Hike Description
Take a bit of a history hike on the A.T. and pretend to be a thru-hiker for a day!
- From the A.T. parking lot by the restrooms, follow the white blazes uphill past the Appalachian Trail Museum. If the museum is open, be sure to stop in now or at the end of your hike for some cool Trail history!
- Turn left and continue following the A.T. along Bendersville Road, past the Pine Grove Furnace General Store, which is home to the famous Half Gallon Challenge. The A.T. will then continue onto PA 233 for 0.1 mile before turning right into the woods.
- The Trail now starts up a relatively gentle incline, winding through hardwood forests to the short, signed side trail to Midway Spring at mile 1.9. Shortly after, the Trail will turn onto a gravel road, then onto the paved Michaux Road.
- Continue on Michaux Road for 0.4, passing a small gravel pull-off. For a shorter, 1.1 mile hike, start from this lot.
- The Trail turns right back into the woods, following an old woods road and winding along sidehills to the 2011 Midpoint Sign. A neat piece of Trail history, the large, wooden sign features the A.T. monogram and a Trail register. Leave your name with this piece of Trail history!
- Retrace your steps to complete the hike. You could also continue another 0.3 to check out Toms Run Shelter before turning around.
Directions
Follow PA 233/Pine Grove Road to Pine Grove Furnace State Park. Turn onto Bendersville Road where it enters the park, near the park visitor center/ranger station. Take a right onto Quarry Road to the Furnace Stack Day Use Area and pull into the large gravel lot by the restrooms, marked for A.T. hikers. If you’ll be parked for more than the day, register your vehicle at the visitor center.
