Trip Overview
Pennsylvania doesn't get the credit it deserves as an outdoor destination. While everyone's driving through on I-78, the state is concealing a Grand Canyon, the best hawk-watching site in North America, Class IV whitewater, 70 miles of ridgeline backpacking, and the Appalachian Trail crossing the Delaware Water Gap. This 10-day route connects the best of all of it from north to south — best driven September through October when the fall migration is running and the leaves are turning.
- Duration: 10 days
- Direction: North to south (Pine Creek Gorge → Laurel Highlands)
- Best months: September–October · May–June second best
- Drive total: ~450 miles across the state
Days 1–2 — Pine Creek Gorge (Pennsylvania Grand Canyon)
Start in Wellsboro, the gateway to the PA Grand Canyon. Spend Day 1 on the east rim at Leonard Harrison State Park (Turkey Path Trail to the gorge floor, 1.2 miles one way, 800ft descent). Day 2: drive to Colton Point on the west rim for the Barbour Rock overlook and a section of the West Rim Trail — then kayak Pine Creek in the afternoon if water levels allow (Tioga River Adventures rents boats from Ansonia).
Days 3–4 — Ricketts Glen State Park
Drive east to Ricketts Glen (2 hours). The Falls Trail (7.2-mile loop, 21 named waterfalls, AllTrails 4.9★
Falls Trail
Days 5–6 — Hawk Mountain Sanctuary & AT Delaware Water Gap
Hawk Mountain Sanctuary near Kempton is the most famous raptor migration watchsite in the world. From mid-September through November, broad-winged hawks, sharp-shinned hawks, Cooper's hawks, ospreys, bald eagles, and golden eagles funnel along Kittatinny Ridge directly over the North Lookout. Peak days in late September can put 10,000+ broad-wings overhead. Membership ($35/year) is worth it for regular visitors. Pack a folding chair and binoculars — you may be there all day.
Day 6: drive east to the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area. Hike the AT from the Delaware Water Gap town trailhead north to Sunfish Pond — a glacially carved lake on the ridge top (7 miles one way). The Dunnfield Creek Natural Area at the base has old-growth hemlocks and cold brook trout water. Camp at Mohican Outdoor Center if planning the full AT ridge traverse.
Days 7–8 — Laurel Highlands Hiking Trail
The Laurel Highlands Hiking Trail runs 70 miles through Laurel Ridge State Park in southwestern PA — a ridgeline trail with backcountry shelters every 8-10 miles (permit required from dcnr.pa.gov, $5/person/night). This is some of the best backpacking in the Mid-Atlantic, and it's perpetually overlooked. Hike the northern sections from Ohiopyle northward — the ridge views open up significantly above 2,700 feet. Two days covers 15-20 miles with the shelter system.
Days 9–10 — Ohiopyle State Park: Whitewater and Wilderness
Ohiopyle sits where the Youghiogheny River cuts through Laurel Ridge — and the gorge it carved is spectacular. The Lower Yough (Class III-IV, 7.5 miles) is the most popular commercial whitewater run in Pennsylvania, operated by several outfitters in town. Reservations required in summer. The Middle Yough (Class I-II, 9 miles) is self-guided and ideal for canoe or recreational kayak.
Beyond the river: Meadow Run Natural Water Slides — a series of smooth sandstone chutes worn into the creek bed that you slide down on your body (free, bring an old swimsuit). Cucumber Falls (a 30-foot plunge fall 0.5 miles from the parking area) is one of the most photogenic short hikes in the state. The Ferncliff Peninsula trail loops through a National Natural Landmark forest above the gorge.
Gear Notes
- Binoculars — essential at Hawk Mountain; 8x42 is the standard birding spec
- Wetsuit or splash gear for Ohiopyle Lower Yough in spring runoff
- Bear hang materials or canister for Laurel Highlands shelter camping
- Trekking poles — the Turkey Path and Laurel Highlands both reward them
