Worlds End State Park, PA - Butternut and High Rock

ABOUT THE PARK:
Worlds End State Park - PA Dept. of Conservation and Natural Resources

DIRECTIONS:
GPS Coordinates 41.471834, -76.581711
(The GPS might get confused as to where to turn to get to the park office parking lot so just follow the signs - you will drive through day use parking to get to the park office parking.)
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Parking at the park office - the Loyalsock Trail, where this hike begins, cuts through this parking lot at an angle.

TRAIL MAP:
Worlds End State Park Trail Map - Pennsylvania DCNR
The kiosk at the park office was well stocked with paper copies.  The restrooms at the park office are accessible from the outside if the park office is closed.

HIKE DISTANCE:
Butternut and High Rock Loops - 3.75 miles
was hiked in conjunction with
Loyalsock Canyon Loop - 7.85 miles

THE HIKE:

Find the red LT on yellow discs on trees in the parking lot and follow them to the parking lot exit

Start on the Butternut Trail to the right.

After ascending gradually on a woods road, there is a choice of looping around either away.  The Upper Road continues as a woods road then becomes a foot path.  The Lower Road, which is not a road at all, is a more rugged and steep rock scramble.

Red-blazed Upper Road as a woods road.

Upper Road as a foot path.

Butternut Vista

Lower Road rock scramble.

Lower Road along Butternut Creek

Back at the trail fork, take the red-blazed High Rock Trail which runs together with the red LT on yellow Loyalsock Trail.  Honestly, they are not exaggerating on the warnings.  You'll see....

The trail starts off innocently enough...

... until you come to the gorge crossing at High Rock Run - the trail goes STRAIGHT up the other side so get ready to rock scramble!

More scrambling.

Four paw drive gets you up a lot faster so you can rest while waiting for slow poke mom.

Almost at the top.

High Rock Vista

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker

Going in for............................................some sap.

Going down is much gentler than going up.  If you stay on the trail.

Going down.

A short walk along Route 154...

... across the bridge, then through the day use parking lot and back to the park office lot.

HIKE SUMMARY:
[  0.00]  Follow red LT on yellow discs out parking lot exit, to the right of the brown building, down steps to field; turn right at bottom of steps towards picnic pavilion (sparse blazing in this area)
[  0.10]  Keep to left of pavilion the pass to left of parking area heading towards bridge
[  0.20]  Cross bridge then turn left at double blaze other side of bridge; head towards High Rock Trail sign - Butternut Trail might not be visible with foliage but it starts in the same place
[  0.25]  Trail turns left on gravel road then right on woods road at parking area and picnic site
[  0.45]  Take either Upper Road or Lower Road (Upper Road taken for this hike)
[  1.35]  Butternut Vista
[  1.65]  Cross Butternut Creek
[  2.25]  Left on woods road at Upper Road/Lower Road sign
[  2.45]  At picnic area/parking pad turn left on gravel road briefly then right on foot path
[  2.55]  At trail intersection make sharp right on red-blazed High Rock Trail/Loyalsock Trail
[  2.90]  Cross over High Rock Run in gorge, begin steep uphill scramble
[  3.00]  Trail levels out briefly then starts to descend
[  3.05]  High Rock Vista; continue straight on red trail with the Loyalsock Trail leaves to the right
[  3.45]  Turn left on Route 154, cross bridge
[  3.60]  Turn left into day use parking, continue through parking lot to park office
[  3.75]  Back at parking

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