Bucktail Path

Bucktail Path
The northern trailhead for the Bucktail Path, near Sizerville State Park
Length33.5 mi (53.9 km)
LocationCameron County and Potter County, Pennsylvania, US
TrailheadsSizerville State Park, Sinnemahoning
UseHiking
Elevation changeHigh
DifficultyStrenuous
SeasonYear-round
HazardsUneven and wet terrain, rattlesnakes, mosquitoes, ticks, black bears

The Bucktail Path is a 33.5-mile (53.9 km) linear hiking trail in north-central Pennsylvania, United States, through portions of Elk State Forest. Most of the trail is in Cameron County, with its northern end in Potter County.[1] It should not be confused with the scenic highway in the same region known as Bucktail Trail; several features in the region were named after the Bucktail Regiment of local soldiers during the American Civil War.[2]

The Bucktail Path is often described as one of the most isolated and least hiked backpacking trails in Pennsylvania, with a path that can be difficult to follow even for experienced hikers;[3][4] and it has experienced long periods of under-use with little maintenance.[5] It is also known for several challenging climbs and bridgeless stream crossings.[6]

  1. ^ "Bucktail Path". Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. Archived from the original on 2021-02-26. Retrieved 2022-02-27.
  2. ^ "Bucktail State Park". Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. Archived from the original on April 22, 2014. Retrieved 2006-11-06.
  3. ^ Mitchell, Jeff (2005). Backpacking Pennsylvania: 37 Great Hikes. Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania: Stackpole Books. p. 162. ISBN 0811731804.
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference :0 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ Thwaites, Tom (2001). 50 Hikes in Central Pennsylvania (Fourth ed.). Woodstock, Vermont: Backcountry Publications. p. 165. ISBN 088150372X.
  6. ^ Cramer, Ben, ed. (2008). Pennsylvania Hiking Trails (13th ed.). Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania: Stackpole Books. p. 153. ISBN 9780811734776.