ScottM: Cleverly put! I’m sure the sign poster is not protecting some legendary double track!
Bruce B.:
Mansfield may not be the best jumping of point, it is a little NE of the main tracts of state forest land (but maybe a pavement prelude is good?). If you are coming from NJ on I-80, I wouldn’t detour via car to Mansfield unless you have are reason to go there. For instance, Exit 199 (White Deer Pike), west of I180/15 puts you right in the Bald Eagle State Forest. Going a little farther west, you can exit at Milesburg and park your car a Bald Eagle State Park. I have left a car at the overflow campground parking lot for bike trips without issue.
Here is a route I did:
http://home.windstream.net/JHLange/PA_GrandCanyon.htmlThe above route includes the Pine Creek Gorge Rail Trail. Pine Creek is known as the ‘Grand Canyon of PA’ … (I can hear snickers from our friends out west)… but it is what it is.
If you can, call or contact the PA DNR and have them mail you the forest maps for:
Tiogo, Susquehannock, Bald Eagle, Elk and Moshannon State Forests. You can also find these maps on line. The maps are good for identifying state lands as well as the dirt forest roads.
PA forest roads are generally in good shape (dirt and gravel) and well marked. Occasionally you will come across sections that have been recently graded or have been beat down by recent gas welling drilling activity (at least in the more western state forests). The state forest maps will show some single dotted line trails. Be wary of these trails, some are off limits to bikes (the state recognized hiking trails, which are shown in red on the maps) and other trails may or may not have been maintained. Blow down and overgrown trails are common, firsthand knowledge is good to have.
If you want to work in a lot of single track, I would recommend the Rothrock and Bald Eagle state forests. The Nittany Mountain Bike club, as well as some regional ATB events keep the single track in good shape. Visit
http://www.nittanymba.org/component/option,com_docman/task,cat_view/gid,21/Itemid,48/ to find some maps, also check their forums for some trail knowledge.
One possible route I have done I the Rothrock/Bald Eagle area is the Wilderness 101 route (Wilderness 101 is a 100 mile mountain bike race)… it is raced in a day, but can be done as a 2 day tour.
I don’t think this is the current route, but I gives you an idea:
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=http:%2F%2Fhome.windstream.net%2FJHLange%2FPA_wilderness101.kml&sll=41.430372,-77.472839&sspn=1.472352,1.908875&ie=UTF8&z=10Some advice:
If you stick to paved and forest roads, you can tour pretty easily, you won’t get that beat up.
If you start to work in single track, it will be tougher and you will need to have decent navigation skills. Don’t overestimate how fast you can go on the single track. Some of the central PA stuff is pretty rocky.
Don’t overlook taking an afternoon for some exploring or visiting some of the towns in the area. There are some nice places to visit:
Towns that are worth riding through: Williamsport, fairly large small town, Millionaire’s Row has awesome homes from the lumbering days. There is a microbrew place downtown. Bike path along river for a stretch. Home of Little League World Series. Wellsboro – quaint boulevard through town lit with gas streetlamps. Old school dinner. Near the northern terminus of the Pine Creek Rail Trail.
Lock Haven – river town and home of Lock Haven State University. Old Piper airplane factory is now a museum. State College. Home of Penn State, last year’s #1 Party School. Numerous bike shops, beautiful campus.
