Backpack Trail Guide

Trails / Pennsylvania / Eastern Pennsylvania

Appalachian Trail: Port Clinton to Lehigh Gap

Appalachian National Scenic Trail, Blue Mountain (Port Clinton to Lehigh Gap)

North of Port Clinton, the Appalachian Trail follows Blue Mountain east for about 40 miles to the Lehigh River. This is where Pennsylvania’s reputation for rocks starts to show: one hiker calls the Port Clinton to Delaware Water Gap stretch “the rockiest section of the entire trail.”

It’s also where the views are. A 2013 Backpacker trip page calls the half from Port Clinton to PA 309 “arguably the most scenic section of the AT in Pennsylvania,” with hawks and eagles riding thermals above the overlooks.

The hike

A Fastest Known Time route page measures Port Clinton to Lehigh Gap at 40 miles with about 6,700 feet of climbing. It describes a steep climb to the ridge from the Port Clinton trailhead near PA 61, then gentle rolling with no major climbs until a steep final descent into Lehigh Gap. It also breaks the route down by footing: 10 to 15 miles of “very rough” rock hopping, about 10 moderate miles, and 15 to 20 fast, flat ones.

The first highlights come early. Backpacker’s waypoints include Windsor Furnace Shelter, a side trail to The Pinnacle (labeled “best view in PA”), Pulpit Rock, and Dan’s Pulpit, plus a blue-blazed trail to Blue Rocks Campground. A first-time backpacker on the VFTT forum hiked about 5 miles from the Eckville lot to Windsor Furnace Shelter, gaining roughly 1,000 feet, and found the trail there more like a fire road than typical Pennsylvania rock.

Next comes the Hawk Mountain area. Backpacker notes that Hawk Mountain Sanctuary is about 2 miles off the A.T. via the Skyline Trail. Eckville Shelter, near Kempton, comes next; WFMZ reported in 2025 that it offered a shower and device charging, which is rare on this stretch. Its future is uncertain (see the notice above).

Farther east, the Fastest Known Time page lists The Cliffs, Bear Rocks, and Bake Oven Knob, a hawk- and eagle-watching spot with lookouts on both sides of the ridge, according to Wikipedia. The 1937 Bake Oven Shelter stands about half a mile north of the knob. Near the end, George W. Outerbridge Shelter sits above the gap. Jason Durham, who stayed there in April 2023, described the descent to Lehigh Gap as a steep drop of about 1,000 feet.

The trail crosses the Lehigh River on the PA 873 bridge, where the ATC reported PennDOT construction expected to finish by early March 2026; the walkway stayed open. The A.T. continues east on the Lehigh Gap to Delaware Water Gap page. For a gentler Pennsylvania section, see Pen Mar to Pine Grove Furnace.

Tips

Camping

The ATC says State Game Lands cover much of the A.T. between the Cumberland Valley and the Delaware Water Gap. State rules (58 Pa. Code § 135.42) allow overnight camping there only for through hikers, meaning hikers walking from one access point to a different one, and only within 200 feet of the trail, for one night per location, and not within 500 feet of a spring, stream, or public access area. The Keystone Trails Association says camping on game lands is otherwise prohibited and suggests confirming the rules with the Game Commission or the ATC’s Mid-Atlantic office in Carlisle.

Backpacker lists Windsor Furnace Shelter (sleeps 8), Eckville Shelter (6), and Allentown Shelter (8), plus Pocahontas and Furnace Creek campsites, between Port Clinton and PA 309. Bake Oven and Outerbridge Shelters follow. The Keystone Trails Association took over Outerbridge in 2024, when volunteers installed a metal food box from the National Park Service after recent bear sightings.

Inside Intel: No camper accounts recommending a specific site on this section were found. The VFTT forum poster found Windsor Furnace crowded on a spring weekend, with two large tenting groups, and Durham reported mice running around Outerbridge Shelter overnight.

Trail facts

The Lowdown

Rock hopping from Port Clinton to Lehigh Gap:

This section has 10 to 15 miles of very rough rock hopping and a steep drop of about 1,000 feet into Lehigh Gap. Rubber tips and a steady pole rhythm can help on rock like that.

Read the pole tips →

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.