Black Forest Trail

Tiadaghton State Forest (Slate Run, Lycoming County)

The Black Forest Trail, or BFT, is a loop of about 43 miles that starts in the village of Slate Run at the bottom of Pine Creek Gorge. The trail climbs out of the gorge and its side hollows again and again, and Purple Lizard Maps says it is “considered by many to be the most difficult trail in the State” despite its length.

DCNR says it uses old railroad grades, logging trails, footpaths, and some routes built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s. Wikipedia says the name comes from the region’s original forest, which reminded immigrant loggers of Germany’s Black Forest.

The hike

The traditional start is the footbridge over Slate Run, which Wikipedia says opened in 2014, and the loop is usually hiked counterclockwise. Purple Lizard’s group, hiking in June 2021, passed the old Slate Run cemetery and Hotel Manor, then climbed about 1,200 feet by mile 2.5 to a pair of quarry vistas and a spot they named “Rattlesnake Vista,” where they found at least seven timber rattlesnakes.

Wikipedia lists the Long Branch Trail junction (toward the West Rim Trail) at mile 3.3, the first crossing of PA Route 44 at 12.8, and the North Link Trail to the Susquehannock Trail System at 13.6. Purple Lizard describes a swim at Morris Run Falls early on and a railroad grade along County Line Branch around miles 13 to 16. Between miles 20.8 and 21.1 the trail drops into the Baldwin Branch gorge, past the stone ruins of a railroad foreman’s hut. Purple Lizard also notes an 1880s pump house from the Tidewater oil pipeline in this stretch.

After the second crossing of PA 44 at mile 23.2, the trail returns to the gorge rim. Purple Lizard counts a roughly 1,100-foot descent to Callahan Run, Hemlock Mountain’s end vista (which it calls one of the best on the trail), Naval Run Falls, and a 1,300-foot climb out to the Naval Mountain vistas. On the last day it passes a hemlock it calls more than 400 years old, then crosses Little Slate Run and Foster Hollow before following Slate Run’s railroad grade back to the start.

The BFT connects to other long trails. KTA lists two links to the Susquehannock Trail System and the T-Squared Trail to the Donut Hole Trail. A June 2026 Backcountry Post hiker did the loop in three days with almost 8,000 feet of gain and wrote that “four days would be a bit more relaxed.”

For a gentler walk along the same gorge, see the West Rim Trail.

Tips

Budget extra time. Purple Lizard took four days, and the 2026 hiker said three felt rushed.
Watch for rattlesnakes, especially at sunny vistas.
Carry water to high camps. The Hemlock Mountain site has no water nearby (Backcountry Post, 2026).
Plan for heat in summer, and expect nettles on the climb out of Foster Hollow (Purple Lizard).
Check fire rules. DCNR bans campfires March 1 to May 25 without permission and whenever fire danger is high or worse.
Hunting: the 2026 regular firearms deer season runs Nov. 28 to Dec. 13, Sundays included (Pennsylvania Game Commission). Wear orange.

Camping

DCNR allows backpack camping for one night at a site without a permit. A free permit from the district office is needed to stay longer at one site, to have an emergency point of contact, or for a spring campfire, and groups of more than 10 need a Letter of Authorization. Camp at least 200 feet from forest roads, 25 feet from trails, and 100 feet from streams and open water, and not in designated Natural Areas.

Inside Intel: The 2026 Backcountry Post hiker camped in a meadow on Hemlock Mountain with a view down the gorge and said that despite the dry camp, “it was worth it.” Purple Lizard’s group liked its mile 33.5 site overlooking Naval Run and Pine Creek. The 2026 hiker also mentions “gorgeous campsites with big hemlocks” farther up County Line Creek (County Line Branch).

Trail facts

Distance: About 42 to 44 miles depending on the source (42.8 per KTA)
Route type: Loop, usually counterclockwise
Difficulty: Strenuous
Campsites: Dispersed; Hemlock Mountain (dry), County Line Branch, near Naval Run (about mile 33.5)
Water: Slate Run, Morris Run, Callahan Run, Naval Run, Little Slate Run; treat it; some high camps are dry
Permits: None for one night at a site
Fires: Restricted March 1 to May 25 and in high fire danger
Trailhead: Slate Run village off PA 414; secondary access on PA 44
Last verified: October 12, 2026

The Lowdown

A dry camp on Hemlock Mountain:

One 2026 hiker took Hemlock Mountain's dry meadow camp for the view down Pine Creek Gorge, then packed up a tent wet from overnight rain. See the sleeping bags testers trust when the night turns damp.

See what testers chose →

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.