Clear Creek State Forest, PA - Beartown Rocks Loop

ABOUT THE PARK: 

Clear Creek State Forest - Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources

DIRECTIONS: 

GPS Coordinates 41.32169, -79.07787

Parking on the opposite side of Route 949 from Clear Creek State Forest at Picnic Shelter 5 in Clear Creek State Park.  On a busy Sunday during the height of fall foliage only one other hiker parked here.

TRAIL MAP: 

Clear Creek and Callen Run Tracts Brochure - Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources

HIKE DISTANCE:  10.4 miles

THE HIKE: 

This was hike 2 of 2 on the return drive from Missouri to New Jersey and was by far my favorite of the entire trip.  It was also my favorite of the three I have hiked in this area to date, the other two being Cook Forest State Park and Clear Creek State Park.

Walking out of the Shelter 5 parking lot across Route 949 to enter Clear Creek State Forest ...

... on the Beartown Rocks Trail.  All trails are blazed red and/or orange.

The trail follows along Clear Creek.

Turning right on the Trap Run Loop.

Trap Run

It's unfortunate that you sometimes have to turn a blind eye (and blind nose) to natural gas drilling along the way.

Back on Beartown Rocks Trail to...

... the parking lot at Beartown Rocks which gets busy.  It's the only place I encountered other people the entire hike.

Beartown Rocks

People were coming down from the overlook just as we were going up so we had it to ourselves for a few minutes.

Beartown Rocks Overlook

Heading back down to explore some more of Beartown Rocks.

Leaving Beartown Rocks on the Rocky Trail which isn't very rocky.

And someone would enter why?

Hiking the 1-mile loop trail through what was once a pioneer homestead in the late 1800s.

After the gate, a parking lot, then the loop continues to the left.

Coming out at Laurel Fields ...

... where the loop turns left at private property straight ahead.

Stone fence rows that remain from the homestead.

Taking the Laurel Trail to continue our loop in the eastern part of the forest.

It's a steep descent along Clear Creek.

The trails on this side of the forest appear not to get as much use as the trails on the western side from the beginning of the hike.

At the Clear Creek Trail we turned right and would stay with this trail for the rest of the hike.

There is deer fencing all along this section.

Crossing Little Clear Creek Road at a small parking lot.

Crossing three bridges just before the end of the hike.

At Route 949 a left for a short road walk ...

... around the bend up ahead over Clear Creek then right to the parking lot.

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