WHERE TO MEET, LODGING:
Camping location: Hills Creek State Park – Organized Group Tenting Area, 111 Spillway Rd, Wellsboro, PA 16901 (41.81136, -77.19435), Tioga County; about 15 minutes northeast of Wellsboro and 15 minutes west of Mansfield. Follow Spillway Road to Kellys Swamp Lane to turn toward the beach. Continue past the beach. At the second car parking area, just past the cabin lane on your right and the dump station on your left, go uphill on the driveway to the organized group tenting area. Look for the KTA sign.
Morning meeting location/time: same as above (pavilion near parking lot), 7:45 AM. Lots of parking is available in the extra car parking area if you can walk up the driveway Parking is available in the areas encircled in purple on the map below.
Map/directions to park: https://goo.gl/maps/5vcQNGz7KvoRZc3s7
Lodging/Camping amenities: We have arranged for free camping for volunteers at the Organized Group Tenting Area portion of Hills Creek State Park. Someone will be at the campground by TBD pm to assist you upon arrival Thursday night if needed. Dispersed camping (encircled in red on above map) for tents is available in grassy areas, hammocks can be hung in the woods or pavilion, and car camping is perfectly fine. You are welcome to reserve a campground site at the prevailing rates for your own camper. There are flush toilets and sinks with potable water at the group site. Campground showers are a short walk from the group site (~1000’, see map- in the upper part of nearby Loop A).
Cell phone coverage: Coverage at the park is variable. Coverage on the trail can be very spotty.
Food/Drink: Generally, bring your own food, drink, and cooking supplies. See FAQ (link) for recommendations. Please list any allergies or dietary restrictions on sign-up. If you’d like, you can join us for dinner out, Dutch treat, at a local establishment on Saturday evening.
Morning meeting location/time: same as above (pavilion near parking lot), 7:45 AM. Lots of parking is available in the extra car parking area if you can walk up the driveway Parking is available in the areas encircled in purple on the map below.
Map/directions to park: https://goo.gl/maps/5vcQNGz7KvoRZc3s7
Lodging/Camping amenities: We have arranged for free camping for volunteers at the Organized Group Tenting Area portion of Hills Creek State Park. Someone will be at the campground by TBD pm to assist you upon arrival Thursday night if needed. Dispersed camping (encircled in red on above map) for tents is available in grassy areas, hammocks can be hung in the woods or pavilion, and car camping is perfectly fine. You are welcome to reserve a campground site at the prevailing rates for your own camper. There are flush toilets and sinks with potable water at the group site. Campground showers are a short walk from the group site (~1000’, see map- in the upper part of nearby Loop A).
Cell phone coverage: Coverage at the park is variable. Coverage on the trail can be very spotty.
Food/Drink: Generally, bring your own food, drink, and cooking supplies. See FAQ (link) for recommendations. Please list any allergies or dietary restrictions on sign-up. If you’d like, you can join us for dinner out, Dutch treat, at a local establishment on Saturday evening.
ABOUT THE EVENT:
Work days: Friday and Saturday approximately 8-4, Sunday 8-noon. Camping available starting Thursday.
Description of work: MST Tioga Region Manager Pete Fleszar and local trail maintainers will be scouting the trail. Work areas will focus on MST Sections 17-20. There will be sections that need DR mowing, as volunteer maintainers in the northern section of the MST are a little scarce. There is also brushing that is needed between the north and south branches of Water Tank Run, and down the Water Tank side Trail, in Section 17 (free map download here). There may be work on relocations at and near Cowanesque Lake – the name comes perhaps from Lenape for “briery or thorn bushy” which remains accurate. Other work likely includes freshening of painted blazes as well as chainsaw removal of blowdowns. We carpool to trail locations; please let me know if you are not comfortable riding with others or driving on gravel forestry roads. From the campground, drive times should be in the 20-45-minute range.
Mid State Trail: The Mid State Trail is a ~527 km / 320-mile hiking trail. It is the longest and wildest footpath in PA. In the Tioga Region, the footpath meanders from deep woods to old cow pastures and back and forth again and again. Paper maps (south of Route 6 only)/guide are available for purchase from the MSTA website, and the trail’s most updated information is available digitally through the FarOut app. MST maps for Tioga County are also available for free through the Avenza Maps app. It is one of the 18 state forest designated hiking trails and is blazed orange.
Notes: Under 18 must be accompanied by an adult. Please contact Jenn Ulmer, KTA Manager of Trail Maintenance and Training, at ulmer@kta-hike.org or 570-854-8316 with any questions, or Volunteer Leader Pete Fleszar @ tioga@hike-mst.org / 717-576-3112.
****You’ll want to complete the trifecta and join us working on the Mid State in the State College Region May 4-7 and Everett Region May 18-21! (links) This event is also part of the PA Wilds Trail Care Challenge!!***
Description of work: MST Tioga Region Manager Pete Fleszar and local trail maintainers will be scouting the trail. Work areas will focus on MST Sections 17-20. There will be sections that need DR mowing, as volunteer maintainers in the northern section of the MST are a little scarce. There is also brushing that is needed between the north and south branches of Water Tank Run, and down the Water Tank side Trail, in Section 17 (free map download here). There may be work on relocations at and near Cowanesque Lake – the name comes perhaps from Lenape for “briery or thorn bushy” which remains accurate. Other work likely includes freshening of painted blazes as well as chainsaw removal of blowdowns. We carpool to trail locations; please let me know if you are not comfortable riding with others or driving on gravel forestry roads. From the campground, drive times should be in the 20-45-minute range.
Mid State Trail: The Mid State Trail is a ~527 km / 320-mile hiking trail. It is the longest and wildest footpath in PA. In the Tioga Region, the footpath meanders from deep woods to old cow pastures and back and forth again and again. Paper maps (south of Route 6 only)/guide are available for purchase from the MSTA website, and the trail’s most updated information is available digitally through the FarOut app. MST maps for Tioga County are also available for free through the Avenza Maps app. It is one of the 18 state forest designated hiking trails and is blazed orange.
Notes: Under 18 must be accompanied by an adult. Please contact Jenn Ulmer, KTA Manager of Trail Maintenance and Training, at ulmer@kta-hike.org or 570-854-8316 with any questions, or Volunteer Leader Pete Fleszar @ tioga@hike-mst.org / 717-576-3112.
****You’ll want to complete the trifecta and join us working on the Mid State in the State College Region May 4-7 and Everett Region May 18-21! (links) This event is also part of the PA Wilds Trail Care Challenge!!***
WHAT TO BRING:
For more general information about the Trail Care Program and suggested packing lists, see KTA Trail Care FAQ page here.
By signing up, volunteers agree to the KTA Activity Waiver.
