Category Pennsylvania

Powdermill Nature Reserve & Four Seasons Brewing Co.

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Rector, PA

Powdermill Nature Preserve is a hidden gem tucked in the Laurel Highlands about an hour outside of Pittsburgh. Often overlooked by its better known neighbors, this small reserve has about 5 miles of hiking trails and a beautiful visitor center with educational exhibits that are fun and interesting for the whole family. Full of signs with nature facts and tree identifications, these peaceful trails taught me so much! After a peaceful, secluded hike, you can head over to Four Seasons Brewing in Latrobe for a pour in their spacious taproom.

THE HIKE: Powdermill Nature Reserve Trails

Length: 4.6 miles
Elevation Gain: 725 ft
Difficulty: Moderate
Time: 2-2.5 hours
Trail use: Hiking, leashed pets
Parking: Large lot at nature center
H&H: 5/5

Powdermill Nature Reserve really flies under the radar in the Laurel Highlands as there are so many other more popular places to hike (ahem, here’s looking at you Ohiopyle) but I would highly recommend planning a visit out here. Powdermill is actually a part of the Carnegie Museum of Natural History and functions as its environmental research center. So in addition to educational programming in the visitor center, Powdermill is also a field station and research laboratory. There’s a lot going on at Powdermill but one of their biggest projects is the Avian Research Center which tracks birds in the area to see how these creatures  are adapting to the changing world. Check out the Avian Research Center’s website for more info on the current research projects! 

As you may tell from my hikes, I love learning more about nature and the environment. Powdermill has been on my radar for a while and I’m so glad I finally made the time to visit! Be aware that the trails do not appear on AllTrails so be sure to check out the trail map on Powdermill’s website beforehand. Also, the area is a bit of a deadzone, so downloading the area to Google Maps is a great idea! The trail is also posted outside of the visitor center. 

There are a few different trails to explore here, all of a fairly manageable length. The longest is Porcupine Ridge which is 3 miles out-and-back from the visitor center. There is also a small system of trails behind the visitor center which add up to about 1.5 miles. I did a big loop of all the trails to experience the whole space! 

To start, carefully cross the street from the visitor center to find the Porcupine Ridge Trailhead. From here, you immediately head into dense woods. These trails are pretty secluded so you’re pretty likely to have the place to yourself! Not long after starting, there’s the option to add on the Sugar Camp Trail. I highly recommend this as it was full of cool fungi and had lots of interpretative signs about the flora and fauna of the area. I learned so much! After about 0.5 miles, the Sugar Camp Trail meets back up with the Porcupine Ridge Trail and you can continue towards the overlook. At one point, the trail crosses over a private road so be sure to stay on the trail! After the road crossing, the trail becomes more rocky and heads uphill. This is the most difficult part of the trail and can be muddy. The trail also passes through an area that suffered tornado damage some years ago. New trees have been planted and it’s critical to stay on the trail here so as not to disturb the reforestation. Finally, you’ll take the last hill up to the overlook. There is a small platform with a bench to take in the view of the hills. It’s not the most incredible view especially for the Laurel Highlands, but I thought it was a nice place to relax. Then, you can just retrace your steps back to the visitor center! From there, definitely explore the shorter trails behind the Visitor Center. There’s a beautiful spot where two creeks come together. I also really appreciated how many of the plants were labeled so that I could work on my identification skills! 

Finally, after your hike, be sure to check out the exhibits in the visitor center! I was particularly interested in their “marsh machine” that filters waste water. They also have some nice exhibits about the animals that can be found in the area. Plus, there’s a fun flow chart about finding out what bird you are. Apparently I’m a hawk! 

THE BEER: Four Seasons Brewing Co.

Address: 745 Lloyd Ave Exd, Latrobe, PA 15650
Distance from Trail Head: 18 miles, 25 mins
Website: http://www.fsbrewing.com/
Food?: Full Kitchen
Details: Outdoor seating, Pets outside

Four Seasons has been brewing up delicious brews in Latrobe since 2013. They’ve got a huge indoor taproom complete with an in-house restaurant and outdoor seating. Their warehouse taproom vibe is complemented by artwork by renowned illustrator Mark Brewer, whose work is also featured on cans from Four Seasons. The owner and head brewer is born and raised in Latrobe, which is evident from the neighborhood vibe of the place. It very much feels like a place for locals, although always welcome to out of towners! Head over for live music on the weekends! You can also find them pouring local wines, ciders, and liquors for you non-beer drinkers. Next time you’re in Latrobe, be sure to check out Four Seasons!

Our Beer:

  • Bluegrass Ale w/ Blueberries – Wheat Ale – 5.5%
  • Latrobe Lager – Lager – 5.4%
  • Hall of Fame – Hefeweizen – 5.8%
  • Catlas – Witbier – 5.1% 

Looking for more Hikes & Hops in the Laurel Highlands? Check out Wolf Rocks & Helltown and Ohiopyle & Bloom Brew

Wolf Creek Narrows & Big Rail Brewing

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Grove City, PA

Wolf Creek Narrows was an unexpectedly lovely find! Combined with the trail at Miller woods Nature Preserve, this makes for a great afternoon hike. It’s also perfect for a summer day since most of the trail follows along cool streams. The trails meander through woods and fields and are particularly nice for seeing native plant species. Save the section along Wolf Creek for the very end to cool off! Afterwards, head over to Big Rail Brewing in Grove City for a refreshing brew in their rustic outdoor taproom. This is a great hike and hop for the whole family!

THE HIKE: Wolf Creek Narrows

Length: 4 miles
Elevation Gain: 200 ft
Difficulty: Easy
Time: 2 hours
Trail use: Hiking, leashed pets
Parking: Small lot at trailhead, no facilities
H&H: 5/5

The first thing to know about this hike is that it combines two nature preserves and neither of them have great trail maps. Thankfully, they’re both pretty small and there’s little chance of getting lost. Miller Woods Nature Preserve is managed by Slippery Rock University. It is a certified Audubon Society Sanctuary and is often used as an outdoor classroom and lab by the University. In the spring, this is a fantastic area to see wildflowers and its low foot traffic also makes for a wonderful place to see wildlife, especially birds.

The sign for Wolf Creek Narrows trailhead

Wolf Creek Narrows is on the opposite side of the bridge from Miller Woods and is managed by the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy. It features mature hardwood forests, spring wildflowers, and is open for fishing along the creek. Although the WPC acknowledges this as one of their more popular locations, we still found plenty of solitude on a sunny summer day! When looking into this preserve, you may see that the maps only list one short loop. However, just recently an additional route has been added through the woods and then out into a field that almost doubles the amount of trail. Although the field section can be warm, it’s full of native wildflowers, which made for a lovely walk. 

To access this hike, park at Miller Woods, off of Miller Road. The parking lot is fairly small, with room for about 8 cars. Be aware that there are no facilities at this trailhead! The trail begins in the back left hand corner of the parking area. Although most maps only slow one loop through these woods, we found that there were a lot of community foraged trails. We stuck to one along the creekside which led us through impressively large trees and a variety of plant life, including some beautiful swamp cabbage patches. At the furthest point of the trail, we found ourselves on a pebbled shore of the creek, which was perfect for skipping some stones. After heading back into the woods, we turned left at a fork and continued away from the creek, passing by some old ruins. From here, we made a bit of a mistake and followed a side trail along a shallow creek bed that eventually seemed like it was leading us off course. So we turned around and found the right trail which quickly linked back up to the path leading back to the parking lot. All together, subtracting our detour, the loop in Miller Woods is about 1 mile. 

Now that you’re back at the parking lot, leave your car there and head towards the road. This isn’t a busy road, but use caution while walking along it. Make a right out of the parking lot and head across the bridge. On the left side of the bridge, you’ll see the signs for Wolf Creek Narrows. Now starts the second leg of your trek! Upon entering these woods, you’ll notice that the trees seem much older. My suggestion for this trail is to bear to the right at the first fork. There’s a short climb to higher ground and after a few minutes, you’ll see the new section of trail. This starts out in a thick hemlock patch and then opens up to a wildflower field which is also home to a bat house! Following this trail all the way to the road will lead to a new parking lot access for Wolf Creek Narrows. This is an alternative spot to park if Miller woods is full! Continue back along this trail to the woods and when you come to a fork, bear to the right to finish out the loop. After following the trail back down to the creek, be sure to spend some time down in the creek. The water is cool and refreshing and the nearby cliff sides carved out by the water are worth a look! After splashing around, follow the trail back up to the road and back to your car. 

We were all pleasantly surprised by this trail and I would happily recommend it to anyone visiting the area. It’s not the longest nor most impressive trail I’ve been on recently, but it was the perfect nature trek to bring my parents on. We walked slowly and enjoyed every new plant we saw and made sure to skip stones and wade into the creek.  And I would also highly recommend following it up with a trip to Big Rail Brewery.

THE BEER: Big Rail Brewery

Address: 2158 Mercer Butler Pike, Grove City, PA 16127
Distance from Trail Head: 6 miles, 10 mins 
Website: https://bigrailbrewing.com/
Food?: Food Truck or BYOF
Details: Outdoor seating, dog friendly, Live music, playground

This brewery has been on my radar for ages after seeing it on a list from NextPittsburgh about road trip breweries from Pittsburgh. A hike and hop weekend with my family seemed like the perfect excuse to finally make a trip out here. Big Rail Brewing is the first place I’ve been to have a rustic beer garden as their primary location. Although they are building a large taproom and brewing facility onsite (opening date TBD), they’ve been serving their brews outdoors since 2019! But this isn’t just some picnic tables in the woods. Big Rail Brewing has probably the nicest outdoor set up I’ve ever seen at a brewery. Not only is there plenty of seating but there’s also covered pavilions, firepits, and picnic tables. It’s also incredibly family friendly, even featuring a sandpit area for the kiddos! Most weekends you can also find a food truck and live music. Honestly, I could have spent all day here! It’s everything you could want in an outdoor space. We all felt like we were having a beer in a friend’s backyard! I hope even when the taproom is up and running that they keep this incredible outdoor space. 

Fun fact, Big Rail is a nickname for a specific heavy weight rail that was forged to handle the extremely heavy weights of the coal and iron ore carried out of Pennsylvania. The name is a nod to all of the blue-collar workers that hold up our society. 

Our Beer:

  • Treebeard – Brown Ale – 5.7%
  • Wrought Iron – Red Ale – 6%
  • Sunshower – Blonde Ale – 5.3%
  • Johnny Chatters – Amber Ale – 5%
  • Punchy Rig – NEIPA – 6%
  • Union Bros Collaboration – IPA – 5%
  • Old Blue – Cream Ale – 4.5%

Looking for more Hikes & Hops north of Pittsburgh? Check out Moraine & Union Brothers, McConnells Mill & Shubrew, and North Park & Cinderlands

Moraine State Park & Union Brothers Brewing

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Portersville, PA

Most people associate Moraine State Park with boating and fishing, but did you know that there’s also nearly 30 miles of hiking and biking trails? Glacier Ridge Trail is popular for backpacking but can also be done as an out and back section, choosing how far you want to go. This particular section starts at the parking lot on Mount Union Road and turns around at the 528 Bridge for just over 7.2 miles. After working up a sweat on this trail, back into Harmony for a refreshing brew at Union Brothers either in their full-kitchen taproom or in their cozy outdoor patio.

THE HIKE: Glacier Ridge Trail (Moraine State Park)

Length: 7.25 miles
Elevation Gain: 1350 ft
Difficulty: Moderate
Time: 3.5 hours
Trail use: Hiking, leashed pets
Parking: Gravel pull off for a few cars on Mt. Union Rd
Parking coordinates: 40.96781939719753, -80.07996200282916
H&H: 5/5

Moraine State Park is located in Portersville, PA only a few miles away from McConnells Mill State, another of my recent treks. Although these two have been affected by a similar geological history, they are rather unique from each other! Moraine is mainly characterized by the 3,000 acre Lake Arthur, which is why it is (justifiably) known for its draw to outdoor water sports and fishing. However, there’s lots of unique history behind that lake and its nearby trails.

History

Moraine State Park gets its name because of the four separate glaciers that reached their northernmost extent just shy of Moraine State Park. Glaciers are huge ice sheets that covered much of the Earth during the Ice Age. Because of the way glaciers move, they trap and move rock and other debris. When they melt and recede, this debris is left behind, often creating ridges known by geologists as moraines. While hiking through this park, you can see evidence of these glacial deposits in the huge boulders and stone that seem to emerge out of nowhere. As I’ve mentioned before, this glacial freeze and thaw cycle is also what created the incredible Slippery Rock Gorge at McConnells Mill! At one point in time, ice dams caused the creation of glacial lakes throughout the region. Although the current Lake Arthur is manmade, it is a replica of the glacial Lake Watt that once dominated the area. 

Because of the unique glacial deposits, settlers to the region found it rich with mineral deposits. The mining industry grew throughout the 1800s until much of the area was depleted of resources and left polluted. For many decades, the area was left completely abandoned. But thanks to the efforts of researcher and naturalist Frank W. Preston (founder of the Western PA Conservancy), who recognized the uniqueness of the land, efforts were made to seal abandoned mains and restore the natural landscape. 

One of my favorite things about this blog is being able to learn the history behind the trails I hike. I’ve lived in Pittsburgh most of my life, and never knew that Moraine wasn’t a person’s name but rather a geological term. Learning more about the geological history of the area, really gives greater depth to enjoying the areas we hike. It’s one thing to hike a trail called Glacier Ridge and another to understand why it’s called that! 

The Trail

Okay, enough waxing poetic about geology (can you tell that I used to study archaeology?). Let’s get into this trail. Glacier Ridge is a 14.8 mile point to point trail that runs through the woods along the northside of Lake Arthur. It’s part of a small section of the 4,800 mile North Country Scenic Trail that runs from North Dakota to Vermont.  Glacier Ridge is popular with backpackers and there are shelters that can be booked through the PA DNR website. Please note that you must have a permit to backpack! For more info about backpacking in Moraine, check out My Trails Are Many for a great overview of her experience. For those just looking to day hike, there are several access points to the Glacier Ridge trail in Moraine: PA 528, Mount Union Road, the bike rental, and McDanels Launch Area. For our trek, we parked at the small gravel pull-off on Mount Union Road which is small, but on a sunny Sunday, we were the only ones there! Be aware that there is also a larger parking lot for the bike trails on Mount Union before you hit this lot but that’s not where I recommend parking! 

Immediately after starting the trail, it dips down to a peaceful pond that would be the perfect secluded fishing spot. Honestly, I could have spend the rest of the day lazing around this pond! From there the trail meanders through the woods, sometimes  crossing over small bridges and heading up rocky inclines. For most of the trail, you’ll be staying on the blue blazes for the NCT/Glacier Ridge Trail. Do not follow any of the signs for the bike trails or the marina! After about 3.5 miles, the North Country trail splits off and continues north but you’ll want to stay on the Glacier Ridge Trail, which is now white blazed. Now, the trail hugs directly next to the lake, so there’s plenty of gorgeous photo opportunities. Finally, the trail hits the PA 528 bridge which is where we decided to turn around. Feel free to continue on if you’ve got the time and stamina! As always, make sure to leave enough daylight to make the return trek. 

Other Things to Do

A trip to Moraine is a great day trip from the city! Aside from hiking, you can also get out on the water. There are 9 public boat docks and engines up to 20 horsepower are allowed. You can also rent pontoons, motorboats, kayaks, canoes, and rowboats. Swimming and fishing are also popular activities at Moraine. If staying on land is more your speed, check out the paved bike trails and also the more intense mountain bike routes. Looking for more to do in Moraine? Check out the PA Department of Natural Resources and the Butler County Tourism site. 

THE BEER: Union Brothers Brewing

Address: 365 Mercer Rd, Harmony, PA 16037
Distance from Trail Head: 18 miles, 22 mins 
Website: http://unionbrothersbrewing.com/
Food?: Full Menu
Details: Outdoor seating; Dog Friendly Outside

Union Brothers Brewing is a fairly recent addition to the thriving Zelienople beer scene. Friends Zachary Waltz and Jeremiah Cain began homebrewing together and perfected their craft for many years before opening a taproom. But once they did, it quickly outgrew the demand for their lineup of sours and hazy IPAs. The team has already expanded once to a larger taproom and greatly expanded their brewing capacity. From the stunning wall art by local graffiti artist Max Gonzales to its physical location across the street from the Steamfitters Union, Union Brothers is a celebration of the region’s industrial past and present. Both brewers are proud members of their local union and felt the name fit! You’ll find yourself right at home at Union Brothers whether it’s in the hip taproom or sitting around picnic tables and fire pits outside. A full food menu caps Union Brothers off as the perfect place to unwind. 

We’ve been to Union Brothers twice now and have had an awesome experience both times. It feels like the perfect neighborhood joint, whether you’re from the area or just passing through. Having an excellent taplist doesn’t hurt either! I’ve heard rumors that Union Brothers is set to expand again soon, having purchased the old nearby Moose Lodge. I’m looking forward to seeing these guys just keep getting bigger and better!

Our Beer:

  • Short Break – Hazy Pale Ale – 4.7%
  • Black Forest Hills – Dark Lager – 6%

Looking for more Hikes & Hops north of Pittsburgh? Check out Wolf Creek Narrows & Big Rail Brewing, McConnells Mill & Shubrew, and North Park & Cinderlands

NCT PA Border & Ill Will Brewing

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Columbiana, OH

Sometimes you’ve just gotta get out of town! I love some of the little towns just across the PA border in Ohio and this is the perfect Hike n Hop to do before a day of exploring. This hike starts at Mile 0 of the PA portion of the North Country Scenic Trail and meanders through woods and fields, making for a lovely spring hike. Afterward, you can head into Ohio towards Columbiana and grab a beer at the sprawling Ill Will Brewery. I highly recommend sitting outside. From there, have a lazy day exploring the shops and cafes of downtown Columbiana!

THE HIKE: North Country Trail – PA Border

Length: 5 miles
Elevation Gain: 545 ft
Difficulty: Moderate
Time: 2 hours
Trail use: Hiking, backpacking, leashed pets
Parking: Small trailhead off PA 251. Blink and you’ll miss it!
H&H: 4/5

Somehow, I only learned about the North Country Trail this year! While not as well-known as some of the other multi-state trails, the North Country Trail has a lot to offer! It passes through 8 states, spanning from North Dakota to Vermont. If you’re thinking That’s a lot of miles, you’re right! Nearly 4,800 to be exact. Some fun facts about the trail from the NCT website include that it passes through:

  • 10 national forests
  • 4 NPS areas
  • Over 100 state game lands
  • Along 3 Great Lakes

We are lucky to have some incredible sections of this trail here in PA and I had hiked on them before without even realizing it! In PA, the NCT passes through McConnells Mill State, Cook Forest State Park, and Moraine State Park, as well as through a huge section of Allegheny National Forest. All in all, the trail winds along 265 miles of our great state of PA!

The NCT was established in 1980 by Congressional order as an amendment to the National Trails System Act. While it is administered by the National Park Service and managed by state and local agencies, the trail is primarily built and maintained by volunteers. The North Country Trail Association is a nonprofit with many affiliate chapters who care for individual sections of the massive trail system. When it was created, the NCT linked together several existing trails, so don’t be confused if you see it referred to as multiple names. For example near Cook Forest, the NCT links up to part of the 138-mile Baker trail. 

At mile 0 of the PA section!

This short out-and-back section of the NCT starts at the PA/OH border. There is no parking right at the border, although you may spot the sign along PA-251 (Blackhawk Rd). The parking lot is a small pull out a bit further down the road on the PA side. We definitely drove right past it and had to backtrack. The parking area is not on Google Maps but if you type in the coordinates: 40.773190, -80.513930, it should get you close enough! Coming from PA, the pull-off will be on your right and if you’ve passed into OH, you’ve gone too far! The parking area is about ¼ mile away from the start of the NCT but there is a nice little connector path from the parking lot. Be warned, there are no port-a-potties at the trailhead. Also this trail goes through State Gamelands, so be aware of hunting seasons and wear your orange! 

If you are doing this hike with a group or friend, a great idea would be to bring two cars so you can do a point-to-point hike, leaving your car at the Border parking and picking one of the other parking lots along the trail. This is a great way to see more of the trail and not have to double back! Plus you can decide how far you want to travel. Fun fact: It’s about 35.5 miles from the PA/OH border to Hell’s Hollow in McConnells Mill State Park! Maybe a bit much for a day hike though. 

Since we only had one car, we did a nice little out and back for a total of 5 miles. The turnaround spot is not well-marked nor distinctive, so just keep an eye on your mileage if you’re looking to total around 5 miles. We really enjoyed this hike because although it started on a roadside, you quickly feel lost in the woods. The path meaders up and down hillsides, keeping the elevation interesting. SInce we did this hike in spring, there were lots of delightful wildflowers poking through the underbrush. What a thrill to finally see some green on our hikes again! This trail also broke out onto grassy meadows for some stretches, which was beautiful but also be sure to check for ticks afterward and bring lots of water. Those sunny meadow stretches can get much warmer than the woods! 

One final thing, be very careful pulling back out onto the road after your hike. PA-251 is a fast road and it’s a bit difficult to see around you. 

If you’re making a day of it, after this hike head over to OH and explore Columbiana! 

For more info about the North Country Trail, check out the website here

THE BEER: Ill Will Brewery

Address: 45417 OH-14, Columbiana, OH 44408
Distance from Trail Head: 12.2 miles, 20 mins 
Website: http://www.illwillbrewing.com/
Food?: food trucks, BYOF
Details: Outdoor seating, dog friendly outside

If you live in Pittsburgh and you haven’t been to Columbiana, OH, you are missing out! J and I love finding new little towns to explore and Columbiana is one of our favorites. There really is something for everyone! Hiking (see above), breweries, antiquing, farm markets, plant nurseries, cafes, bakeries, and more! We love to grab a coffee from Generations, a sweet treat from Hogans, and then roam through the many shops and antique stores. You never know what you’ll find! 

Surprisingly for such a small area, they got not one but two awesome breweries! Either one would be a great choice for after your hike (or why not both?) but for this post, I’m going to focus on Ill Will Brewery. This is a fairly new addition to the area and they really live by the idea that bigger is better. Also the brewery has only been around since 2021, their space has grown to include a large taproom and a huge patio. Also onsite are two Airbnbs, an event space, and the future brick and mortar location for the Smokeworks food truck. Seriously this is not a place to miss! For me, the patio is really where this brewery shines. They’ve got firepits, giant lawn games, and honestly just a beautiful sunny view. It’s a great place to watch the sunset! 

Ill Will also makes some pretty interesting beer. Half their taplist is the more traditional, hop-forward brews one would expect. But the other half of the list is where things get fun. They experiment with different smoothie sours and seltzer flavors, some cool and refreshing, others tasting almost like a milkshake. They often have some of the more fruity beer available as a slushie! On a nice hot day, that would really hit the spot. 

Our Beer:

  • No Sleep Til Brooklyn – New Zealand IPA – 7%
  • Ether – NEIPA – 6.5%
  • Instigator – Doppelbock – 9.2%
  • Mean-Mugged – Hard Seltzer – 6.66%

RCT Training Hike #3 – Raccoon Creek State Park

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Hookstown, PA

The training continues! This time, we ventured west of Pittsburgh to do a big loop in Raccoon Creek State Park. This is not only one of my favorite parks near home but honestly one of my favorites ever! It really has everything: waterfalls, a lake, wildflower preserve, backpacking shelters, campsite and more. If you haven’t been to Raccoon, you need to go ASAP. Especially since this is prime time for wildflowers!

THE HIKE: Raccoon Creek Loop – Heritage, Appaloosa, and Forest trails

Length: 12 miles
Elevation Gain: 1500 ft
Difficulty: Moderate
Time: 5 hours
Trail use: Hiking, leashed pets,
Parking: Lot at Park Office
H&H: 5/5

For this hike, we did a 12 mile loop starting at the Park Office and traveling along the Heritage, Appaloosa, and Forest trails. Almost immediately, we were able to stop and see Frankfort Mineral Springs Falls, one of the highlights of the park. From the park office, head along the Mineral Springs trail and in just 0.5 miles, you’ll be able to take the mossy steps down to the waterfall. It was so beautiful at this time of year, flowing strongly with the recent rain and spring trilliums along the overlook. With such a view, you might be tempted to think that these are the mineral springs. But actually, the springs can be found on the rock wall, where just a small stream of water shoots out of the rock face, splashing onto a stone. The high iron content of the water stains the rock red and the continual dripping has carved out a natural basin in the stone. What an incredible way to start out the hike! 

From there, we traveled along the Heritage Trail, enjoying the emerging spring greenery. There’s just something so thrilling about seeing new growth after the long months of muted winter browns and grays. Well, it’s thrilling until my allergies kick in! Despite how popular this park is, we encountered very few people on the trail which made it feel like we had the woods to ourselves. Since the area around Raccoon is so rural,  you really feel far out in nature on this one! 

At this point, our hike was going fairly normal with some muddy spots, lots of chit chatting and some snackage by mile 5. But then the craziest thing happened to us: we heard meowing! Confused, we started looking around only to find a tiny cat about ten feet up on a tree branch! Almost immediately, he made his way down and started meowing at us. He bounded right over to us and was so friendly but didn’t have a collar. Having never encountered this before, we weren’t quite sure what to do! Being 5 miles into a long hike, we didn’t have cell service and weren’t sure we could carry him back to the office. Funny enough though, he seemed pretty content to hike with us for a while. At times I scooped him up when he started weaving dangerously through my legs. At that point, we knew he had to be a lost cat because he was so friendly and was happy to ride in my arms for a while. Finally we were able to get cell service and call the main office. Yes, someone had been calling about a lost cat! We met the ranger at the nearest access road and he was able to take the cat (now known as Major) back to his mom. Betcha didn’t expect a heartwarming reunion story on this hike!

Hearts full, but also missing Major, we got back to our hike. The rest of the trek was far less eventful although we definitely sludged through a fair amount of mud and the rain had swollen some of the creek which made for damper crossings than we expected. I was very glad to have my trusty raincoat for this outing. When you’re hiking at Raccoon, also keep in mind that the trails have different uses, with some being hiking only while others allow mountain biking and horses. Forest and Heritage trails (the majority of this loop) are hiking only but Appaloosa is an equestrian multi-use trail! 

After we finished our main hike, despite being tired and fairly damp from a persistent drizzle, we couldn’t leave without visiting the wildflower preserve. This is one of my favorite spring hikes and I try to visit every year! My suggested route is about 3 miles and starts out on the Jennings trail, passing the log cabin, stays on the Jennings trail until it hits Meadow Trail. From there follow Meadow trail to see the giant sycamores and the bluebells along the creek. Then, you’ll meet back up with the Jennings Trail and this is where you’ll start to see LOTS of wildflowers. There are also some flags and signs letting you know the names of specific varieties. On this trip we saw Virginia bluebells, white and red trilliums, swamp lilies, jack-in-the-pulpit, spring beauties, and so many more. I highly suggest using iNaturalist to track your finds and to learn more about the types of plants you’re seeing! 

We didn’t end up doing any “hops” this time around, but if you’d like to make this a true Hike & Hop, head over to Coal Tipple Brewery in Burgettstown. I also wrote a post about it here. They often have food trucks or you can BYOF. If a restaurant is more your speed, I’ve heard good things about the Bavington Roadhouse. 

Only a few more training hikes until the big day!