UPCOMING EVENTS 

Trail Care: Gone WILD! 5 Trail Care Skills in 1 Weekend
July 6–9, 2023 | Chuck Keiper Trail, Sproul State Forest

This is a great Trail Care event for volunteers (new or seasoned) who want to learn a variety of trail maintenance skills including removal of blowdowns, DR mowing, brushcutting, water diversion, and blaze painting. Plus, enjoy a refreshing, off-the-grid-style experience camping at Hyner Run State Park in the PA Wilds!

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Issue Hike: Threats to a Trail and Forest from a Riverside Hydroelectric Project | Mason Dixon Trail
July 21, 2023, 4pm | Wrightsville, PA | Co-Hosted by Sierra Club

Learn about plans for a pumped storage hydroelectric project that, if constructed, would decimate towering forests, neighboring farmlands, stream-cut canyons, and a portion of an exceptional hiking trail. 

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Trail Challenge Preview Hike - Section 1: Pinnacle Overlook to Susquehannock State Park
August 5, 2023, 9am | Susquehannock State Park 

Get ready for the upcoming KTA Trail Challenge 25K by taking a test hike on our new course! Led by a KTA guide, you'll hike the first half of the course, 13.8 KM, at a moderate pace. Meet at Susquehannock State Park Hawk Point Pavilion – follow the road to the second parking lot.

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Trailside Invaders [Webinar]
August 8, 2023, 6pm–7pm | Zoom 

Join Dr. Autumn Sabo, Assistant Professor of Biology at Penn State University, for an informative session about invasive plant species found in Pennsylvania that are most vexing to trails and hikers. From
Japanese barberry to mile-a-minute weed, find out how to identify these problematic intruders and what to do next.

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Trail Challenge Preview Hike - Section 2: Pequea Campground to Pinnacle Overlook
August 12, 2023, 8:30am | Susquehannock State Park 

Get ready for the upcoming KTA Trail Challenge 25K by taking a test hike on our new course! Led by a KTA guide, you'll hike the second half of the course, 11.2 KM, at a moderate pace. Meet at Pinnacle Overlook.

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Trail Care: Special Projects for NPSFS Certified Volunteer Sawyers (...but all volunteers are welcome!)
August 10–13, 2023 | Tracy Ridge Trail System, Allegheny Nat'l Forest

If you are a "National Park Service and Forest Service" certified volunteer sawyer, we have special projects for you during this trip! Tasks for this trip include swamping for certified sawyers, brushcutting, and lopping. At night, camp under the shady oaks at Tracy Ridge Campground nestled in the Allegheny National Forest!

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Trail Care: Tune-Up While Trekking the Thunder Swamp
August 24–27, 2023 | Thunder Swamp System, DE State Forest

Wander through streams, wetlands, and rocky havens as you clear heavy blowdowns, lop, and cut back brush along the trails to revitalize and provide an overall tune-up for these pathways first built in the 1970s! In the evenings, gather around the bonfire at the Deer Run group camping site at Resica Falls Scout Reservation!

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KTA Trail Challenge 25K Run & Hike
September 9, 2023 | Lancaster County

​​​Challenge yourself to complete these arduous miles of steep climbs and rocky terrain punctuated with fantastic vistas and scenic forest hollows. 

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 FROM THE KTA BLOG 

• Why You Need to Visit an Old-Growth Forest This Summer [Guest Post by Old-Growth Forest Network]
• 10 Ways to Hike the Same Trail for a New Experience Every Time
• 6 Books for Hikers to Read this Summer
• Summer Resource Round-Up for Outdoor Lovers

 NEWS & ANNOUNCEMENTS 

A few black bear sightings have been reported along the Appalachian Trail in PA. Here are some guidelines for bear safety.

Centred Outdoors is collecting donations of gently-used outdoor gear. 

Blue Mountain Eagle Climbing Club dedicated a new mural marking the entry to their 34-acre Arboretum.

In PA state parks and forests managed by DCNR, you can gather edible wild plants or plant parts for your personal or family consumption, unless the plant is listed as threatened, endangered, rare, or vulnerable.

What you should eat and drink before, during, and after a day hike for optimal energy and recovery.

The Appalachian Trail 2023 Hall of Fame Class will be honored at the Hall of Fame Induction event on Sunday, September 10, 2023.