Old Logger's Path

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 Description: The Old Logger's Path is quickly  becoming one of the most popular backpacking venues in the Keystone State. This 28.8 mile long (Some references, including the State Forest map, has the distance at 27.3 miles.) Is composed mostly of old logging railroad grades and haul roads interconnected by strategically placed foot trails. It's official start and end is at the old ghost town of Masten. If you use that as a location you can use any of the on-line mapware programs to get you there. The highlights of the loop are the many vistas, Pleasant Stream, Yellow Dog Run and, most of all, Rock Run and the gorge it has carved through the rocks through the millenniums. There are campsites at most stream crossings but the best are along Pleasant Run and at the confluence of Yellow Dog Run and Rock Run. If you don't have the time to do the entire thing or just want something shorter use the old railroad grade that connects the east and west sections as a cross-connector. The northern loop is about 21 miles long. The southern loop is about 13 miles in length. Note: This connector can become overgrown in the summer and difficult to follow.

Google Custom Directions

Note: The trailhead is at the large brown and white  sign at the site of the old logging town.

Travel Note: As of the above revision date a 3 mile portion of Pleasant Stream Road is temporarily closed for repair. If approaching the trailhead from the west one has the option of parking just before the barricades near Short Run and walking back on the road a few yards to pick up the OLP on the south side of the road. If hiking clockwise you will be about 11.5 miles south of the Rock Run Campsite. There is another campsite on Doe Run if you want a shorter first day.

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Printable Downloadable Map

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View 3-D Map

Zipped National Geographic. TOPO! GPS and Universal GPX Files

GPS Text File for Non-TOPO! Users

  

Trail Notes: The entire trail is blazed orange with arrows noting change of directions. Watch out for these as the route constantly jumps from one grade to another and it's easy to walk by a footpath with obvious blazes if you are , shall we say, engaged in conversation or perhaps letting your mind wonder. It's easy to do here. Believe me. From the trailhead proceed east on Pleasant Stream Road. Cross the stream on a bridge. In 0.64 miles from the beginning turn right off of the road onto a footpath. Climb steeply for a short distance to the first of many railroad grades. Turn left onto the grade, traveling east still. In about 0.5 miles you'll turn right and climb to yet another grade. Turn right again, traveling west. The grade will slowly climb and curve around the mountain in a more south-easterly direction. Descend and cross an old woods road at 3.13 miles from first joining the grades at Pleasant Stream Road.

In another 0.14 miles cross a gravel road, jogging to the left a bit and proceeding down a driveway. Almost immediately the trail leaves the driveway to the right. Watch for the blazes. In 0.58 miles descend to the spur trail on the left for the Sproul Point vista.  After checking out the views continue your descent crossing gravel Cascade Road in 0.92 miles after the vista.

In another 1.28 miles the trail will cross a stream and bear left onto another railroad grade. There is a nice campsite here. Shortly after turning onto this grade turn right onto a footpath and begin a steady, long climb. In 0.8 miles reach another grade. Turn left onto it and follow it out to John Merrell Road and Sharp Point Vista. After taking in the views here proceed west on the road leaving it to the left in about 0.33 miles. Descend on a narrow piece of sidehill trail. The footing is tricky here and the slope to your left is very steep. In 0.27 miles cross the road and pick up another railroad grade. In 1.61 miles arrive at Pleasant Stream. There is a nice campsite before the ford and more on the other side. This is a good place to call it night.

After successfully crossing the stream find a campsite to the right. There is also a spur trail which I think leads to more sites. In a short distance climb up to another railroad grade. Going right will take you back to your car. Turn left here if completing the entire circuit. In 0.94 miles turn right off of the grade and arrive at Pleasant Stream Road. Turn left on the road, cross Long Run on a bridge and immediately turn right onto the continuation of the trail.

Here the trail picks up another grade and follows it up Long Run. The trail will leave the grade, as you descend to the run and climb up to the other side to another grade. The trail is blazed in both directions for some reason. Turn left here continuing upstream. In 1.18 miles from Pleasant Stream Road the grade meets the run. There is a small campsite here on and island. Cross the stream and turn downstream for just a few steps towards the camp to pick up the continuation of the trail on the other side. The trail continues upstream from here and soon comes to a large fern clearing. Turn left onto a footpath and climb steeply for 0.73 miles to the first of many vistas on Sullivan Mountain. This one isn't obvious. You have to slide between some mountain laurel to get to it. In another 0.61 miles there is an even grander vista and yet another in another 0.77 miles. In between there are other "partial" views. In 1.2 miles from the last vista turn right onto gravel Ellenton Road. Follow it for 0.33 miles and turn left onto another trail.

Follow a railroad grade for 1.61 miles to a nice campsite on Doe Run. Shortly after passing the camp the trail crosses the run and follows its northern bank westward for a while before turning northeast again. In 1.07 miles from Doe Run come to a blue blazed spur trail on the left. Follow it for a tremendous view of the Rock Run Drainage. Continue on the Old Logger Path. In 0.36 miles cross a gas line swath.. After this crossing the trail descends for 0.58 miles to yellow Dog Road. Bear right onto the road and follow it for 0.22 miles. Turn left onto a footpath that runs into another grade. Follow it for 1.48 miles to the confluence of Yellow Dog Run and Rock Run. There is a large campsite here but even more places for tents on the other side of Yellow Run. This has got to be one of the best places to camp in all of PA. Enjoy the falls, chutes, swimming holes and water-sculpted rocks.

The initial part of the grade appears to be constantly wet from a seep coming down from the hill. This only lasts for about 30 yards. Rock Run is very scenic but the trail leaves the streamside grade way too early. You might want to bushwhack further up the stream to visit some of what few have take the time to see. Climb steeply up a footpath to join another grade that is higher up the mountain. Eventually the trail will assume a very slight upward pitch but the climb up to it can be a bit challenging. In 4.25 miles from camp the trail will come out to what appears to be a frequently used logging road. Turn right onto it. In 0.15 miles turn left onto a footpath. Follow this a short distance to once again join Ellenton Road. Turn left here but when the road splits turn right onto another road. This is part of blue blazed Cherry Ridge Trail and is signed as such. Follow the road for 0.45 miles and turn left onto a footpath that quickly joins another railroad grade.  In 1.21 miles arrive at a nice but dry campsite. Shortly after this the trail crosses a seasonal stream and in 0.43 miles arrives at Pleasant Stream Road once again. Turn left here and in a few yards arrive back at your car.

Printable/Downloadable Trail Notes

Critique This Outing

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Name: Big Mo                                                                                                              Hike: Old loggers path
Date: 11/23-11/24/12                                                                                             Rating: 4

Critique: This is my second time hiking this trail. First time clockwise and this time counterclockwise from trailhead to rock run then back out. Some pointers for others. If you are looking at the trailhead sign left is clockwise and right is counterclockwise. If you are going counter clockwise its easy to miss the beginning of the trail there are 2 roads which split right at the trailhead and its not immediately clear where is the beginning. Only after going up a road a ways did we backtrack and find the post which says old loggers path and a sharp right arrow at which you basically have to head straight up the mountain.

Definitely wear quality waterproof boots because there is a lot of mud and water on the trail that is unavoidable. At some points boots were sinking in up to ankles where water naturally flows across the trail down the mountain and makes the ground really soft. Also were quite a few blown down trees to go around.

Saw a lot of hunters so be cautious and wear orange if possible.Didnt see any wildlife at all but some bear scat on the trail which was cool.

Overall this map and guide is very helpful. Seems that more and more people are hiking this trail. When we got to rock run saw someone camping there but there are plenty of other sites at rock run. Noticed a lot more trash on the trail than last time. Hikers using energy gels and bars and then just tossing it on the ground. Keep this place clean people there's not many spots left to find true wilderness and solitude and trash everywhere plus the oil drilling evidence are gonna ruin this place.

 

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Name: Greg Romano                                                                                                   Hike: Old Loggers Path
Date: 8/11/12 - 8/13/12                                                                                          Rating: 3

Critique: Pleasant Stream Road is still closed, so pay careful attention when following directions to the trailhead. We followed the custom Google directions and ended up having to re-route twice to find Masten.

The trail was overgrown in areas and in need of maintenance. Many blow downs and overgrown bushes slowed us down. The trail was so tight sometimes we could not see our feet. The trail notes are very accurate, you just need to pay attention to those orange blazes! We took the wrong path three different times.

This was my first time hiking in this area, so I can only compare the views with those in the Appalachians. And in my opinion, they were just ok.

We met quite a few people backpacking the loop as well. We had to share the campsites both nights, which wasn't a big deal, but if you are looking for solitude, this isn't the hike for you.

I was set on giving this hike a 1 rating, until we hit the Rock Run campsite. This was awesome. We had a blast climbing on the rocks, swimming and exploring all the rock formations. That campsite made the whole trip worth it. The water levels were low, but there was enough water to jump in and cool off.

All in all I doubt I head back to hike the whole loop again. I would probably just hike in to Rock Run and enjoy the campsite for a whole day.

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Name: Ed Duguid                                                                                                          Hike: Old Loggers Path
Date: 6/8/12-6/10/12                                                                                               Rating: 5

Critique: My wife and I really enjoyed this hike. We started at the trail head, and had some adventure getting across the river. In the beginning of the trail there were some thick spots, which could be wet from rainfall the night before. The campsites on the trail were nice, and beautiful scenery. One campsite was amazing with the waterfalls. We brought our dog with us, and she had a blast. The trail was marked well with orange. We packed too much stuff 50 lbs packs. Although we did a get a workout with going up hills. The trail notes are accurate and work well with the map.

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Name: Tom Tulenko                                                                                                      Hike: Old Loggers Path
Date: 8/05/11 - 8/07/11                                                                                            Rating: 5

Critique: Great hike as usual.  Pleasant stream road is still closed and it appears it may never re-open.  A new quarry has opened just above Masten with lots of truck activity and noise. Quarry noises could be heard almost all the way to confluence of Rock Run and Yellow Dog Run hiking counter clockwise from Masten.  Lots of evidence of bulldozer activity everywhere. Fresh bulldozer tracks on long abandoned logging roads and fresh swaths all over Sullivan mountain. Maybe a future gas well site? I hope not.  On the hike down from the top of Sullivan mountain on the way to long run, there is forest fire evidence with a new bull dozer fire road right over top of the trail.  Not so happy about the recent changes to the area but still one of my favorite back packs in PA.

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Name: Bob Handelsman                                                                                              Hike: Old Loggers Path
Date: June 7-10, 2010                                                                                                 Rating: 5

Critique: On June 7-10, a companion and I hiked the northern part of the OLP loop, counter clockwise from Masten to Pleasant Stream.


Pleasant Stream Road east from PA 14 was closed when we were there and appearances are that it will be closed for quite a while. (The closure is between Long Run and Masten.) To get to Masten, go north on PA 14 to Grover Road which is about 3 miles south of Canton. Go east about one block on Grover Road to Ellenton Mountain Road. Turn right and follow Ellenton Mountain Road about 6 miles into Ellenton. Make a right at the white Ellenton Church. Keep left at the fork in the road: a sign points to Masten.
The road is passable but go slow. We had an all day rain the day before we drove out and a sandy part of the road was difficult to navigate. But it was drivable with an ordinary automobile if one was careful.


There is a small parking area at Masten with signs. There is a fork in the road near the parking area. The trailhead to hike counter-clockwise is about 50 yards west on the right fork.


The trail is generally well blazed and arrows point to turns. Just pay attention to the blazes and arrows. If you are walking for 5-10 minutes without seeing any blazes, you have missed a turn.


The trail climbs about 500 feet in the first mile. I am 62 years old and managed it well (I have a regular and strenuous workout at home and take a martial arts class) with a number of stops to catch my breath. Thereafter, it is level or descends gradually to Yellow Dog Run. We made it from Masten to the Yellow Dog Run/Rock Run junction in 3 1/2 hours.


There are two very nice campsites right at the Rock Run/Yellow Dog Run junction. We saw at least one other campsite before getting to the junction but access to water appeared to be a problem. We took the campsite on the north bank of Yellow Dog Run. There is another campsite about 10 yards from the south bank which appeared to be almost as good as the site on the north bank. Yellow Dog Run is easy to cross under low water conditions.


The trail out of the junction ascends about 500-600 feet in about a mile. I managed it well with a number of stops to catch my breath. There is a 20 foot waterfall on Yellow Dog Run which is barely visible through the trees. Someone propped up a large branch at the spot where the waterfall can be glimpsed.


Up on the plateau, about 2 1/2 miles from the Yellow Dog Run/Rock Run junction, there is a short spur, marked by blue blazes, to a beautiful overlook. Watch for it as the view is amazing.


We intended to camp at Buck Run the second night but missed the turn off at Doe Run. (We made it from the Yellow Dog Run/Rock Run junction to Doe Run in 2 1/2 hours which included about a 20 minute stop at the overlook.) By the time we got ourselves back to the trail, we felt it was too late to go on to Buck Run and camped at Doe Run. There are 3 campsites at Doe Run. We took the first one approaching from the north which was a very good one. There is another campsite where the OLP crosses Doe Run which has room for only one tent and another site after one crosses Doe Run headed south. This latter site is very nice but one must walk a little farther for water.


A note about water. Before leaving, I called state forest personnel and was told that water levels were low. We found enough water in Doe Run near our campsite to fill a collapsible bucket but it appeared that that spot would dry up in a week or two. Unless you like carrying all of your water, camping dry or intend to camp only at Pleasant Stream and Rock Run (both of which appear to be perpetual streams), check with forest personnel about water conditions before you go. Despite what is written in Jeff Mitchell's book, "Backpacking Pennsylvania", about water along the OLP, there will not be much in dry seasons.
Of all the online and offline trip reports I have seen, only one, the Mitchell book, mentions a campsite at Buck Run. There is a campsite with a fire ring on the south side of Buck Run. There is a large grassy area next to the fire ring about the width of a residential city street which can accommodate several tents. However, there appeared to be less water in Buck Run than there was in Doe Run.


Because it was raining and very cloudy and foggy, we took the bypass around Sullivan Mountain. About several hundred yards past Buck Run, there is a yellow barrier on the left with a faded sign which says "Crandalltown Trail." We followed it for about 1/4 to 1/3 of a mile before we picked up the OLP again. Be careful and watch for it so you don't miss it.


Once you get back on the OLP, it picks up an old two-track which is UGLY. Once you leave the two track, you begin a steep descent to Long Run.


Long Run is a pretty stream. It has two channels where the OLP crosses it with a campsite between the two channels. The campsite has room for one or maybe two small tents. To find the OLP when it crosses Long Run, walk through the north end of the campsite. This can be problematic if someone is camping there: I would avoid camping there if possible because, to cross the Run, one must walk right through a campsite.


The OLP crosses to the west side of Long Run only once. It is easy to miss the turn off so watch for it. There is a nice campsite not shown on any maps on the east bank of Long Run where the OLP crosses it.


We made it from Doe Run to the Pleasant Stream crossing (with the Sullivan Mountain cutoff) in 4 hours in a continuous rain.
There are 3 campsites at Pleasant Stream. There is a nice one about 25 yards from Pleasant Stream when one approaches the Stream from the north. The one right on the Stream (when approaching from the north) is small and was flooded due to the all day rain. We crossed Pleasant Stream without removing our boots. A few yards downstream from the OLP, there is a tree with roots growing over the Stream. You can use the roots as a ladder to go down and cross the first channel of the Stream. To cross the main channel, use the series of rocks which some considerate people have placed in the channel. Just be careful as they can be slippery.


There is a very nice campsite about 20 yards south of Pleasant Stream which we used.
The next day, we crossed Pleasant Stream again, hiked up the embankment (very steep about 40 yards) and took Pleasant Stream Road back to our car, an hour's walk about 3 miles.


Definitely recommend this hike. If you do it during the week, you will probably find far fewer people than on week ends.

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Name: Tim C                                                                                                                  Hike: Old Loggers Path
Date: 5/28/10 - 5/30/10                                                                                           Rating: 4

Critique: Great hike; clockwise is the way to go! First day was heavy rain, but on the plus side all the creeks were running. No problems finding water at all. Rock run is amazing.

Warning: 5/28/10 Pleasant Stream Road is CLOSED 2.3 miles west of Masten. Looks like the cliffside road is giving way. Had to park at the barrier and hike the extra miles to the trailhead. Recommend approaching from East if you're heading to Masten.

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Name: Big Dog David                                                                                                   Hike: Old Loggers Path-13 Mile Loop
Date: 5/24/10                                                                                                              Rating: 4

Critique: I started at the parking area in Masten, crossed the bridge & did the southern loop. Problem is that once I got to the place to take the old RR grade across to the parking area to complete the loop - it really wasn't there. I turned right on the RR grade & started heading to my car. About 200 yds up there's a well worn foot path & the old RR grade just kinda disappears ahead. Well I took the path well traveled (left) & it took me back to the dirt road - the closed one. I took a right & followed that back to the parking area - about a 60 minute road hike. About 3/4 of the way back I ran into the ranger & asked him if he knew of a "foot path" instead of having to hike the road back - he didn't. Overall a good hike. Quite easy. I did the whole thing in about 6 hrs & that was stopping for vista's, stream crossing & of course lunch!

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Name: John                                                                                                                    Hike: Old Loggers Path
Date: 5-7; 5-8 2010                                                                                                      Rating: 4

Critique: Just a few things to add to the trail notes.

1) You can do this trip over two long days, which is what I did, heading clockwise from the western point where the trail intersects with Pleasant Stream Road (opposite of Masten). 12.26 miles the first day to a campsite where the trail meets the sharp-shinnd cross country ski loop (blue blaze) along a small unnamed run. Not as nice as sites on Yellow and Rock Runs, but still good. Day two was 15.05 miles back to my car along Pleasant Run.

2) Pleasant Run Road is closed before you get to Masten coming from the west, which is why I started where I did. To park where I did, cross the OLP and small bridge and then turn right, following the orange blazes, and there are parking spots by the stream. This is not a marked parking spot on the DCNR map but it should be.

3) The map on this site is possibly better than the DCNR one, but you can get the DCNR map for free by calling the Loyalsock State Forest Office and they will send it to you if want.

4) The trail is not marked very well at crucial intersections.

5) No campfires were permitted when I did this hike in early May. It seems they are prohibited from March-May, so leave the fire starter at home if you hike then.

6) Once you complete the loop, you can buy an Old Loggers Path patch from the Keystone Trails Association website to flaunt your success.

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Name: Steve (hikingff77)                                                                                           Hike: Old Loggers Path
Date: 12/05-12/06/09                                                                                               Rating: 5

Critique: We started out at the SGL gate just north of Masten on Ellentown Road and hiking counterclockwise on the OLP. Very beautiful area with lots of water in the creeks and streams. For the most part I felt as though we were hiking downhill on a nice grade. The trail was wide for the most part and it did have plenty of boggy and muddy sections. Saw a few hunters and there was another group backpacking, never saw them on the trail, just at the TH. Lots of downed trees in the woods and some blowdowns across the trail. Nothing we couldn't navigate.

Got cold, 15* at one point in the night. Thank god for down.

We hiked out to the Jeep road and then took that to the Ellentown Road and road walked it back to the car. The road walking sucked but it was snow covered and the only way we could make a loop out of it for the short time we had.

All in all an awesome place. We'll def. go back in the summer to play in the creeks.

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Name: paknees                                                                                                             Hike: Old Loggers Path
Date: 5.4.08-5.7.08                                                                                                      Rating: 5

Critique: I loved this hike! first week of may was a great time to go, although there tons of bugs flying around. Went clockwise from Masten, and spent the first night at the Pleasant Run campsite. Day two was great and we spent the night at Rock Run where I took a dip in the cool water and than thawed out on a rock in the middle of the stream. I must say I had two of the most peaceful nights ever in the wilderness at both these sites. Must of been the sound of the water. Sounds like this place dries up in the summer but late spring there was water everywhere. day three was pretty sweet. We trail ran the final 6.5 miles or so and than splashed around in Pleasant Stream before heading back to Leheigh valley. Perfect hike!

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Name: MDRaven                                                                                                            Hike: Old Logger's Path
Date: 06-13 to 15-2008                                                                                               Rating: 4.5

Critique: We tackled this loop going clockwise from Masten. I'm convinced it may be a little easier to do this counterclockwise, but I'm still glad we did it the way we did, using Pleasant Stream as the first night campsite and Rock Run as the second. The scenery exceeded my expectations. The vistas were outstanding, accompanied by the blooming mountain laurel. Rock Run was spectacular. I could see where later in the summer this trail could get very dry. Other than Rock Run and Pleasant Stream, there wasn't much water flow. I thought the trail was very well-marked and easy to follow. The Trail Notes posted on this site were excellent. We saw a very large Scout group on the trail, but few others, even at Rock Run on Saturday night. Overall, I was impressed with The Logs and will consider doing it again someday.

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Name: Bob                                                                                                                     Hike: Old Logger's Path
Date: 9/14 - 9/17/07                                                                                                 Rating: 4

Critique: We hiked this trail east out of Masten and did the southern section first, as the trail guide is written.  (If you go the other way, there is a pretty large campsite within the first 200 yards of the trail.)  The first scenic overlook is a short detour, but worth the side trip and a good place for a break.  We hiked a little over 8 miles on day 1 and found only a dry/stagnate creek bed.  Day 2 started with a short hike to Pleasant Stream for water.  The campsite here is really nice.  We hiked about 10 more miles without finding any more water.  The views from the mountain were great, and deer in the area were comfortable with us around.  Day 3 started with about 1.5 miles to the Yellow Run swimming hole.  This was beautiful, but it was about 45 degrees outside, and too cold to swim.

General thoughts:  Arrive with plenty of water and be prepared to carry a day's worth, plus cooking.  Water was only available in two places, and they're about day's hike apart.  We crossed what appeared to be several dry creek beds, so maybe it was just unusually dry.  The trail is very well marked, but there a few railroad grades where the trail quickly heads back into the woods.  Pay attention.  I know we missed one, and another hiker got caught doing a loop - twice, because he missed a turn marker.  The campsites are nice and pretty well spaced.  Some are quite large, others are for one tent only.  Wear long pants, as much of the trail has high grass and other scratch-inducing foliage.  All in all, this is a great hike with frequent terrain changes and enough scenery changes that it never gets boring.  I can see why this trail is recommended for a beginner backpacker, but also why experienced backpackers return to it.

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Name: Kyle Henson                                                                                                   Hike: Old Loggers Path - North Section
Date: 7/25-7/26                                                                                                        Rating: 3

Critique: We were planning on hiking the Northern section 21 miles over three days.  We did it in 2.  We started at the trailhead and hiked north.  The first day was 8 miles, 1.5 of which were wrong turns that took us back to our car ha-ha.  Hiking north the trail was pretty boring I thought. We saw one chunky timber rattler soaking up the afternoon sun on the trail and I almost stepped on it.  There was zero water until camp both days on this hike.  The swimming hole at Yellow Dog Run and Rock Run was absolutely gorgeous and COLD! Too cold for extended swims, but refreshing nonetheless.  That was our only water until we reached Pleasant Stream, which was very low also.  We had dinner there at about 5:30 and decided to move on and finish the hike.  Our plan was to hike across the middle following the supposedly blue-blazed railroad grade along Pleasant Stream.  We decided to start at 6:30 with hopes of doing a little night hiking.  We searched until 8:30 for a blue-blazed trail, bushwhacking through the woods about 2 miles.  We searched and searched and searched for a clean trail or any hint of one along that railroad grade but each time we ended up bushwhacking back to Pleasant Stream Rd.  We eventually found one blue blaze so we knew we were on the right path...but there was no way one could hike through that at night.  It would have been a lot of bushwhacking.  We ended up hiking back to the car along Pleasant Stream Rd, drove to Williamsport and stayed at Econolodge for night 2.  It was a nice hike, but not one of my favorites.  The highlight was definitely Yellow Run campsite.  I will do it again but will do the entire loop and hope for better views and better water. I do not recommend hiking the phantom blue-blaze trail through the middle.  Thanks MRHyker for the great maps and description.  A good hike for beginners.

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Name: T Mainzer                                                                                                        Hike: Old Loggers Path
Date: 05/12-15/2007                                                                                               Rating: 4

Critique: I hiked this trail solo, leaving WEST from Masten.  These Trail Notes are thorough and accurate; and the included map is better than that available from Pennsylvania DCNR.  This hike is a great first backpack in late April through May, and September.  Summers in central PA are usually HAZY/HOT/HUMID, and you'll want to wear long pants to avoid NETTLES in open areas through considerable parts of this hike after early June.  Thoroughly enjoyable!

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