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Exploring Accessible Trails in Pennsylvania’s State Parks and Forests

September 18, 2024 12:00 AM
By: DCNR

An accessible trail at Kings Gap Environmental Education Center.

​Whether you are hiking, camping, fishing, or kayaking in Pennsylvania state parks and forests, no one can deny that getting outdoors is both physically and mentally beneficial.

Data from the Disability and Health Data System show for 28 percent of Pennsylvania’s population, getting those positive benefits of time spent outdoors can be challe​nging. The Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) and partners are working to make outdoor recreation accessible to everyone, including Pennsylvanians with disabilities.

An ADA-accessible trail has features including a firm surface; not much slope; no obstacles such as stairs; and space to pass.

A number of hiking trails across the Commonwealth are accessible to people who use mobility devices, including wheelchairs. Visit the DCNR website​ for additional details about site-specific amenities, including restrooms, potable water, picnic tables, benches, parking, and visitor centers.

North

An ADA-accessible trail at Sinnemahoning State Park

​Sinnemahoning State Park

Black Moshannon State Park, Centre County - Bog Trail, 0.3-miles 

Take the ADA-accessible boardwal​​k to explore a wetland dominated by sphagnum moss and leatherleaf and accented by sedges, rushes, carnivorous plants, and lilies. You can observe waterfowl and other wildlife along the trail. Wayside panels tell the surprising story of bogs and other park wetlands. To make the trail a loop, continue on Westside Road back to the trailhead (0.5-miles).  

Plan your visit to Black Moshannon State Park.   

 

Sinnemahoning State Park, Cameron and Potter Counties – Lowlands Trail, 2-miles 

The Lowlands Trail follows the course of the First Fork through five miles of the park, passing through open fields, shrubby riparian zones, and mature, towering forests. This scenic trail was originally part of the Baltimore and Ohio railroad bed.  

From the northern trailhead, two miles of the trail are ADA-accessible, including a wildlife viewing platform. This area is ideal habitat for nesting bald eagles, elk, and white-tailed deer, among many other species.  

Plan your visit to Sinnemahoning State Park.  

 

South

Park visitors enjoy a meal at Kings Gap Environmental Education Center
Kings Gap Environmental Education Center​

Buchanan State Forest, Fulton County – Chad Strait Trail, 0.3-miles 

This hard-packed gravel trail surrounds the district office. Not far from the main road, this trail is surrounded by Buchanan State Forest and vast pollinator habitat.   

Plan your visit to Buchanan State Forest.

Canoe Creek State Park, Blair County - Marsh Trail, 0.3-miles 

A visitor favorite, Marsh Trail provides a scenic winding boardwalk along the lakefront, with benches and an observation blind for plenty of wildlife viewing. A 0.25-mile section of the trail is ADA-accessible. 

Plan your visit to Canoe Creek State Park 

 

Kings Gap Environmental Education Center, Cumberland County 

Whispering Pines Trail, 0.3-miles 

This paved, ADA-accessible loop trail takes hikers into the pine plantation. Self-guided signs along the way teach about the history of the pine plantation and the trees that grow there.
  
 

White Oaks Trail, 0.3-miles 

This paved, ADA-accessible trail has educational signs about the ecology of the forest.  

Little Buffalo State Park, Perry County - Blue Ball Trail, 0.25-miles 

This ADA-accessible, paved out-and-back path connects the historic Blue Ball Tavern to the Covered Bridge Trail and East Day Use Area. Follow the trail over a bridge, along the stream, and through a patch of old ash trees that are beloved by the park’s woodpeckers. 

Plan your visit to Little Buffalo State Park. 

  

East

An ADA-accessible trail at French Creek State Park.
French Creek State Park

French Creek State Park, Berks County 

Hopewell Big Woods Trail (Northern Section), 1.5-miles 

This gravel, ADA-accessible out-and-back trail provides scenic views of Birdsboro and excellent bird habitat. 

Hopewell Big Woods Trail (Southern Section), 0.7-miles 

This gravel, ADA-accessible out-and-back trail provides access to Hopewell Furnace Historic Site. 

Plan your visit to French Creek State Park 

 

Tyler State Park, Bucks County 

Buckman Trail, 0.7-miles 

This ADA-accessible, out-and-back paved trail is mostly flat and open, offering views of warm season grasses and agricultural fields.  

No. 1 Lane Trail, 1.2-miles 

This paved trail starts at the No. 1 Lane Parking Lot, is ADA-accessible for 0.8 miles, and ends at Betz Hill Trail. It passes along open farm fields, warm season grasses, and woodlands. 

Quarry Trail, 0.3-miles 

This paved, ADA-accessible trail is a short connector between the Lower Plantation Picnic Area and Tyler Drive Trail. It is relatively flat and shady. 

Woodfield Trail, 0.5-miles 

The paved, ADA-accessible trail winds through old growth forests above the Neshaminy Creek and around a meadow habitat restoration area. 

Plan your visit to Tyler State Park 

 

West 

An ADA-accessible trail at Cook Forest State Park. A sign appears next to the trail detailing available experiences on the trail
Cook Forest State Park

Cook Forest State Park, Clarion County - Sensory Trail, 0.25-miles 

The Cook Forest Sensory Trail is an ADA-accessible paved loop that is accessible to people with low or limited vision and features braille/raised letter signage, a guide cable, sturdy benches, and a picnic area at the trailhead.​ 

The trail loops through a mature hardwood forest and features signs that point out new ways of experiencing nature, such as listening for bird calls or touching the bark of trees to identify them. A flexible railing allows visitors to find where the trail leads.  

Plan your visit to Cook Forest State Park 

 

Forbes State Forest, Westmoreland County – Spruce Flats Bog Trail, 0.29-miles 

Spruce Flats Bog is a rare high-elevation, 28-acre bog, formed in a mountaintop depression 2,720 feet above sea level. The ADA-accessible Spruce Flats Bog Trail has an observation platform at the end which reaches out into the bog to get a close look at plant life (including insect-eating plants) and an unusual tree line caused by strong winds that sweep in from west to east. ​

Plan your visit to Forbes State Forest.   

 

Keystone State Park, Westmoreland County – Lakeside Loop Trail, 2-miles 

This ADA-accessible, flat trail circles Keystone Lake and offers views through various ecosystems. These ecosystems are perfect for wildlife enthusiasts looking to spot birds, fish, reptiles, pollinating insects, and more. Be sure to stop at the causeway at dusk for breathtaking sunset views, or at the dam at dawn for an amazing sunrise.  

Plan your visit to Keystone State Park 

 

Ohiopyle State Park, Fayette County – Great Allegheny Passage (GAP), 27-miles  

Twenty-seven miles of the 150-mile Great Allegheny Passage are within Ohiopyle State Park. The flat, crushed limestone trail was once the railbed for the Western Maryland Railroad. This trail is suitable for all ages and is ADA-accessible. The trail is excellent for hiking, jogging, biking, cross country skiing, snow shoeing, and strollers.  

Plan your visit to Ohiopyle State Park 

 

Presque Isle State Park, Erie County - Karl Boyes Multi-Purpose National Recreation Trail, 13.5-miles 

The Multi-Purpose Trail and extension makes a 13.5-mile circuit in the park. This paved trail is designated as a National Recreation Trail. This ADA-accessible trail is popular with bicyclists, in-line skaters, and joggers. 

Plan your visit to Presque Isle State Park.

Almost all Pennsylvania state parks and forests offer some form of accessible recreation, including places to fish, camp, hike, kayak, or access wildlife viewing areas and scenic overlooks. Visit dcnr.pa.gov to plan your next adventure.​

WestForbesStateForestSpruceFlatsBogTrail3.png            West Forbes State Forest



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