Running Gap Road

Running Gap Road is a hard-packed dirt road that travels through old mature forests with large trees and descends sharply through a natural terrain gap between Naked Mountain and Nittany Mountain. The road is generally 1.5 vehicles wide, with plenty of opportunities to pass oncoming traffic. Running Gap descends 471 feet in 1.5 miles, necessitating numerous water bars. These large water bars protect the road from erosion and ensure drivers control their speed. Trucks towing trailers might find the water bars and steep grades challenging, but this road is suitable for any vehicle. The road is generally used as a connecting road between White Deer Creek and Spruce Run Road. There are no motorized campsites along the road. However, there is one primitive backpacking campsite that can be seen from the road. This campsite requires users to hike into and does not require a permit if only used for a single night. Users must remember that backpacking campsites cannot be within 200 feet of a forest road.