Susquehannock Trail System

Susquehannock State Forest (Potter and Clinton Counties)

The Susquehannock Trail System, or STS, is an 83.4-mile loop through Susquehannock State Forest in Potter County, with short pieces in Clinton County. DCNR says it “offers some of the best opportunities for backpacking” in the forest, and blogger Jeff Mitchell calls it “very much an isolated forests and creeks kind of trail.”

Wikipedia says William Fish Jr. proposed the trail in 1966 by linking footpaths and old logging and railroad roads, and the loop was finished in 1969. The volunteer Susquehannock Trail Club still maintains it.

The hike

The STS is marked with orange paint blazes and an occasional STS emblem (Susquehannock Trail Club). The Northern Gateway is the state forest headquarters on US 6, joined to the loop by a short access trail, and Ole Bull State Park on PA 144 is the Southern Gateway. Mitchell recommends hiking clockwise from the Northern Gateway.

Going that way, Wikipedia lists a descent into Jacob Hollow at mile 3.9, a suspension bridge at Lyman Run (with a side trail to Lyman Run State Park) at 6.6, and a former dynamite shed, now a shelter, at 10.5. The club says the Dynamite House was built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s and is one of the few shelters in Pennsylvania with four walls and a door. The West Branch and East Fork trails cut across the loop for shorter trips.

The loop reaches Kettle Creek and Ole Bull State Park at mile 26.5. Wikipedia then lists Spook Hollow at 30.8 and a shared 8.6-mile stretch with the Donut Hole Trail from mile 35.6. The village of Cross Fork, at mile 49, falls about halfway; Mitchell says its post office accepts mailed resupply boxes but the store mostly stocks candy and snacks.

From mile 54.4 the trail follows Hammersley Fork through the Hammersley Wild Area, which AMC’s Brian Horst calls “the largest piece of the state without roads.” Mitchell mentions Hammersley Pool and warns that the Hammersley Fork crossing has no bridge. The last third passes the East Fork of Sinnemahoning Creek, spurs to Prouty Place and Patterson State Parks, and Splash Dam Hollow before closing the loop.

Mitchell says climbs and descents can reach about 1,000 feet and that Cardiac Climb is the best known, though Morgan Hollow is steeper. He found few views, brushy stretches in the wild area, and many crossings: “Expect wet feet if creeks are flowing well.” ATV trails cross the northern section from late spring to early October.

Two link trails join the STS to the Black Forest Trail.

Tips

Plan for wet feet and avoid the Hammersley Fork crossing in high water.
Fill up before dry shelters. The club says the Dynamite House is a dry site.
Leave your contact and vehicle information at trailheads, Mitchell suggests.
Mail a resupply to Cross Fork if you need one.
Check fire rules. No campfires March 1 to May 25 without permission or 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

Susquehannock State Forest lets backpackers camp in most areas without a permit for one night per location. A free permit (814-274-3600, fd15@pa.gov) is required to stay more than one night at a site, for an emergency point of contact, or for 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. The club says the STS has ten shelters, with fire rings, picnic tables, and log books.

Inside Intel: Mitchell names the Bolich Run shelter as a favorite, set in a meadow near a hemlock-shaded creek. He says Gravel Lick is a dry site but close to Hammersley Vista, which is good for sunrise. Horst’s group camped in the grassy meadow at Ford Hollow, which Mitchell says is the newest shelter, near a creek.

Trail facts

Distance: 83.4 miles (about 84 per the club’s partners)
Route type: Loop; clockwise from the Northern Gateway suggested
Difficulty: Moderate to strenuous
Campsites: Dispersed, plus ten shelters (first come)
Water: Frequent streams; some shelters are dry; treat it
Permits: None for one night at a site
Fires: Restricted March 1 to May 25 and in high fire danger
Trailheads: Northern Gateway (state forest office, US 6); Ole Bull State Park (PA 144); Cross Fork
Last verified: October 12, 2026

The Lowdown

No bridge at the Hammersley Fork crossing:

Hammersley Fork has no bridge where the STS crosses it, and one hiker says to expect wet feet if creeks are flowing well. This page says to avoid that crossing in high water. Here's how to judge it.

Read the crossing 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.