in January 2007. In 2006, the SST (then the Link Trail) was announced as part of the Great Eastern Trail
network of footpaths intended to extend from Alabama
to New York
.
The northern terminus of the trail is at Greenwood Furnace State Park
near McAlevys Fort, Pennsylvania. The southern end is a junction with Tuscarora Trail in Buchanan State Forest
near Cowans Gap State Park
. The SST uses both public (state park, state forest, state game land) and private lands.
The Standing Stone Trail has many views offered by its placement on narrow ridges, and interesting cultural remnants such as Thousand Steps near Mapleton, Pennsylvania
.
. Blue blazes are used to mark other trails. The club marks the trail with single rectangles and two rectangles to denote turns.
, bobcat
s and rattlesnake
s can present dangers, it is only if you are foolish or very unlucky. When bears and people cross paths in the wild, usually the bear just wishes to leave the area. Very rarely will a bear act hostile towards people; the American Black Bear article contains good information on how to handle those atypical situations.
The common rattlesnake of Pennsylvania, the Timber Rattler (Crotalus horridus horridus)
, has venom of a medium potency that can cause painful injuries but is rarely lethal. Administering proper first aid, keeping calm and quickly receiving medical attention is the best response to a bite.
Trail
A trail is a path with a rough beaten or dirt/stone surface used for travel. Trails may be for use only by walkers and in some places are the main access route to remote settlements...
network with side trails located in the Ridge-and-valley Appalachians
Ridge-and-valley Appalachians
The Ridge-and-Valley Appalachians, also called the Ridge and Valley Province or the Valley and Ridge Appalachians, are a physiographic province of the larger Appalachian division and are also a belt within the Appalachian Mountains extending from southeastern New York through northwestern New...
of Central Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
. The SST was known as the Link Trail, commemorating its connection from the Mid State Trail to the Tuscarora Trail
Tuscarora Trail
The Tuscarora Trail is a long-distance hiking trail that is under development. It splits off from the Appalachian Trail in Shenandoah National Park in Virginia, passes through West Virginia and Maryland, then rejoins the Appalachian Trail near Marysville, Pennsylvania...
, until its name was changed in January 2007. In 2006, the SST (then the Link Trail) was announced as part of the Great Eastern Trail
Great Eastern Trail
The Great Eastern Trail project began as an attempt to create a second long hiking route through the Appalachians west of the Appalachian Trail in the eastern United States...
network of footpaths intended to extend from Alabama
Alabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
to New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
.
The northern terminus of the trail is at Greenwood Furnace State Park
Greenwood Furnace State Park
Greenwood Furnace State Park is a Pennsylvania state park in Jackson Township, Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania in the United States. The park is near the historic iron making center of Greenwood Furnace. The park includes the ghost town of Greenwood that grew up around the ironworks, old roads and...
near McAlevys Fort, Pennsylvania. The southern end is a junction with Tuscarora Trail in Buchanan State Forest
Buchanan State Forest
Buchanan State Forest is a Pennsylvania State Forest in Pennsylvania Bureau of Forestry District #2. The main office is located in McConnellsburg in Fulton County, Pennsylvania, in the United States...
near Cowans Gap State Park
Cowans Gap State Park
Cowans Gap State Park is a Pennsylvania state park in Todd Township, Fulton County and Metal Township, Franklin County, Pennsylvania in the United States. The park is largely surrounded by Buchanan State Forest in Allens Valley just off Pennsylvania Route 75 near Fort Loudon.-French and Indian...
. The SST uses both public (state park, state forest, state game land) and private lands.
The Standing Stone Trail has many views offered by its placement on narrow ridges, and interesting cultural remnants such as Thousand Steps near Mapleton, Pennsylvania
Mapleton, Pennsylvania
Mapleton is a borough in Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 473 at the 2000 census.-History:The H.O. Andrews Feed Mill was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1990.-Geography:...
.
Marking
The main trail is marked with rectangular orange blazesTrail blazing
Trail blazing, or trailblazing, is the practice of marking paths in outdoor recreational areas with blazes, markings that follow each other at certain — though not necessarily exactly defined — distances and mark the direction of the trail...
. Blue blazes are used to mark other trails. The club marks the trail with single rectangles and two rectangles to denote turns.
Hazards
While black bearsAmerican black bear
The American black bear is a medium-sized bear native to North America. It is the continent's smallest and most common bear species. Black bears are omnivores, with their diets varying greatly depending on season and location. They typically live in largely forested areas, but do leave forests in...
, bobcat
Bobcat
The bobcat is a North American mammal of the cat family Felidae, appearing during the Irvingtonian stage of around 1.8 million years ago . With twelve recognized subspecies, it ranges from southern Canada to northern Mexico, including most of the continental United States...
s and rattlesnake
Rattlesnake
Rattlesnakes are a group of venomous snakes of the genera Crotalus and Sistrurus of the subfamily Crotalinae . There are 32 known species of rattlesnake, with between 65-70 subspecies, all native to the Americas, ranging from southern Alberta and southern British Columbia in Canada to Central...
s can present dangers, it is only if you are foolish or very unlucky. When bears and people cross paths in the wild, usually the bear just wishes to leave the area. Very rarely will a bear act hostile towards people; the American Black Bear article contains good information on how to handle those atypical situations.
The common rattlesnake of Pennsylvania, the Timber Rattler (Crotalus horridus horridus)
Crotalus horridus
Crotalus horridus, the timber rattlesnake, is a species of venomous pitviper found in the eastern United States. This is the only rattlesnake species in most of the populous northeastern United States. No subspecies are currently recognized....
, has venom of a medium potency that can cause painful injuries but is rarely lethal. Administering proper first aid, keeping calm and quickly receiving medical attention is the best response to a bite.
See also
- Rothrock State ForestRothrock State ForestRothrock State Forest is a Pennsylvania state forest in Pennsylvania Bureau of Forestry District #5. The main offices are located in Huntingdon in Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania in the United States....
- Buchanan State Forest
- Pennsylvania State Gamelands
- Great Eastern TrailGreat Eastern TrailThe Great Eastern Trail project began as an attempt to create a second long hiking route through the Appalachians west of the Appalachian Trail in the eastern United States...