The Lost Turkey Trail is a 26 mile linear trail located in south-central Pennsylvania. The eastern trailhead is located in Blue Knob State Park while the western trailhead is located along Route 56 in Gallitzin State Forest. Shortly after the eastern trail head, the trail crosses the top of Blue Knob making it the highest point of any backpacking trail in PA at 3,034 ft. The trail is marked sporadically with mile marks. In Blue Knob State Park the trail is marked with red blazes which seem to be replaced with orange blazes once the trail reaches Gallitzin State Forest. Blazing can be very inconsistent and sparse especially on the western section so hikers must be very diligent to stay on trail.
On the eastern section, the trail shifts between following hollows to ridge top sections. In the hollows, stinging nettle is abundant so pants are definitely recommended in warmer months. The western section is mostly flat as the trail traverses the plateau. The western section has a lot of road walking and boggy sections towards the end. There is a shelter located approximately 3 miles from the western trail head. This shelter has some benches and a picnic table and is first come first serve. Campsites are extremely limited on this trail. If you find yourself in the area, we'd recommend hiking the John P Saylor Trail instead. The Saylor is a 17 mile loop and has a lot more to offer hikers than the Lost Turkey in our opinion.
6 окт 2024
