Trails / Pennsylvania / Allegheny National Forest

Minister Creek Trail

Allegheny National Forest (Minister Creek Recreation Area, Bradford Ranger District)

Minister Creek is a short loop in the Allegheny National Forest with a trout stream, big sandstone boulders, a valley overlook, and a backcountry campsite where three branches of the creek meet. Wikipedia calls it popular for beginner overnight backpacking.

It starts at the Minister Creek Recreation Area on Route 666, 14.7 miles southwest of Sheffield, where the Forest Service runs the smallest campground in the forest.

The hike

The Forest Service’s 2011 brochure describes a six-mile loop marked with gray blazes that starts and ends at the campground and joins the blue-blazed North Country Trail at its north end. Wikipedia puts it at 6.3 miles, and writer Jeff Mitchell says the full loop is “over seven miles long.”

From the trailhead across the road from the parking lot, an entrance trail climbs above Route 666 on an old dirt road to the loop at about 0.5 mile, according to Wikipedia. Most hikers turn right and drop to a footbridge over Minister Creek, then follow the valley upstream, rising gradually past large rock formations. Mitchell describes “giant sandstone monoliths” covered in moss, lichens, and ferns, with overhangs, caves, a “room” of stacked boulders, and cliffs “dripping with springs.”

At about 2.5 miles the loop meets the North Country Trail and follows it west for about half a mile, passing the Triple Forks backcountry campsite at the confluence of three branches of Minister Creek. The loop then leaves the NCT, crosses the valley heading south, and climbs past several vistas and boulder outcrops before rejoining the entrance trail at 5.7 miles.

Both Mitchell and a MyHikes contributor single out the Minister Creek Overlook. Mitchell describes “fine views over the valley” and calls it a great sunrise spot; a MyHikes contributor calls it “a must see!” Backpacker’s 1999 story on the area mentions views of the Allegheny Plateau from the Minister Creek Trail.

The Forest Service’s 2017 brochure rates the trail “more difficult” because it climbs to a plateau. It follows old railroad grades from early logging and is open only to hiking and cross-country skiing. Minister Creek holds small native brook trout. Hunters use the area heavily in late fall and spring, and cell service is limited to nonexistent.

The loop can be stretched along the North Country Trail; see Route 59 to Red Bridge for a section farther north. For a longer loop nearby, see the Hickory Creek Trail.

Tips

Fill up at the campground pump. The Forest Service says the pump water is safe to drink; boil or treat water from other sources.
Watch for blazes. Gray diamonds mark the loop and blue diamonds the NCT, and a MyHikes contributor found them sparse.
Leave an itinerary and hike with a partner, as the Forest Service suggests; cell coverage is spotty.
Wear bright colors during the late fall and spring hunting seasons.
Bury waste at least 6 inches deep and 200 feet from water.

Camping

Backpackers camp at dispersed sites along the loop and the North Country Trail. Wikipedia names the Triple Forks backcountry campsite on the shared NCT segment, and the North Country Trail Association’s chapter list includes Triple Forks East, Triple Forks West, and a site across the West Fork. Mitchell mentions “several beautiful campsites along the trail, often near creeks.” No permit requirement was found; the forest-wide stay limit is 14 days in 30 (Order 09-19-17-01), and firewood from outside the Allegheny area is banned.

At the trailhead, Minister Creek Campground has six family sites with a picnic table, fire ring, and tent pad, first come, first served, plus vault toilets and a hand pump, according to the Forest Service.

Inside Intel: A MyHikes contributor who camped off the north loop reports “plenty of camp sites and large fire rings” where the North Country Trail meets this trail. Backpacker’s 1999 itinerary used Triple Forks Camp, “beside the brooks,” as its second-night stop on a longer trip from Hickory Creek.

Trail facts

Distance: About 6 to 6.3 miles (Forest Service, Wikipedia); sources range to over 7
Route type: Loop with an entrance trail
Difficulty: Moderate (“more difficult” per the Forest Service)
Campsites: Triple Forks area on the North Country Trail; Minister Creek Campground at the trailhead
Water: Campground hand pump; Minister Creek and its forks (treat)
Permits: None found
Uses: Hiking and cross-country skiing only
Trailhead: Route 666, 14.7 miles southwest of Sheffield
Last verified: October 12, 2026

The Lowdown

A soft spot at Triple Forks:

The Triple Forks campsites, where three branches of Minister Creek meet, make an easy first night out for new backpackers. See the sleeping pads testers rate for comfort and warmth.

See the picks →

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.