The North Country Trail©

 

Author’s note -- I hope that you enjoy learning from this resource!  To help me to continue to provide valuable free content, please consider showing your appreciation by leaving a donation HERE.  Thank you and Happy Trails!

 

Have you ever hiked the North Country Trail?  Have you even heard of it?  It’s Fall and the leaves are starting to change

 

Everyone has heard of the Appalachian Trail, with its 2,198 miles (approximately 3,538 kilometers) of trail, which crosses through 14 American states, from Springer Mountain in Georgia to Katahdin in Maine, it’s an all-star.  Fortunately, or unfortunately, depending on how you look at it, not as many people have heard of the North Country Trail.

 

The North Country National Scenic Trail (NCNST), known more widely as the North Country Trail, was one of the proposed trails, created when Lyndon B. Johnson signed the National Trails System Act, on October 2, 1968.  Congress approved the proposed trail in 1980, and when fully completed the North Country Trail is expected to reach 4,600 miles (approximately 7,400 km), from Crown Point, New York, on the southwest shore of Lake Champlain, to Lake Sakakawea State Park in North Dakota.

 

In 2023, about 1,800 miles of the total trail had been finished, including more than two thirds of the 195 mile (314 km) Pennsylvania section, which winds through the northwestern corner of Pennsylvania.  It enters Pennsylvania’s Allegheny National Forest in the north from New York’s Allegheny State Park, near Willow Bay Recreation Area, on the eastern shore of Allegheny Reservoir, and exits in the southwest, near Negley, Ohio.

 

Of the trails in the Allegheny National Forest, the 96 miles (155 km) section of the North Country Trail in Pennsylvania, snaking south through the Allegheny National Forest, is the longest trail in the national forest.  This trail, which is marked with blue blazes, winds through old-growth forests in the Tionesta Natural and Scenic Areas, before bending westward through Cherry Run and Henrys Mills.  Later the trail briefly joins the northern end of the Minister Creek Trail, before traveling westward to Dunham Siding near Heart’s Content Scenic Area, then turning south again through Kellettville.  The North Country trail leaves the Allegheny National force when it joins the Baker Trail at the national forest boundary south of Muzette.

 

For the backpacker, seven national forest campgrounds are located on or near the trail.  Also, primitive camping is permitted nearly anywhere within the national forest, except at a few designated areas.

 

A good rule of thumb is that most federal public lands , such as Allegheny National Forest, is open to camping.  Primitive campers (backpackers) are permitted to camp in most areas of the forest without a permit if staying no more than one night in any location, and may camp overnight anywhere except:

 

·       In designated Natural Areas

·       Within 200 feet of a forest road

·       Within 25 feet of a trail

·       Within 100 feet of a stream or any open water

In State lands and Game lands, they often do not allow camping.  There are exceptions to these rules, so make sure to do your research ahead of time.

 

·       There are black bears in the area, so it’s important to store your food overnight hoisted in a tree, do not cook or eat in your sleeping area, and make sure that you are not antagonizing the bears.

 

·       There is plenty of water running through this area that looks clean and clear.  This water can be consumed, but it must be treated first by water purification or filtration.

 

·       Leave a printed copy of the map at home so someone knows where you are going and your expected time of return.

 

·       Develop a plan to check in before/after the hike where cell phone reception permits.

 

So, if you want to see beautiful fall leaves, consider trekking the North Country Trail through The Allegheny National Forest.

 

Don’t forget to come back next week and read about some cool sections of the North Country Trail that you can hike in a day.

 

I hope that you enjoy learning from this resource!  To help me to continue to provide valuable free content, please consider showing your appreciation by leaving a donation HERE.  Thank you and Happy Trails!

 

I hope that you continue to enjoy The Woodsman’s Journal Online and look for me on YouTube at BandanaMan Productions for other related videos, HERE.  Don’t forget to follow me on both The Woodsman’s Journal Online, HERE, and subscribe to BandanaMan Productions on YouTube.  If you have questions, as always, feel free to leave a comment on either site.  I announce new articles on Facebook at Eric Reynolds, on Instagram at bandanamanaproductions, and on VK at Eric Reynolds, so watch for me.

 

That is all for now, and as always, until next time, Happy Trails!

 

 

Notes

 

Sources

 

KTA; “North Country Scenic Trail”, [© 2023], https://www.kta-hike.org/north-country-national-scenic-trail.html, accessed October 3, 2026

 

National Park Service; “North Country, National Scenic Trail”,

https://npshistory.com/publications/noco/map.pdf, accessed October 3, 2026