Four Weekend Hikes to Complete the STS
FOUR WEEKENDERS TO COMPLETE THE STS
The four hikes below are designed for “long weekend” hikes of three days each.
Backpackers who complete these hikes and submit their trail logs to the STC circuit hike committee.
will receive the coveted Circuit Hiker Certificate, patch, and wallet card!
SOUTH QUAD HIKE
Ole Bull State Park to Cross Fork, STS miles 26-49. (23 mile hike)
Day One: Drive to Cross Fork, PA. Park in forestry maintenance building parking lot.
Take pre-arranged shuttle about nine miles on Route 144 to Ole Bull State Park.
Hike about 5 miles to Spook Hollow Shelter to camp for the night.
Day Two: Hike about 12 miles to the Scoval Branch Shelter to camp for the night.
Day Three: Hike about 6 miles to Cross Fork to complete your hike and drive home.
This great hike utilizes two trail shelters, so small groups can do it without carrying tents.
Note that the 9’x12’ shelters sleep a maximum of six people.
WEST QUAD HIKE
Patterson State Park to Cross Fork, STS miles 77-49. (28 mile hike)
Day One: Drive to Cross Fork, PA. Park in forestry maintenance building parking lot.
Take pre-arranged shuttle to Patterson SP, maybe 20 miles north on Rts. 144 and 44.
Hike 8.5 miles to Wild Boy Shelter to camp for the night. (Best shelter site on the STS).
Day Two: You get a choice:
Take a short, easy day’s hike to Gravel Lick Shelter, about 7.5 miles – OR
Hike to the great Hammersley Pool, about 13.5 miles. Need tent to camp here.
Day Three: Short hike back to Cross Fork, about 6 miles, if you camped at the pool.
Have lunch (and a cold beer?) at Deb’s Restaurant in Cross Fork before driving home.
OR – Longer hike of about 12 miles if you camped at Gravel Lick Shelter and took
your lunch break at the pool. You’ll get home later, but by using two trail shelters,
you avoided having to carry a tent.
NORTH QUAD HIKE
Patterson State Park to Patterson State Park, STS miles 77-11 (25 mile loop)
Day One: Drive to Patterson State Park. Hike to 3.3 miles to great stream-side campsite.
Day Two: Hike 4 miles, up Denton Hill to STS mile zero, and then hike down the other side,
about 11 miles to the historic CCC Dynamite Magazine shelter. You have carried your
tent anyway, for night one, and you may want to use it here as well. The refurbished
“D-Mag” will sleep a few people, and there’s a nice fire ring and campsite here, but the
accommodations are not like those at our Adirondack-style shelters.
Day Three: Go out to West Branch Road, turn right, go about half a mile to a camp at
1131 West Branch Road, and turn right onto the West Branch Trail back to the
STS and from there seven-tenths mile back to Patterson State Park – about 7 miles total.
You could eliminate the Day Three hike if you either left a car at the STS/West Branch Rd.
intersection, or parked there and got a shuttle to Patterson SP on day one.
EAST QUAD HIKE
West Branch Rd. to Ole Bull State Park, STS miles 11-26 (15 miles)
Day One: Drive to and park at Ole Bull State Park. Get shuttled about 15 miles to West Branch Rd.
Hike about 3 miles to the Cherry Springs Fire Tower and then
another mile down the hill from there to a nice campsite along Hogback Run.
Day Two: A very short hike of about 4 miles will take you to a great campsite along Bolich Run.
The STC hopes to erect a new trail shelter here in 2020.
Day Three: Hiking about 8 miles, STS miles 18-26, will get you back to your car at OBSP.