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Kelly's Run - Pinnacle Overlook Revised: 02/07 |
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Description: I used to think this was a
7-mile hike. That was before the days of map software and GPS. The
main loop is actually 3.5 miles. The additional up and back to
the Pinnacle is about 1.5 miles making this a 5-mile jaunt.
Perhaps it feels like 7 miles because of the steep climb, some
of it in the sun, up to the
Pinnacle.
Regardless of the distance, this
is one beautiful hike. There is some boring parts, especially
at the beginning, like a cornfield and an old maintenance
road, but these become mere memories as you climb the
Conestoga Trail to obtain sweeping views and then descend into
the dark coolness of Kelly's Run. As usual you'll see that I describe this hike in the reverse direction preferred by others. The reasons are obvious. 1) I think its best to get the boring part of this hike out of the way early. 2) The hike UP the maintenance road and through the cornfield can be grueling in the high sun of summer. 3) I think you've seen this before on this site but I prefer to hike UP pretty streams, not down. Finally, the hike up Kelly's Run will be the last thing in your mind, not walking through a cornfield at high noon in July! The hike starts in Holtwood Park near the picnic pavilion and baseball diamond. |
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Zipped National Geographic. TOPO! GPS and Universal GPX Files |
Trail notes: From the parking area, walk west beyond the yellow forest gate and alongside the baseball field. Pass the red-blazed Loop Trail on your right (0.6 miles from the start). Continue straight.
The trail empties into a large cornfield. Follow the footpath straight across to the woods. A few posts with blue blazes will guide you. At the woods turn left following the edge of the cornfield until you come to double, angled blue blazes marking a trail on your right. Turn here and follow the trail down to the intersection with a
Turn right onto the
maintenance road and follow it
downhill.
At
0.46 miles come to an old bridge crossing Kelly's Run. Due
to the deteriorating condition of the decking it has been
removed. It is not known if PPL plans on replacing it. For
now ford Kelly's Run on either side of the bridge or use the
railroad culvert to cross the run. Turn
right onto blue-blazed Kelly's Run Trail. Very shortly turn
left onto the orange-blazed Conestoga
Trail.
Follow the Conestoga Trail steeply up the hill. Turn right on an old forest road (to be used in your descent). In a few yards turn left onto a footpath for some more steep climbing. Turn right and climb up a gas cable swath a short distance before turning left again onto a footpath. There are several views of |
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The Conestoga trail footpath will merge onto a forest road (Yellow blazed Fire Line Tr). Continue uphill following the duel blazes to Pinnacle Overlook (0.74 miles from Kelly's Run). This is a nice picnic area with pit toilets (in season). There used to be running water in the picnic area but I've been told that it has been turned off. Gates are open to this area for vehicular traffic. The best spot for lunch is not here but about 0.16 miles further down the Conestoga Trail at a nice rock outcrop.
After lunch return to the Pinnacle picnic
area. Pass through the same forest gate
you encountered on the way up but immediately bear left
onto
The blazes are faded and sporadic. Keep an eye out as the white-blazed Pinnacle Trail will turn left onto a footpath marked by double, angled white blazes in 0.25 miles. Turn left, following the white blazes and descend to another forest road. This section can be thorny in the summer.
The white blazes will continue across the road and eventually lead to Kelly's Run. To see the best part of Kelly's Run proceed down the Pinnacle Trail a few more yards and come to yet another woods road. Turn right onto the forest road, leaving the Pinnacle Tr, and descend for about 0.15 miles to the Conestoga Trail (orange blazes). Turn left on the Conestoga and then left again at Kelly's Run Trail. The two trails share the same tread here so blazes will alternate orange and blue.
Continue upstream,
soon crossing Kelly's Run on a diagonal. Pass several
large rock outcrops on your right before descending onto a
gravel bar in the stream with a huge rock face capped in ferns
on the opposite bank. This is a great break
spot.
The bank on the
opposite side is steep and muddy. The PPL has recently shored
up the trail and cut steps into a large boulder to allow for
a safer climb after the crossing. Continue upstream passing white-blazed
Pinnacle trail on your left at about 0.34 miles from joining
Kelly's Run Tr. Cross a
tributary and then re-cross Kelly's Run at another rock
outcrop.
Continue up the blue
and orange-blazed trail. The red-blazed Loop Trail comes in
from the right at 0.74 miles from the last trail junction. Stay straight on Kelly's Run/Conestoga
Trail.
The rocky trail will climb up and cut across two power line swaths and two junctions with the yellow blazed Oliver Patton Tr before turning right through some evergreens and ending above the
Critique this outing! ___________________________ Name: Guru Hike: Kellys Run- Pinnacle Overlook
Date: 21 April 2007
Rating: 4 ___________________________ |
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