Pennsylvania Off-Road Trails

No matter how big and bad your vehicle is or how simply stock it is, Trail 11 in Rausch Creek Off Road Park is a must-do trail. You will meander around a glacial depression chock full of trees, and plenty of small obstacles and terrain features will keep you interested in the road while taking in the sights of the surrounding woodlands. This trail is suitable for any beginner. After checking this one off the list, be sure to check out the remaining 3,000 acres and over 80 miles of trails for almost every type of 4WD vehicle, from stock to pro rock buggies.

Named after the iconic cartoon character from the Flinstones, Barney Rubble is a technical trail located within Anthracite Outdoor Adventure Area (AOAA). This trail requires precise vehicle control as you surgically maneuver through a vast expanse of tombstone-sized boulders. As a newly recognized Jeep Badge of Honor trail, this epic trail is a rock crawler's fantasy that will keep the adrenaline pumping through your veins for hours. Whether you come for the badge, the challenge, or the adventure, be sure to explore as many trails as you can within this 8,000 acres off-road park.

Located within the 8,000-acre Anthracite Outdoor Adventure Area (AOAA), Fern Ridge is a progressively technical trail that grasps every moment of your attention and endlessly temps you with something more challenging around every bend. With multiple exit points, Fern Ridge almost seems to tease you and leave you wondering if the next stretch will be too much for your vehicle. Come test your skills along this Jeep Badge of Honor trail and attempt the handful of optional hardcore loops it offers.

Poe Paddy Drive offers the best views in the Bald Eagle State Forest with two viewing area pull-outs directly on the trail. Bald Eagle State Forest is named after the Native American Chief Bald Eagle and stretches across 194,602 acres of ridges, mountain streams, and tracts of old-growth forest. Visiting the forest in September and October can be a real treat, with vibrant, changing leaves surrounding you on every road. Bald Eagle State Forest is worth spending an entire weekend or more and is well suited for families and groups with multiple state-managed campgrounds in the immediate area.

Situated just south of the Allegheny Reservoir, Coal Knob is just one of many recreation-friendly roads in the 514,029 acres of public land that make up the Allegheny National Forest. This area has multi-use motorized roads, hiking trails, and designated camping. For those who enjoy multiple motorized platforms, the Allegheny National Forest boasts 76 miles of interconnecting OHV-specific trails. Like much of the eastern United States, visiting in September and October is a real treat, with leaves changing to vibrant yellow, orange, and red. With various sizes of designated campsites that are plentiful and easily accessible, Coal Knob is an excellent option for solo travel and families alike, .

Situated at the southern end of the Allegheny National Forest, Red Mill Run is just a few miles north of Ridgway, giving you easy access to 514,029 acres of public land in northern Pennsylvania. The Allegheny National Forest is filled with multi-use motorized roads, hiking trails, and improved campgrounds. It even encompasses the Allegheny Reservoir for outdoor enthusiasts looking for water time. For those who enjoy multiple motorized platforms, the Allegheny National Forest boasts 76 miles of interconnecting OHV specific trails. Like much of the eastern United States, visiting in September and October is a real treat, with leaves changing to vibrant yellow, orange, and red. Red Mill Run and the Allegheny National Forest have plentiful dispersed, designated, and improved camping for solo travelers and families.

Strong Mountain Road runs through the Bald Eagle State Forest, named after the Native American Chief Bald Eagle. Bald Eagle State Forest stretches across 194,602 acres featuring ridges, mountain streams, and tracts of old-growth forest. Visiting the forest in September and October is a real treat, with vibrant, changing leaves surrounding you on every road. Bald Eagle State Forest is worth spending an entire weekend or more and is well suited for families and groups with multiple state-managed campgrounds in the immediate area.

Located within the Bald Eagle State Forest, not far from the icon town of Woodward, Sharpback Hollow is one of the few drivable trails within the state forest where you will need a true 4WD vehicle. Deep ruts, sharp rocks, and murky mudholes lie in wait beneath the shadows of the leafy canopy. If you hope to leave the gravel roads behind, the relentless barrage of varying terrain along this trail makes it enjoyable for anyone seeking a challenge.

Little Poe Road is one of the trails in the Bald Eagle State Forest, named after the Native American Chief Bald Eagle, and stretches across 194,602 acres of ridges, mountain streams, and tracts of old-growth forest. Visiting the forest in September and October can be a real treat, with vibrant, changing leaves surrounding you on every road. Bald Eagle State Forest is worth spending an entire weekend or more and is well suited for families and groups with multiple state-managed campgrounds in the immediate area.

Located in the Bald Eagle State Forest, just south of Interstate 80, Duncan Trail is a rugged and tight drive following the southern contours of Nittany Mountain. The overgrown foliage along this trail will leave you feeling accomplished, as if you were the first person in ages to bushwhack your way from point to point. The dense tree cover cleverly tries to portray this short trail as secluded and alone, but users can rest easy knowing you are only a stone's throw from the highway.

Milesburn Road is an easy, dirt alternative between the towns of Shippensburg and Fayetteville, traveling through the Michaux State Forest. The road is 1.5-2 vehicles wide as it snakes its way through old-growth forests, offering scenic wood views. There are tons of hiking opportunities off this road and plenty of fishing at Long Pine Run Reservoir. There is one State Forest campsite along the route, campsite number 11. This is a hike-in site where you must park at the road and hike your gear to the campsite. Formal campgrounds can be found at the nearby Caledonia State Park. This road is suitable for any vehicle.

Henstep 4x4 Drivable Trail is one of the few trails in the Bald Eagle State Forest that specifically has 4x4 in the designation. This trail will absolutely cause pinstriping and is not recommended by full-size vehicles due to the width of certain areas and the vegetation's proximity to the trail. The difficulty rating for this route is due to the multiple soft-bottom mud pits that get significantly deeper seasonally and the rocky climbs. Pay attention to the exposed edges of the mud pits. Depth fluctuations range from a couple of inches to 16 plus.

At nearly 6 miles long and spanning almost the entire length of the Western Reserve, Trail 102 Green is the longest continuous trail within Anthracite Outdoor Adventure Area (AOAA). This is a straight-through trail used as one of the main travel veins through the reserve and is the main entry and exit point for the Fern Ridge Badge of Honor Trail. Trail 102 Green starts relatively easy and wide as it crisscrosses multiple times with its sister trail, 102 Blue. After crossing several mud holes, the two trails become one again as the trail chokes down to a single vehicle wide in width. The trail snakes its way through the tight and thick forest, traversing countless rock gardens of varying sizes and shapes, from footballs and grapefruits to tombstones. Eventually, the trail widens a bit and comes to an excellent lookout at Glacier Rocks, where you can experience truly unique rock features not seen anywhere else in the park. The trail continues its trek west, weaving through tight trees and traversing the rough terrain.

Because trail 102 Green parallels Fern Ridge and is significantly easier, park staff recommends 102 as an alternative badge trail for those with vehicles incapable of tackling Fern Ridge. Trail 102 Green is suitable for stock high clearance 4x4s, but is not recommended for groups, long-wheelbase vehicles such as pickups, or extremely wide vehicles. Due to the rocky terrain, airing down is highly recommended.

Be sure to reference the AOAA website for accommodation links, days and hours of operation, waiver, and pass purchasing links.

Originally a log tram route, Red Tongue Trail is a narrow, bumpy two-track that cuts through thick and lush foliage, tip-toeing the border between Bald Eagle State Forest and Tiadaghton State Forest. Located a short distance from Milton, just north of I-80, Red Tongue Trail is a great alternative to the gravel roads nearby, providing plenty of solitude and adventure.

Trail 12 is a knife-shaped loop trail on the southeastern edge of the Eastern Reserve of Anthracite Outdoor Adventure Area (AOAA). The trail starts easy, making its way up and down rolling hills like a rollercoaster ride, traversing across a hard-packed, two-vehicle wide road as you pass by Polaris Rock. The trail narrows to a single vehicle wide, becomes a bit rougher, and continues to an amazing viewpoint at the Vista View South Picnic Area, dedicated to Kathy Jeremiah. The loop portion begins just beyond the picnic area, where the road becomes extremely rough and slow going due to the many exposed football-sized rocks. The northern half of the loop through Timber Town is lined with extremely dense, tight trees making the trail not suitable for extra wide vehicles or long-wheelbase vehicles such as pickup trucks. Overall, this is a rough and rocky trail still suitable for any short wheelbase, high clearance 4x4.

Be sure to reference the AOAA website for accommodation links, days and hours of operation, waiver, and pass purchasing links.

South of the Snyder-Middleswarth State Forest Picnic Area, branching off from Swift Run Road, High Top Trail is a short, narrow trail that will forever leave its mark etched into the surface of your once pristine paint job. The relentless assault of branches and twigs will create an unsettling symphony of abrasion as you navigate through a dense thicket of tightly packed brush and sun-blocking trees. If you ever wanted to experience the sense of true bush-whacking, this might be the trail for you.