Pennsylvania keeps 2.2 million acres of state forest, and one of its least crowded corners sits in the southern hills near the Maryland line. Buchanan State Forest spans 71,683 acres across Franklin, Fulton and Bedford counties, named for the president born in the area, and it packs in 157 miles of trails, roadside and backcountry camping, and a surprising amount of history.
The trail network suits almost any energy level. Casual walkers can try the 2.2-mile Sideling Hill History Trail, which passes through an abandoned tunnel that visitors describe as equal parts fascinating and creepy, or short loops like the 1.4-mile Dickey Mountain Trail and the 1.5-mile Richmond Trail. Keen hikers can take on the 3.5-mile Tuscarora, Fox, Standing Stone and Sharpe Trail Loop, which involves rock scrambles. Long-distance paths, including segments of the Mid State and Tuscarora Trails, run through designated natural areas where hikers report sightings of deer, grouse, wild turkey, and the occasional bear or bobcat.
The views are the headline act. Overlooks including Fisher Road Vista, Big Mountain Overlook, Rainsburg Vista, Summit Road Vista and Warrior Ridge deliver wide panoramas over the ridges, and several can be reached by car rather than on foot — Big Mountain Overlook sits at the end of the popular 5.7-mile Charcoal Trail but is also drive-up accessible. Fall is the peak season, when the foliage turns the vistas multicoloured. Most trails are shared with mountain bikers and horseback riders; only the Mid State and Tuscarora natural areas are foot traffic only. Compared with busier Forbes State Forest to the west, visitors consistently note how empty Buchanan feels.
History adds texture to the hiking. The forest contains Civil War cemeteries, a mine dating to the American Revolution, and remnants of an abandoned turnpike alongside the Sideling Hill History Trail.
Camping runs year-round. Designated roadside sites take small RVs and trailers with a permit and a seven-day limit, while hike-in and backpack sites are tent-only but more secluded. Backpacking is permitted throughout the forest under guidelines, groups of ten or more need a letter of authorisation, and most sites can be reserved online. Clear nights bring serious stargazing thanks to the dark skies. Winter visitors swap boots for snowmobiles and cross-country skis, and ATV riding is popular in every season.
For travellers, the appeal is a low-cost, low-crowd outdoor escape that works as a road trip stop near the Pennsylvania-Maryland border. Anyone flying in faces a drive of just over two hours from either Harrisburg International or Dulles. Campers without gear, or those wanting a bed, can base themselves in Bedford, Pennsylvania — a town known for its fall festivities — or Cumberland, Maryland. Cowans Gap State Park, a little over an hour west, adds cabins and more campgrounds if you want to extend the trip.
In short: if you want Appalachian ridgelines, Civil War-era history and empty trails without the crowds of better-known parks, this is an easy weekend to plan.
Story via Islands.
