cshontz
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Bald Eagle State Forest, 3/19/06
On Sunday, 3/19/2006, I set off for Bald Eagle State Forest near Laurelton, Pennsylvania based on a lead from other local off-roaders that it was a relatively vast expanse of picturesque forest land with numerous drivable trails. It was a momentous occassion as this was the first off-pavement adventure for my 2001 Jeep Cherokee.
Flickr Photo Set:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/cshontz/sets/72057594086114611/
Adventure Map:
http://venture4wd.com/map.php
The trip started on the wrong foot. The forest was estimated to be roughly two hours away - perhaps a little less. Before I had left, I had printed directions from the Internet in haste, and didn't bother studying them whatsoever - which was my first mistake. I spent so much time scanning for road names to find my next turn, that I didn't realize that I was woefully off-course. At which point, I depended on my GPS to get me there, and it did so with only a little time lost.
The first stop was the district office where I wanted to pick up a forest map and to briefly speak with a ranger. The gentleman at the office was friendly and very helpful. He hooked me up with a map, and advised me that there were many drivable trails in the area, insisting that he didn't represent DeLorme as he emphatically recommended their Pennsylvania Atlas as a companion to the forest map.
As I sat in the Cherokee at the district office, I scanned the map not quite sure of where to begin. On the way to the district office, I had passed an inviting trailhead atop a nearby mountain, so I decided to backtrack a little and start there.
The trail was called Henstep Valley Trail. Initially, it was a wide trail that looked like nothing more than an uninteresting dirt road, but I was pleasantly surprised as the trail branched off and became a narrow and unmaintained Jeep trail that followed the mountain ridge and gradually ran down into a valley. As I drove further through the woods, I reveled in the unspoiled solitude of the trail. The terrain was just varied enough to prove to me that my vehicle modifications weren't performed in vain.
At the pace of a turtle, I followed the Henstep Valley trail, occassionally exploring junctions on foot, and then returning to my vehicle. Two thirds of the way through the trail, I parked the Cherokee under a shady pine tree, killed the engine, and enjoyed a cold sub while sitting on a bed of pine needles. When you sit at home in front of the computer as much as I do, to enjoy a quiet lunch on a wooded mountain trail can be best described as heavenly. I expect to do this much more often!
Back in the Jeep, Henstep Valley Trail continued down into a coniferous valley and emptied out into a dirt road. The dirt road itself was just as interesting as the drivable trail, as the peaceful solitude was omnipresent, and my sense of adventure and desire to explore had piqued. While I really wanted to undergo mitosis, as a living cell does, so my halves could explore multiple directions, I succumbed to the fact that I was a complex organism and chose to go right.
The dirt road revealed some unique and remote structures and weekend cabins as I traveled down it. My next destination was the next drivable trail head according to my map, but unfortunately that trail was gated and closed. I drove further down the dirt road, over a mountain, passing naught but a parked white Nissan Titan - belonging to a hiker no doubt. Eventually, I came to the second drivable trail of the day, Bull Hollow Road.
Bull Hollow Road, unlike Henstep Valley, seemed to be a dead end according to my map, but it still looked like an interesting trail and reasonably long, so I decided to explore it anyway. It was a scenic and relatively wide trail the wound its way up through a coniferous valley, initially next to a stream. You could tell that it served mainly as an access road for a few secluded mountain cabins that I passed along the way. Although it was still interesting, and even technical at a spot or two, it wasn't quite as "Jeepy" as Henstep Valley.
Indeed, Bull Hollow Road narrowed abruptly just beyond the third mountain cabin - it narrowed in such a way that it was obvious no vehicle was meant to pass. Despite the dead end, I had still covered a good amount of ground so I returned to the trailhead at a slightly quicker pace. The Cherokee rocked and jarred, and at times tossed tiny splotches of mud through the air and onto the windows. Eventually, I had returned to the dirt road, and as much as I wanted to continue exploring, the sun was getting low in the sky so I started to make my way home.
Before hitting the pavement, I took a look at the map I had printed in the morning that led me so astray and studied my route. After doing so, I set off for home, and arrived just in time for dinner - this time with no trouble.
Bald Eagle State Forest can be best described as unspoiled. If you seek technical trails, it would be best to go elsewhere. If you want scenery, exploration, and you don't mind low-impact trails, I totally recommend it. It is a rare treat and a convenient destination for off-road touring enthusiasts who live in the more densely populated areas of central and southeast Pennsylvania. If you choose to visit Bald Eagle State Forest, so that we may preserve its splendor, please take extra care to tread lightly and leave no trace.
On Sunday, 3/19/2006, I set off for Bald Eagle State Forest near Laurelton, Pennsylvania based on a lead from other local off-roaders that it was a relatively vast expanse of picturesque forest land with numerous drivable trails. It was a momentous occassion as this was the first off-pavement adventure for my 2001 Jeep Cherokee.
Flickr Photo Set:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/cshontz/sets/72057594086114611/
Adventure Map:
http://venture4wd.com/map.php
The trip started on the wrong foot. The forest was estimated to be roughly two hours away - perhaps a little less. Before I had left, I had printed directions from the Internet in haste, and didn't bother studying them whatsoever - which was my first mistake. I spent so much time scanning for road names to find my next turn, that I didn't realize that I was woefully off-course. At which point, I depended on my GPS to get me there, and it did so with only a little time lost.
The first stop was the district office where I wanted to pick up a forest map and to briefly speak with a ranger. The gentleman at the office was friendly and very helpful. He hooked me up with a map, and advised me that there were many drivable trails in the area, insisting that he didn't represent DeLorme as he emphatically recommended their Pennsylvania Atlas as a companion to the forest map.
As I sat in the Cherokee at the district office, I scanned the map not quite sure of where to begin. On the way to the district office, I had passed an inviting trailhead atop a nearby mountain, so I decided to backtrack a little and start there.
The trail was called Henstep Valley Trail. Initially, it was a wide trail that looked like nothing more than an uninteresting dirt road, but I was pleasantly surprised as the trail branched off and became a narrow and unmaintained Jeep trail that followed the mountain ridge and gradually ran down into a valley. As I drove further through the woods, I reveled in the unspoiled solitude of the trail. The terrain was just varied enough to prove to me that my vehicle modifications weren't performed in vain.
At the pace of a turtle, I followed the Henstep Valley trail, occassionally exploring junctions on foot, and then returning to my vehicle. Two thirds of the way through the trail, I parked the Cherokee under a shady pine tree, killed the engine, and enjoyed a cold sub while sitting on a bed of pine needles. When you sit at home in front of the computer as much as I do, to enjoy a quiet lunch on a wooded mountain trail can be best described as heavenly. I expect to do this much more often!
Back in the Jeep, Henstep Valley Trail continued down into a coniferous valley and emptied out into a dirt road. The dirt road itself was just as interesting as the drivable trail, as the peaceful solitude was omnipresent, and my sense of adventure and desire to explore had piqued. While I really wanted to undergo mitosis, as a living cell does, so my halves could explore multiple directions, I succumbed to the fact that I was a complex organism and chose to go right.
The dirt road revealed some unique and remote structures and weekend cabins as I traveled down it. My next destination was the next drivable trail head according to my map, but unfortunately that trail was gated and closed. I drove further down the dirt road, over a mountain, passing naught but a parked white Nissan Titan - belonging to a hiker no doubt. Eventually, I came to the second drivable trail of the day, Bull Hollow Road.
Bull Hollow Road, unlike Henstep Valley, seemed to be a dead end according to my map, but it still looked like an interesting trail and reasonably long, so I decided to explore it anyway. It was a scenic and relatively wide trail the wound its way up through a coniferous valley, initially next to a stream. You could tell that it served mainly as an access road for a few secluded mountain cabins that I passed along the way. Although it was still interesting, and even technical at a spot or two, it wasn't quite as "Jeepy" as Henstep Valley.
Indeed, Bull Hollow Road narrowed abruptly just beyond the third mountain cabin - it narrowed in such a way that it was obvious no vehicle was meant to pass. Despite the dead end, I had still covered a good amount of ground so I returned to the trailhead at a slightly quicker pace. The Cherokee rocked and jarred, and at times tossed tiny splotches of mud through the air and onto the windows. Eventually, I had returned to the dirt road, and as much as I wanted to continue exploring, the sun was getting low in the sky so I started to make my way home.
Before hitting the pavement, I took a look at the map I had printed in the morning that led me so astray and studied my route. After doing so, I set off for home, and arrived just in time for dinner - this time with no trouble.
Bald Eagle State Forest can be best described as unspoiled. If you seek technical trails, it would be best to go elsewhere. If you want scenery, exploration, and you don't mind low-impact trails, I totally recommend it. It is a rare treat and a convenient destination for off-road touring enthusiasts who live in the more densely populated areas of central and southeast Pennsylvania. If you choose to visit Bald Eagle State Forest, so that we may preserve its splendor, please take extra care to tread lightly and leave no trace.
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