Trails / Pennsylvania / Central Pennsylvania

Allegheny Front Trail

Moshannon State Forest and Black Moshannon State Park (Centre County)

The Allegheny Front Trail, or AFT, is a loop of about 42 miles that circles Black Moshannon State Park on the Allegheny Plateau in Centre County. The park’s hiking page says it passes “five mountain trout streams and eleven vistas in Moshannon State Forest,” and calls it “ideal for backpacking or a day hike on any segment.”

Wikipedia credits Ralph Seeley as the trail’s founder and says it was completed in the late 1990s, pieced together from cross-country ski trails, existing park and forest paths, and parts of the Great Shamokin Path and Bald Eagle’s Path used for centuries by Native Americans.

The hike

Wikipedia describes the loop clockwise from the main trailhead at PA Route 504 and Tram Road, 4.5 miles east of the park. The first three miles follow the edge of the Allegheny Front, with several maintained vistas, two of them named for Seeley. Desk to Dirtbag, whose writer hiked with a D.C. ultralight backpacking group, says trail crews named them “Ralph’s Pretty Good Vista” and “Ralph’s Majestic Vista.”

At mile 6.5 the trail enters Black Moshannon State Park and crosses it for 3.4 miles, using short boardwalks over wetlands and passing the park’s lake several times. Desk to Dirtbag notes a sign recommending waterproof boots because “this part of the trail is particularly wet.” The trail then descends to Six Mile Run at 14.7, past the Wolf Rocks formation and the site of the former Dayton Dam, removed in 2009, and crosses PA 504 again at 21.7.

At mile 25.9 a short side trail leads to a vista over Red Moshannon Creek, and the trail follows that creek for about 2.5 miles from 26.3; Wikipedia says mine pollution is visible. The trail crosses Black Moshannon Creek on a long footbridge at 32.2, joins the Rock Run Trails System at 37.1, and returns to PA 504 at 41.9.

Desk to Dirtbag’s group hiked it clockwise from Sixmile Run Road in three days during peak fall color, calling it “moderate in nature and not overly strenuous or challenging.” They found boggy sections, heavy rain, a storm blowdown that hid the blazes, and a recently logged area. They note that nearby roads make it easy to shorten the trip.

The Keystone Trails Association’s August 2026 trail care event planned brushcutting along Black Moshannon Creek and between Hall Run and Benner Run, plus switchback repair and blazing. KTA says the trail’s upkeep depends on “over-worked and under-staffed forestry employees, along with some local volunteers.”

For a longer loop in the same state forest, see the Quehanna Trail.

Tips

Wear waterproof boots or expect wet feet in the park’s bogs.
Don’t rely on Red Moshannon Creek for water; plan refills from other streams.
Follow the blazes closely, especially after storms; colors vary in places.
Check fire rules. DCNR bans campfires March 1 to May 25 without permission and in high fire danger.
Hunting: the 2026 regular firearms deer season runs Nov. 28 to Dec. 13, Sundays included (Pennsylvania Game Commission). Wear orange.

Camping

Moshannon State Forest lets backpackers camp without a permit for one night per location, and DCNR names the AFT among the forest’s best backpacking trails. A free permit (814-765-0821, FD09@pa.gov) is needed for more than one night at a site, an emergency contact, or a spring campfire, and groups of more than 10 need a Letter of Authorization. Don’t camp in designated Natural Areas, within 200 feet of a forest road, within 25 feet of a trail, or within 100 feet of a stream or open water. DCNR says state parks allow camping only in designated areas, so plan camps on forest land outside Black Moshannon State Park.

Inside Intel: Desk to Dirtbag’s group spent its first night at “a pretty heavily used camp area” beside Black Moshannon Creek, with numerous sites, and says other campsites farther along are sparse. No other camper accounts naming a site were found.

Trail facts

Distance: About 41.5 to 41.9 miles depending on the source
Route type: Loop
Difficulty: Moderate
Campsites: Dispersed on state forest land; a well-used area by Black Moshannon Creek
Water: Six Mile Run, Black Moshannon Creek, side streams; treat it; avoid Red Moshannon Creek
Permits: None for one night at a site
Fires: Restricted March 1 to May 25 and in high fire danger
Trailhead: PA 504 at Tram Road, 4.5 miles east of Black Moshannon State Park
Last verified: October 12, 2026

The Lowdown

Boardwalks and bogs around Black Moshannon:

The Allegheny Front Trail crosses wetlands on boardwalks, and one group passed a sign recommending waterproof boots. See the sleeping pads reviewers like for damp ground.

Read the full guide →

Where this comes from

This page draws on the sources below, along with other guides and trip reports. Links go to the original pages.

Before you go: This page is based on published trail guides, trip reports, and reviews, along with official park and agency information where we could find it. It’s meant to help backpackers discover new trails, not to replace current, official information. Conditions, closures, permits, campsites, and water sources change, and some details here may be out of date or wrong. Confirm everything with the managing agency and check current conditions before you head out, and don’t rely on this page alone for safety or navigation. Backcountry travel involves risk.