Bear Run Trail

November 24th, 2013

Bear Run Trail

Woodward, PA

Adventure Type: Hiking

Looking for a quick day hike, I headed down Woodward Gap Road. My Jeep slowly climbed up the ice crusted dirt road and slid past the Rock Knob and Mid State trails. I decided to head down the other side of Woodward mountain and park at the start of Cherry Run Road. It was a blistering 26 degrees and the wind was whipping through the trees. I was happy to have the protection of the tall pines and hemlocks.

The trail ran through an old camp before heading into the woods. This section of the trail had not been well maintained, and the blue blazes on the trees were nearly impossible to distinguish from old patches of moss. Sections were extremely overgrown with mountain laurel, so I happy the freezing temperatures had sent the ticks into hibernation.

I followed the gentle incline to where the Bear Run trail intersects and then follows the Mid State trail. One great thing about heading in from the Bear Run trail rather than taking the Mid State from the road is that it cuts off the monstrously steep climb up the mountain.

From here onward, my path was clearly marked with blue and orange blazes. The trail consisted of a soft leaf bed interrupted by one short, rocky section. Earlier this year, we encountered a rattlesnake in these rocks, but with temperatures this low, there's no chance of running into any cold-blooded critters.

Where the trail seemed to meet the peak of the mountain, the wind picked up and made me turn back for shelter. It was a short out-and-back hike but a good get away in the afternoon. Highly recommended for a day hike. We made a nice camp near the very top of the incline, which would be ideal for a picnic location as well.