Trails / Pennsylvania / Allegheny National Forest

North Country Trail: Route 59 to Red Bridge

Allegheny National Forest, Allegheny (Kinzua) Reservoir

The North Country Trail crosses about 96 miles of the Allegheny National Forest on its way from North Dakota to Vermont, and its northern miles wrap around the Allegheny Reservoir, known locally as Kinzua. Pennsylvania Wilds writer Beau Martonik calls this stretch, from Route 59 to Red Bridge, his favorite: a reservoir-side hike that works as a day trip or an overnight.

It’s a short point-to-point by Allegheny standards, with stream crossings and lakeside camping options.

The hike

The Forest Service splits the NCT in the forest into segments. From Route 59, it lists 7.1 miles to Route 321 at Chappel Fork and 5.4 more to Red Bridge, about 12.5 miles in all. The North Country Trail Association’s chapter list gives 6.6 and 4.7 miles for the same pieces, about 11.3. The NCT is blazed blue, and side trails are white, Martonik notes.

Martonik suggests parking along Route 321 just past Red Bridge and leaving a second car off Route 59 for a one-way hike, or doing it as an out-and-back. He describes old-growth forest and clear streams along the way, and multiple first-come, first-served primitive campsites near the halfway point, next to the lake. (See the camping rules below before you pick a spot near the water.)

The chapter list names the campsites along the way. Between Route 59 and Chappel Bay it lists Hemlock Run, Chappel Bay, and Briggs Run. Between Chappel Bay and Red Bridge it lists the Chappel Fork Shelter and Root Run, ending at Red Bridge’s Forest Service campground, about a quarter mile north of the trailhead. Red Bridge is one of the developed campgrounds where the Forest Service lists potable water near the trail.

The chapter describes its section as crossing many streams, passing “rock cities,” and dropping into hemlock valleys. Volunteers have been building Adirondack-style shelters about every 10 miles along their 100-mile stretch, a goal WeConservePA reported they met in 2023.

To make a longer trip, Hiking Project notes that the northern NCT from Route 321 to Red Bridge runs about 29 miles, a two- to three-day hike. For a loop on the reservoir’s north side, see the Tracy Ridge Outer Loop. Farther south, the NCT passes the Minister Creek Trail.

Tips

• Treat all water. Martonik says the streams look clean but still need filtering or purifying.
• Hang your food. Black bears live here; Martonik suggests hanging food in a tree and not cooking where you sleep.
• Download maps for offline use. Cell service is limited, so leave your route with someone at home.
• No bikes. Bicycles are banned on the North Country Trail in the forest (Order 09-19-25-001).
• Bring local firewood only. Firewood from outside the Allegheny area is banned.

Camping

The Forest Service allows dispersed camping along much of the NCT, with setbacks. On this stretch, the key rules from its NCT page are no camping on the reservoir shore or within 1,500 feet of the reservoir’s timberline except in designated areas, none within 1,500 feet of either side of the Allegheny Reservoir Scenic Drive (which includes parts of SR 59 and 321), and none within 1,500 feet of Kinzua Creek’s main channel from Red Bridge upstream to Mead Run. The forest-wide stay limit is 14 days in 30.

The NCTA’s chapter list includes Chappel Fork Shelter and several named sites, and Red Bridge offers developed camping at the end.

Inside Intel: Pennsylvania Wilds’ Martonik recommends the lakeside primitive sites near the trip’s halfway point, which he calls first come, first served. Check with the ranger district that the site you choose is a designated one, since the reservoir setback order applies.

Trail facts

• Distance: About 12.5 miles (Forest Service segments); 11.3 (NCTA)
• Route type: Point to point (shuttle)
• Difficulty: Moderate
• Campsites: Hemlock Run, Chappel Bay, Briggs Run, Chappel Fork Shelter, Root Run (NCTA list); Red Bridge campground
• Water: Streams (treat); potable water at Red Bridge (Forest Service)
• Permits: None found
• Rules: Reservoir and scenic-drive setbacks; no bikes
• Trailheads: Route 59; Route 321 at Chappel Fork; Red Bridge on Route 321
• Last verified: October 12, 2026

Where this comes from

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

• USDA Forest Service: North Country National Scenic Trail (Allegheny NF)
• USDA Forest Service: Allegheny National Forest alerts and notices
• North Country Trail Association: Allegheny National Forest Chapter
• North Country Trail Association: ANF chapter campsites
• Pennsylvania Wilds: Hiking the North Country Trail in the Allegheny National Forest
• Hiking Project: North Country Trail (Allegheny National Forest section)
• WeConservePA: Ten shelters in ten years

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.