Old Loggers Path

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The Old Loggers Path (OLP) is a 28-mile loop hike located in Pennsylvania’s Loyalsock State Forest. It contains waterfalls, river crossings, mini-canyons, shelters, and features plenty of campsites and overlooks. With a light pack and an early enough start, you can probably complete this in a day. I would suggest taking a few days to enjoy all this trail has to offer.

Part 1: Quick Overview

Part 2: Trip Report

Night 1: July 29th, 2022 (Masten Parking Area to stealth site, 3.7 miles, 614 ft elevation gain)

You read that correctly. I did indeed start this hike at night. Due to some unforeseen circumstances. I left Northern Virginia around 16:00 on a Friday. I did not arrive at the trailhead until around 21:30. My original plan was to camp at Masten near the trailhead, but due to the length of the trail and the amount of time I had to complete it, I decided to knock out a few miles on the first night. After getting my gear together, I hit the trail around 22:00. The weather was cool, and the sky was peppered with stars shining bright silver. Night hiking is always a little uncanny, and I only ever do it if I am trying to get somewhere quickly. For example, when I hiked the Knobstone Trail, I once packed up my camp and night hiked the 15 remaining miles in the dark to the trailhead because I was so sick of that trail. That is a story for another time, though.

I don’t have much to say about this section of the OLP. It was too dark to see anything; the trail was pretty flat with a gentle incline. After 4 miles, I found a backcountry campsite right before Hillsgrove Road. There were no other tents near me, so I set up mine, used my new Bivy Stick to tell my wife I was safe, and I passed out around 00:30.

Day 1: July 30th, 2022 (stealth site to Doe Run Shelter, 13 miles, 1,955 ft elevation gain)

My alarm went off at 06:00, which was a bold choice, seeing as I went to bed after midnight. My body was not ready to wake up yet, so I reset it for 0700. When it went off again, I stayed awake this time. Emerging from my tent, the sunlight was a welcome friend after hiking in the darkness. I packed my gear, ate a quick breakfast, and set off.

A mile and a half down the trail was a really nice Adirondack-style Sprout Point Shelter. I cursed myself for not researching, as that would have been a much better place to camp, and it was empty. I took a short break to admire the nearby Sprout Point vista and continued. Finally, around mile 6, I ran into the first hikers I had seen on the trip. I thought this was a popular trail, and was very surprised I did not run into anyone yet, as the lot at the trailhead was pretty full. The OLP was mostly flat for the next few miles through dense forest. The first real climb came around mile 8, which led to the Sharp Top vista. There was a perfectly placed picnic bench right near the view, so I took my shoes off and had a nice lunch. The hikers I passed earlier made it to the vista as well. We chatted for a few minutes. They were from the Baltimore area and were also doing the Old Loggers Path Loop. Eventually, they went on their way, and I enjoyed the rest of my lunch.

From Sharp Top, I descended back into the forest, and a few miles later, I made it to Pleasant Stream, the first water source of my hike. More accurately, I passed dozens of small streambeds before Pleasant Stream, but they were all bone-dry (more on that in the water section under part 3). During wetter months, I read that Pleasant stream was a fairly deep and sometimes dangerous river crossing. While I was resting, the deepest it got was to my ankles, and I could rock-hop across. I guess it had been a really dry summer after all. I chugged a few liters of water, filtered some more to carry, and followed the orange blazes back into the forest.

Not long after that, I passed the second water source at Long Run stream, I crossed that river, and spent the next 3 miles going up to Sullivan Mountain. Admiring the views from the outcropping, I took a second lunch break, and once again was passed by the Baltimore hikers. At this point, it was around 1400, and I knew I didn’t want to go too much further. The Doe Run shelter was only 2 miles ahead, and the only hikers I passed were the previously mentioned ones, so if I arrived at the shelter early enough, I would not have a problem nabbing a spot.

A quick two miles later, and I made it, and the shelter was empty. It was only 15:00, which was early for me to stop, but I had gone over 13 miles. Plus, I would rather stay at the shelter and not have to set up a tent. I spent the next six hours creating a small fire, listening to music, stretching, and massaging my feet and calves with a cork ball (definitely recommend). Only a few hikers passed by the rest of the day, and when day turned to night, I still had the place all to myself.

Day 2: July 31st, 2022 (Doe Run Shelter to Masten Parking Lot, 10.1 miles, 1,161 ft elevation gain)

When I woke up, I was still the only one in the shelter. Because I did not have to take down my tent, I was able to get ready much quicker than usual, and I was out of camp by 06:30.

I passed a few more tents less than a mile down and continued through another flat section. The OLP eventually intersects with Yellow Dog Road and Yellow Dog Stream. The trail follows this stream downhill for the next few miles until it intersects with Rock Run. This, in my opinion, is the highlight of the trip. Rock Run was a stunning miniature canyon containing waterfalls, deep swimming holes with water as clear as glass. When I arrived, the crisp early morning air persisted, not giving way to the humid summer day quite yet. If it were warmer, I would have taken a dip. Neighboring the canyon were a few tent spots. I enjoyed a short break at the gorge, noting the large fish that swam in the stream. After a little while, I started rehydrating for the final 7 miles of my hike.

The last section was mostly uphill. The OLP followed the path of Rock Run, and I gradually went higher and higher until the echoes of rushing water gave way to the sounds of the forest. Once I arrived at Krimm Road, I followed that until the trail crossed back into the forest for the final 2-mile descent back into Masten, and to Ol’ Silver, faithfully waiting where I parked her.

Part 3: Important Details

Logistics:

The OLP is a loop, so you will begin at the same point that you end. There is a good-sized parking lot at the ghost town of Masten (I counted at least another 6 cars with room to spare). The lot also has two portable toilets, and it is right near the trailhead. To get there. You will have to drive over 8 miles of narrow, gravel, forest roads. Make sure to download the area to your GPS because I had no reception on those roads. I also would suggest taking a higher clearance vehicle because my Mazda 3 sedan felt every bit of those rocks its tires kicked up.

Camping/Permits/Fees:

This path may have had the most backcountry campsites I have seen on a trail. There are great backcountry campsites with fire rings every few miles. If you are a fan of Adirondack-style shelters, the Sprout Point Shelter is located shortly off trail around mile 5.5, and the Doe Run Shelter is around mile 18. They are extremely clean and well-maintained.

Permits are not required to hike the OLP.

Author’s Note: On the OLP, shelters are first-come, first-served and can’t be reserved in advance.

Navigation:

The OLP is well-marked with orange blazes. You can get the map and guide here. For my hike, I used a GPX file from Alltrails and loaded it into my Garmin fēnix 5x to navigate.

Water:

As stated in the trip report. The summer of 2022 has been dry in northern Pennsylvania, and thus, most of the small streambeds (there were dozens along most parts of the trail) I passed were completely dry. I have read trip reports of others where there was no issue getting water. For me, the only reliable sources of water I observed were Pleasant Stream around mile 10, Long Run around mile 12, and Rock Run around mile 21. Rock Run was especially cool because it was like a miniature gorge, which contained actual swimming holes and fairly large fish. If it were warmer, I definitely would have taken a dip.

Wildlife/Insect Pressure:

I was expecting the bugs to be bad, but they weren’t an issue. Even when I slept in the shelter, I didn’t get bothered too much. The weather dropped to 50 degrees Fahrenheit at night, so that probably kept the bugs away. I also treated my clothing with permethrin, and did not see a single tick the entire trip.

The OLP is known for rattlesnakes. Throughout my research, I consistently read that the rock outcroppings on Sharp Top and Sullivan Mountain were a hotbed for them, especially in summer. I had warm, sunny days, but I did not see or hear any on either outcropping.

Remoteness/Solitude:

The OLP is in the middle of nowhere. It is very remote, and I had this trail mostly to myself. Additionally, I did not have hardley any phone service, and was glad to have my satellite communicator.

Hazards/Environmental Concerns:

Most of this trail is in the forest with plenty of tree cover. I had clear, warm weather with plenty of sunshine (and no sunscreen), and I did not get burned.

Difficulty:

Overall, this hike is pretty easy. Most of the pathways were flat because they were railroad grades and logging roads. Aside from a few very short, steep moments (I’m looking at you, climb to the sharp point), the OLP was one of the easier weekend hikes I have completed. This would be a perfect hike for beginner backpackers looking to do a shakedown.

Last Word

If you are just getting into backpacking, this would be a great shakedown hike. The grades are gentle, and the inclines you do face are limited. It does not have some of the best highlights of other hikes I have done, but Rock Run was really cool, and something not often seen in the green tunnel of the Appalachian Mountains.

Plus, you might get lucky and see an incredible Pennsylvania sunset.

Thank you again for reading. If you have any suggestions, comments, or questions, please reach out. You can also check out my other adventures here.

Keep on trekking!!!