Hemlock Mountain via Naval Run and Black Forest Trails, June 20, 2026, Tiadaghton State Forest

View to Pine Creek Gorge from Hemlock Mountain

My brother and I don't do a lot of summer hiking in Pennsylvania. We prefer the late fall, early spring and winter months for meeting up in his neck of the woods for big day outings in the commonwealth. This year, however, we wanted to take advantage of a rare, cool and breezy mid-June day with low humidity to do a hike in the mountains around Pine Creek Gorge and enjoy the seasonal blooming of the mountain laurel. The one downside to not hiking in early summer is that you miss out on the optimal time to see the official state flower of Pennsylvania. But, as we soon found out, peak season for mountain laurel is also peak season for timber rattlers.

Mountain Laurel on Naval Run Trail

It took an hour and a half to drive to the trail, which is the absolute max amount of one-way car time for a day hike that either of us can handle. Fortunately, we still managed to be geared up and on the trail by 7:30 a.m. sharp. Unlike most of our hikes, which begin by ascending, this one starts with a long, gradual descent via switchbacks. The Naval Run Trail is a grassy trail with easy footing leading down into a pleasant wooded canyon. The blooming mountain laurel was aplenty on the higher elevation ridge top, then gradually disappeared as we lost elevation, replaced by large swaths of stinging nettles. However, this loop hike contains multiple ups and downs, so the mountain laurel would appear again each time that we climbed back up to the higher elevations. It's been a long time since I hiked Pennsylvania in mid-June. Keystone State forests are diverse and beautiful at this time of year.

Waterfall on Callahan Run Tributary

At the bottom of the ravine, we connected with the Black Forest Trail which makes a long ascent to the top of Hemlock Mountain. On the sunny rocks near the summit, a timber rattlesnake warned us of its presence so we gave it a wide berth, admired it from afar and made note to keep an eye out for others. I was in the lead and thought that I was being extra careful to scan the rocky trail ahead. However, I must have gotten lost in conversation at one point and suddenly heard my brother exclaim "snake!" I whipped around to see another rattler directly on the trail behind me. I had walked right over him. I don't have a fear of snakes, but coming that close to stepping on a venomous creature six miles deep into the forest had me, well, rattled. Lesson 1 of the day. Pay close attention in snake season. Lesson 2. Rattlers don't always rattle. 

Big Sky on Big Trail Scenic Road

After Hemlock Mountain, we traveled along the ridge to a campsite, stopped for lunch, and then descended again along Callahan Run. At the bottom of the valley, three trails and several streams come together at a very nice campsite within earshot of a small, picturesque waterfall. We made note of the spot for future hiking trips and then started the second of the two long, unrelenting ascents of the day back up to the higher elevation lands of the blooming mountain laurel. At the top, we ran into two hikers traveling in the opposite direction and chatted with them for a few minutes about the weather, their route and other favorite hiking spots in Pennsylvania. After bidding farewell, we set off on the Big Trail Scenic Road back to the car and quickly lamented our one mistake. 

Should have warned them about the rattlers.

Destination: Hemlock Mountain
Distance: 11.4 miles
Elevation: 2,080 feet (2,533 feet gain)
Route: Clockwise loop, Naval Run Trail to Black Forest Trail to Big Trail Scenic Road
Conditions: Sunny, 60 - 80 degrees F
Notable Flora/Fauna: Timber Rattlesnake x2

Rattlesnake, Bird and Blue Mountains, Tillman Ravine and Silver Spray Waterfall, April 27, 2026, Stokes State Forest

Blue Mountain Summit, View to the Northwest and Fog Trails on the Delaware River

With May quickly approaching, I resolved to hurry up and do at least one more big hike in the Delaware Water Gap before the season's end. My season for the Gap is November-April. Outside of those six months, there are just too many people for my liking. I'd also been cooped up in a car on several recent road trips and needed some locomotion big time. I ultimately decided on a 12.5-mile loop that covers 2,500 feet of gain starting along the Appalachian Trail ridge, descending into Tillman Ravine, climbing back up the ridge, descending again past the Silver Spray waterfalls, and then concluding with a final climb back up to the top. My new favorite hiking GPS app, CalTopo, is a great tool for putting together hikes at the Delaware Water Gap. Unlike the Adirondacks, there are not many long distance trails other than the AT, so a good app helps plan out the higher-mileage, higher-elevation gain hikes that I am looking for. I've been using CalTopo in conjunction with my NY-NJ Trail Conference paper maps and it has tons of neat features for the serious hiker. It's so much better than AllTrails, aka Facebook for hikers.

Spring Fiddlehead Ferns on the AT

I started out at 7 a.m. from the small parking lot off Owassa Road and made quick work of the switchback climb up to the AT. The warblers were out early and I got the sounds and sightings of plenty of Black and White Warblers almost immediately. I followed the rocky ridge up and over Rattlesnake, Bird and Blue Mountains and then descended past the Brink Road shelter to the highlight of the day -- The Tillman Bog. Iridescently-beautiful tree swallows were flitting about the dead trees and beaver lodges and in the background rose the distinct call of a Barred Owl doing his usually-nocturnal thing in the early a.m. I thought about finding a spot to camp out for an hour to listen and watch, but in the end I only spent about 15 minutes there before hitting the trail again. I'll be back.

Tillman Bog

After the bog, I followed a combination of hiking trails and the auto road down to the bottom of Tillman Ravine, then climbed back up past its rocky chutes and cascades. We had a substantial rain the day before and that was one of my reasons for choosing this hike. As I expected, the water was flowing nicely through this picturesque spot and it reminded me a little of the Flume and Basin in the White Mountains, though on a much smaller scale. More importantly, there were no cars in the two parking areas that give access to the ravine and I fortunately had it all to myself. 

Tillman Ravine

I took a relatively-newer trail called the Maple Leaf Trail back up towards Bird Mountain and then descended again along the trail that passes the Silver Spray waterfalls. You actually have to leave the trail to get to my favorite viewing spot, but it is less than a 1/4 mile detour and well worth it. After another break next to the cascades, I followed the long, straight woods road to the connector trail that leads back up to the AT. This is a rocky, steep trail reminiscent of something you'd find in the Adirondacks. It felt a little strange doing a steep climb so late in the day since my usual peak bagging always means climbing early and descending late. But it was fine. Once back on the ridge, I followed the AT back to the switchback and headed down to my car. 

On the day, I only encountered two other hikers. That won't be the case come May.

Destination: Rattlesnake, Bird and Blue Mountains, Tillman Ravine and Silver Spray Waterfall 
Distance: 12.5 miles
Elevation: 2,569 feet gain
Route: Clockwise hour glass loop: Mullins Road Trail to Appalachian Trail to Brink Road to Tilman Road to Tillman Trails to Red Maple Trail to Woods Road to Appalachian Trail to Woods Road to AT Connector to Appalachian Trail to Mullins Road
Conditions: Sunny, 34-64 degrees F
Notable Flora/Fauna: Black and White Warbler, Prairie Warbler, Black-Throated Green Warbler, Louisiana Water Thrush, Barred Owl, Tree Sparrow, Oven Bird

Six Ponds and Bird Mountain Loop, Sunday March 29, 2026, Delaware Water Gap

Crater Lake, view from the southeast Rocks

I really enjoy hiking in the Delaware Water Gap in the cold weather months. At this time of year, certain roads get shut down, limiting access to the interior. Also, people in the Mid-Atlantic don't like the cold. With the warm weather hikers staying home, the trails become pleasantly quiet and lonely. So the winter and early spring, for me, is the absolute best time to hike the Gap. On a chilly late-March day, I decided to try a new variant on an old favorite - the Six Ponds Loop. Accessing the ridge from a lesser used dead end parking area near Fairview Lake, the hike takes you to six picturesque mountain ponds. Some they call ponds; some they call lakes. I never get the difference. This time, I added an out and back to Bird Mountain summit and Silver Spray Waterfall, which extended the hike to a respectable 15 miles over 2,000 feet of elevation gain. 

Rhododendron Tunnels near Long Pine Pond

Starting out at 7 a.m. sharp, I found the forest eerily quiet. In the lower elevations where I live, the early morning woods were already filled with the sounds of the many birds that you start to hear at this time of year -- Robins, Red-Winged Blackbirds, even Eastern Towhees. But apparently they had not yet decided to venture into the higher elevations and all was quiet as I climbed up the ridge and descended down to Long Pine Pond. As the day progressed, I did have some good sightings -- Common Mergansers on many of the ponds and plenty of Pileated and Red-Bellied Woodpeckers. I also came across a cacophony of American Goldfinches, the New Jersey State Bird. Later in the day, I had a great view of a Red-Tailed Hawk soaring low over Mountain Ridge Pond and another of a Red-Tailed Hawk and Common Raven casually hanging out together on a tree along the AT. It was neat.

Wetlands Viewing Rock East of Hemlock Pond

I had the whole hike to myself and took nice breaks on the shores of most of the water bodies. The only hiker who I encountered was on the trail after Blue Mountain Lake. She had an old Brittany Spaniel with her, which reminded me of my brother's long-time hiking companion, Dilsey, so I stopped to pet the pooch. She was a regular on the trails and expressed surprise at seeing another car at her "secret" parking area where we both had started our hikes.

I'm glad that it's still a secret.

Destination: Six ponds and Bird Mountain
Distance: 15 miles
Elevation: 2,067 feet (gain)
Route: Counterclockwise loop 
Conditions: Partly sunny, 30-40 degrees F
Notable Flora/Fauna: Common Mergansers, Red-Tailed Hawks, Common Ravens, Pileated Woodpeckers, American Goldfinches