Appalachians or Poconos?

My husband and I will be in Baltimore and going to Gettysburg from there. We would like to spend one day hiking and taking in the gorgeous Pennsylvania country side. I%26#39;m not sure if we%26#39;ll have time to ';head to the mountains';, but if so, which direction should we go...to the Appalachians or Poconos?

Thank you for all of your help. I can%26#39;t wait to get there!

Appalachians or Poconos?

I go to the Appalachians for hiking/scenic routes. Poconos if I just want to get a way and relax. To me, your description instantly makes me associate what you want with the Appalachians.

Appalachians or Poconos?

Thank you so much! I just bought a book on Pa. and will look at the Appalachians tonight. Is there any one particular area you prefer? Any favorite hiking trails, etc...? Thanks again!

From Gettysburg, you are within half an hour of the first set of Appalachian mountains--admittedly, not a huge or terribly impressive ridge, but still with its own rugged beauty. Pine Grove Furnace State Park is only 30 minutes away. It has two picturesque lakes and a trail that you can take to visit the halfway point of the Appalachian Trail. Plus, Pole Steeple Trail is a neat trail that takes you up the mountain to a gorgeous view. This would probably be your best bet for a short time frame, as you could drive there, hike, and return to Gettysburg in 3-4 hours.

Going about forty minutes north from Gettysburg, you can get to Kings Gap State Park, which is perched on top of a mountain and offers a great view of the Doubling Gap, where the ridge makes an s-curve in on itself. Colonel Denning State Park, still another forty-five minutes up the road, is actually in the Doubling Gap. It%26#39;s a typical little gem of a CCC-built Pennsylvania park, with a log cabin seasonal nature center and tiny lake. Plus, it%26#39;s the hub of a network of local hiking trails.

Half an hour south of Gettysburg, you can find Catactin National Park and MD Cunningham Falls Park right next to US-15. THe falls are not impressive right now--it%26#39;s been a terribly dry summer--but the park is beautiful and mountainous. MD 77 goes over the mountain from Thurmont to Hagerstown, and winds along a lovely creek and pretty countryside. I haven%26#39;t done much hiking there--we usually just end up walking in the creek all afternoon!--but I%26#39;m sure there are plenty of options for hiking listed at either website. AND if you are going south anyway, Harper%26#39;s Ferry National Park is a wonderful place to visit as well...where the Shenandoah meets the Potomac, and mountains in all directions. Plus the C and O Canal Towpath to hike or bike along, which is both scenic AND flat, not something you find on most of our mountain trails!

As you can probably tell, I love our local mountains! This doesn%26#39;t even skim the surface of what%26#39;s available in the area. If you are willing to drive three hours from Gettysburg, you can get to even more...visit the PA DCNR website for more on the state parks and what they offer. Best of luck for your trip!

Thanks so much for your help! We are leaving early in the morning and I%26#39;m going to review everything, check the maps, etc... on the plane. Your advice was most welcome %26amp; helpful. Thanks again.