Patrick
I live in Pittsburgh, PA, and some friends and I want to go camping over spring break (second week of March). Where are some places within 4 hours from Pittsburgh that offer free or cheap camping? We don't want a modern campsite with electricity or shelter, we really want to get in touch with nature. We want a camp site this is secluded and quiet and not near any noisy roads. All we want is a camp site that is a basic camp site that allows camping in mid-March.
Answer
I've lived in Pittsburgh for more than 40 years and backpacked in the region for most of that time. Mountain Man's suggestion of Allegheny National Forest is good -- there are some nice trails up there including Minister Creek and the North Country Trail.
But for a more wilderness feel and natural beauty, I prefer heading south to the Monongahela National Forest in West Virginia. It is a beautiful rugged area and less crowded since it is farther from major cities. In some places it almost feels like you are in Switzerland. You can pick up a hiking guide to the area at most local bookstores or outdoor shops (i am sure REI carries it). It takes about 4 hours to get to most of the trails from where I live, in the east suburbs of Pittsburgh. Here is a site that lists the trails with information on them.
http://www.fs.usda.gov/activity/mnf/recreation/hiking/?recid=6979&actid=51
The site is good for basic information but you should really have both a trail guide book and topo maps and know how to use them as many of the trails are hard to pick out without this information. We tried an early winter hike on the NOrth Country Trail some years ago right after it opened and ended up hiking in heavy snow. It turned out they had decided to use WHITE paint for the trail marking blazes and we could not see them with all the snow coating the tree trunks, We lost the trail and had to fan out and brush off the trunks until we found blazes! Be sure and tell somebody where you are going and when to expect you back. There will be few people on the trails then and the Forest Service tourist centers may still be closed so you will be on your own if you run into troubles. Don't count on cell phone coverage up there -- both regions have a lot of blank spots on the carrier maps,
My favortte backcountry trails there are Spruce Knob, Dolly Sods, Otter Creek, North Fork, Red Creek, the Roaring Plains and Cranberry Backcountry. I will warn you that this year in mid-March you are probably going to encounter snow in the higher elevations and shaded valleys both in West Virginia and north in the Allegheny Forest. If you do intend to hike in Monongahela, you might want to call the folks at the Gendarme shop at Seneca Rocks to find out what conditions are like before you go. The Gendarme is a nice little shop for climbing and outdoor gear (similar to Exkursion that unfortunately just closed here in Monroeville). You might need snow shoes or cross country skis if the snow is deep. Winter stays long up at those elevations. I have been on early Spring trips down there where we postholed through 3' deep mashed potatoes snow for miles -- quite exhausting.
Be sure if you go to either National Forest that you boil, filter or chemically treat any drinking water you find. Both areas are full of beaver which carry giardia, a nasty parasitic infection that will give you terrible diarrhea and cramps.
Anyway, you will probably have a great trip, just be prepared for a bit of winter.
Incidentally, Pittsburgh has an excellent outdoor club, the Explorer's Club of Pittsburgh. Their monthly meeting is tomorrow night if you are interested in checking them out. Great resource for hiking trips and they have both rental gear and a library of hiking guides. I've been a member since 1972,
http://www.pittecp,org
I've lived in Pittsburgh for more than 40 years and backpacked in the region for most of that time. Mountain Man's suggestion of Allegheny National Forest is good -- there are some nice trails up there including Minister Creek and the North Country Trail.
But for a more wilderness feel and natural beauty, I prefer heading south to the Monongahela National Forest in West Virginia. It is a beautiful rugged area and less crowded since it is farther from major cities. In some places it almost feels like you are in Switzerland. You can pick up a hiking guide to the area at most local bookstores or outdoor shops (i am sure REI carries it). It takes about 4 hours to get to most of the trails from where I live, in the east suburbs of Pittsburgh. Here is a site that lists the trails with information on them.
http://www.fs.usda.gov/activity/mnf/recreation/hiking/?recid=6979&actid=51
The site is good for basic information but you should really have both a trail guide book and topo maps and know how to use them as many of the trails are hard to pick out without this information. We tried an early winter hike on the NOrth Country Trail some years ago right after it opened and ended up hiking in heavy snow. It turned out they had decided to use WHITE paint for the trail marking blazes and we could not see them with all the snow coating the tree trunks, We lost the trail and had to fan out and brush off the trunks until we found blazes! Be sure and tell somebody where you are going and when to expect you back. There will be few people on the trails then and the Forest Service tourist centers may still be closed so you will be on your own if you run into troubles. Don't count on cell phone coverage up there -- both regions have a lot of blank spots on the carrier maps,
My favortte backcountry trails there are Spruce Knob, Dolly Sods, Otter Creek, North Fork, Red Creek, the Roaring Plains and Cranberry Backcountry. I will warn you that this year in mid-March you are probably going to encounter snow in the higher elevations and shaded valleys both in West Virginia and north in the Allegheny Forest. If you do intend to hike in Monongahela, you might want to call the folks at the Gendarme shop at Seneca Rocks to find out what conditions are like before you go. The Gendarme is a nice little shop for climbing and outdoor gear (similar to Exkursion that unfortunately just closed here in Monroeville). You might need snow shoes or cross country skis if the snow is deep. Winter stays long up at those elevations. I have been on early Spring trips down there where we postholed through 3' deep mashed potatoes snow for miles -- quite exhausting.
Be sure if you go to either National Forest that you boil, filter or chemically treat any drinking water you find. Both areas are full of beaver which carry giardia, a nasty parasitic infection that will give you terrible diarrhea and cramps.
Anyway, you will probably have a great trip, just be prepared for a bit of winter.
Incidentally, Pittsburgh has an excellent outdoor club, the Explorer's Club of Pittsburgh. Their monthly meeting is tomorrow night if you are interested in checking them out. Great resource for hiking trips and they have both rental gear and a library of hiking guides. I've been a member since 1972,
http://www.pittecp,org
new camping spots needed?
rick46mpa
do u know of any around pittsburgh tri state
Answer
What kind of camping? Car/RV based or primitive/tent based? And you say "new" but we don't know where you've already been?
If you are in search of tent camping within an hour or two of the 'Burgh, I like the Laurel Highlands Trail system, accessible off route 30 above Laughlintown (backpacking, a few shelters, cool overlooks) and the John P. Saylor Trail (out east off Route 22 at Windber). The JPS has several hiking/backpacking loops with some great tent camping spots including several near the road if you aren't up for carrying your kit a few miles. the Wolf Rocks section of the trail is fun for scrambling.
Also, check out Coopers Rocks in Northern West Virginia (due south on I79). There's a campground on the other side of the highway from the park (I'm blanking out on the name at the moment -- Chestnut Ridge?) with nice facilities including cabins for rent and a small lake. Cheat Lake is nearby for paddling and swimming and you can rock climb at the excellent cliffs at the Coopers Rocks overlook (provided you've got experience and the right gear.) Lots of cool hiking trails in the park too.
Pick up a DNR map of the PA state park system and you can find lots of nice areas -- it tells you what services and fees are at all the parks. Also ask at the local outfitters, like REI on the south side or Exkursion in Monroeville for recommendations and trail guides.
What kind of camping? Car/RV based or primitive/tent based? And you say "new" but we don't know where you've already been?
If you are in search of tent camping within an hour or two of the 'Burgh, I like the Laurel Highlands Trail system, accessible off route 30 above Laughlintown (backpacking, a few shelters, cool overlooks) and the John P. Saylor Trail (out east off Route 22 at Windber). The JPS has several hiking/backpacking loops with some great tent camping spots including several near the road if you aren't up for carrying your kit a few miles. the Wolf Rocks section of the trail is fun for scrambling.
Also, check out Coopers Rocks in Northern West Virginia (due south on I79). There's a campground on the other side of the highway from the park (I'm blanking out on the name at the moment -- Chestnut Ridge?) with nice facilities including cabins for rent and a small lake. Cheat Lake is nearby for paddling and swimming and you can rock climb at the excellent cliffs at the Coopers Rocks overlook (provided you've got experience and the right gear.) Lots of cool hiking trails in the park too.
Pick up a DNR map of the PA state park system and you can find lots of nice areas -- it tells you what services and fees are at all the parks. Also ask at the local outfitters, like REI on the south side or Exkursion in Monroeville for recommendations and trail guides.
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Title Post: Camping near southwestern Pennsylvania?
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