{{Short description|Hiking trail in Lycoming County, Pennsylvania, United States}} {{use mdy dates|date=January 2022}} {{Infobox hiking trail |name= West Rim Trail |photo=Pine Creek Gorge Panorama Crop.JPG |caption=[[Pine Creek Gorge]] looking south from a West Rim Trail vista |location=[[Lycoming County, Pennsylvania|Lycoming]] and [[Tioga County, Pennsylvania|Tioga]] Counties, [[Pennsylvania]], United States |length_mi=30.5 |trailheads='''North:''' Colton Road, 0.5 mile south of [[U.S. Route 6]], near Ansonia<br />'''South:''' [[Pennsylvania Route 414]], 1.8 miles south of Blackwell |use=Hiking |elev_change=Moderate |highest= {{convert|2080|ft|m}} |lowest= {{convert|850|ft|m}} |difficulty=Moderate |season=Year-round |sights= |hazards=Uneven and wet terrain, rattlesnakes, mosquitoes, ticks, black bears }} The '''West Rim Trail''' is a {{convert|30.5|mi|km|1|abbr=on}} linear [[hiking]] [[trail]] in [[Lycoming County, Pennsylvania|Lycoming]] and [[Tioga County, Pennsylvania|Tioga]] Counties in north central [[Pennsylvania]].<ref name="DCNR">{{Cite web |title=West Rim Trail |url=https://trails.dcnr.pa.gov/trails/trail/trailview?trailkey=215 |access-date=2022-09-03 |website=Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources}}</ref> The trail mostly follows the edge of [[Pine Creek Gorge]], also known as the Grand Canyon of Pennsylvania, which is up to {{convert|1000|ft|m}} deep and about {{convert|2000|ft|m}} wide from rim to rim in the area traversed by the trail.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Tioga State Forest Wild and Natural Areas |url=https://www.dcnr.pa.gov/StateForests/FindAForest/Tioga/Pages/Wild_NaturalAreas.aspx |access-date=2022-09-03 |website=Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources}}</ref> The trail is entirely within [[Tioga State Forest]] and is known for its large number of [[Scenic viewpoint|vistas]] overlooking the gorge, which is a [[National Natural Landmark]] and one of the deepest gorges in the eastern United States.<ref name="Mitchell">{{cite book |last1=Mitchell |first1=Jeff |title=Backpacking Pennsylvania: 37 Great Hikes |date=2005 |publisher=Stackpole Books |location=Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania |isbn=0811731804 |page=134}}</ref>
The West Rim Trail follows several old logging railroad grades, which remain from the late 1800s when Pine Creek Gorge and its surrounding plateau areas were almost completely [[Clearcutting|clear-cut]].<ref name="seasons">{{cite book |last=Owlett |first=Steven E. |title=Seasons Along The Tiadaghton: An Environmental History of the Pine Creek Gorge |publisher=Interprint |year=1993 |isbn=0-9635905-0-2 |edition=1st |location=Petaluma, California}}</ref> The trail also visits several significant side gorges and small waterfalls that were formed by [[differential erosion]] as glaciers melted at the end of the last ice age, plus occasional stretches on top of the [[Allegheny Plateau]], which itself was cut by Pine Creek Gorge.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book |title=Pennsylvania Hiking Trails |publisher=Stackpole Books |year=2008 |isbn=9780811734776 |editor-last=Cramer |editor-first=Ben |edition=13th |location=Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania |page=178-179}}</ref><ref name="Thwaites">{{cite book|last1=Thwaites|first1=Tom|title=50 Hikes in Central Pennsylvania|date=2001|publisher=Backcountry Publications|isbn=088150372X|edition=Fourth|location=Woodstock, Vermont|page=158}}</ref> The West Rim Trail was chosen by ''[[Outside (magazine)|Outside]]'' magazine as its "Best Hike in Pennsylvania" in 1996.<ref name="wellsboro">{{cite web |url=http://www.wellsboropa.com/pages/welcome/pa_grand_canyon.php |title=The Grand Canyon of Pennsylvania |publisher=Wellsboro Chamber of Commerce |access-date=2008-03-31}}</ref>
==Route== This section describes the West Rim Trail in the southbound direction. The trail begins at a forestry maintenance parking lot on Colton Road, south of [[U.S. Route 6 in Pennsylvania|U.S. Route 6]] and near the village of [[Ansonia, Pennsylvania|Ansonia]]. The trail starts at a low elevation but soon begins a long diagonal "slab" climb up the side of [[Pine Creek Gorge]], reaching the edge of the [[Allegheny Plateau]] and the first of several vistas over the gorge at 2.6 miles. [[Leonard Harrison State Park]] is visible on the other side of the gorge. At 4.0 miles, the trail briefly crosses a corner of [[Colton Point State Park]]. The trail then heads away from the gorge for about the next five miles, going around a significant side canyon formed by three different branches of Four Mile Run.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Dillon |first=Chuck |title=Guide to the West Rim Trail |publisher=Pine Creek Press |year=1999 |edition=3rd |location=Wellsboro, PA |pages=22–31}}</ref>
At 9.0 miles, the West Rim Trail returns to the edge of Pine Creek Gorge, with several more vistas across to Leonard Harrison State Park. Continuing southbound. the trail mostly follows the edge of the gorge for the next seven miles, but with several sojourns into rugged side gorges formed by a variety of small tributary streams, several of which feature small waterfalls.<ref>Thwaites, p. 160.</ref> The trail passes through Bradley Wales Picnic Area at 15.9 miles, then leads inland for another extensive segment away from the gorge, this time to avoid a parcel of private land.<ref>Dillon, p. 31-41.</ref>
At 19.7 miles, the trail returns to the edge of the main gorge and for about the next eight miles repeats its previous pattern of following the edge of the gorge, with numerous vistas, interrupted by several trips into side hollows with occasional waterfalls. At 26.5 miles, the West Rim Trail passes a junction with the Bohen Run Trail;<ref>Dillon, p. 41-47.</ref> that trail follows the stream of the same name past a significant waterfall, reaches [[Pine Creek (Pennsylvania)|Pine Creek]] at the village of [[Blackwell, Pennsylvania|Blackwell]], and eventually connects with the [[Mid State Trail (Pennsylvania)|Mid State Trail]].<ref>Thwaites, p. 167-169.</ref>
After the junction with the Bohen Run Trail, the West Rim Trail turns away from Pine Creek Gorge again and heads inland for about one mile of plateau-top walking. At 28.2 miles the trail passes an old [[dynamite]] shed, and, at 28.8 miles, begins a significant descent, following Lloyd Run toward the bottom of Pine Creek Gorge. At 30.5 miles the trail ends at [[Pennsylvania Route 414|PA Route 414]],<ref>Dillon, p. 47-52.</ref> south of Blackwell and across from a parking lot that serves the [[Pine Creek Rail Trail]].<ref name=":0" /> ==References== {{Reflist}}
{{PennsylvaniaTrails}} {{Authority control}}
[[Category:Hiking trails in Pennsylvania]] [[Category:Long-distance trails in the United States]]