Prowl the Sproul Hiking Weekend
What Is a KTA Hiking Weekend?
Three to five times a year, the staff or volunteers of KTA pick a place somewhere in Pennsylvania nearby many hiking trails, hopefully a hiking club or two, and where there’s an establishment that can hold and feed a huge group of people.
Sometimes it’s a place to hike with a restaurant down the street (2016’s Trek the Tiadaghton), or a hotel with a catered dining room (The Penn Wells Hotel and Lodge, Spring Hiking Weekend 2016, 2014, etc and yes, 2018).
We organize a weekend from breakfast to bonfire, in order to introduce trails to anyone who’s interested but isn’t sure how to start hiking, introduce new trails to those who worry they’ve hiked them all, and everyone in between.
Three to five times a year, the staff or volunteers of KTA pick a place somewhere in Pennsylvania nearby many hiking trails, hopefully a hiking club or two, and where there’s an establishment that can hold and feed a huge group of people.
Sometimes it’s a place to hike with a restaurant down the street (2016’s Trek the Tiadaghton), or a hotel with a catered dining room (The Penn Wells Hotel and Lodge, Spring Hiking Weekend 2016, 2014, etc and yes, 2018).
We organize a weekend from breakfast to bonfire, in order to introduce trails to anyone who’s interested but isn’t sure how to start hiking, introduce new trails to those who worry they’ve hiked them all, and everyone in between.
The hikes are led by local hiking club members and DCNR staff, who have hiked the trails before. There’s no getting lost, and you usually learn quite a lot if you stay in earshot of the leader. With a large group (we limit all hikes to 20 people or less) someone will be asked to “sweep” and stay behind the last hiker so no one gets left behind.
A hiking weekend begins on Friday for anyone who can get there early; when you arrive is up to you. Sometimes we host a barbeque or potluck for dinner Friday night. Choices for short and full-day hikes or activities are offered on Saturday and Sunday. The hikes are rated for difficulty, and in some cases, pace. Each hike is named and a mileage is provided, for example: Bob Webber Trail, 3 miles.
A hiking weekend begins on Friday for anyone who can get there early; when you arrive is up to you. Sometimes we host a barbeque or potluck for dinner Friday night. Choices for short and full-day hikes or activities are offered on Saturday and Sunday. The hikes are rated for difficulty, and in some cases, pace. Each hike is named and a mileage is provided, for example: Bob Webber Trail, 3 miles.
A weekend package covers lodging, hiking, and all meals (excluding outside activities that incur a fee, like a rafting trip), and you'll know you are supporting Keystone Trails Association, even if you can't get to us until Saturday afternoon. Friday night dinner can be a potluck, a fundraiser barbecue, or on your own, depending on the weekend.
With the weekend package you can pick and choose to take advantage of as little or all of what we've planned for you.
With the weekend package you can pick and choose to take advantage of as little or all of what we've planned for you.
Wherever we stay, there will be a gathering place, usually near where the food is served. There we enjoy hot breakfasts together on Saturday and Sunday, and a post-hiking feast of a dinner on Saturday. Lunches to-go are provided before you leave on a hike Saturday and Sunday.
We offer a variety of packages in case you live nearby or wish to stay elsewhere; the all-inclusive package is just one option.
The gathering place will be where sign-up sheets for the hikes will be displayed, and the hike leaders will use the sign-up sheet as an attendance list before departing for the trailhead. If a drive is involved, participants carpool and head out together, caravan style.
Sleeping arrangements vary a lot. We try to reserve establishments with a range of pricing and privacy options.
In addition to hiking, workshops, lectures, and alternative outings are often planned. If it is a "Fall" or "Spring" Hiking Weekend, the Board and Council of Keystone Trails Association will each hold a meeting. Meetings are open to the public. For more information about the history of KTA, click HERE.
We offer a variety of packages in case you live nearby or wish to stay elsewhere; the all-inclusive package is just one option.
The gathering place will be where sign-up sheets for the hikes will be displayed, and the hike leaders will use the sign-up sheet as an attendance list before departing for the trailhead. If a drive is involved, participants carpool and head out together, caravan style.
Sleeping arrangements vary a lot. We try to reserve establishments with a range of pricing and privacy options.
In addition to hiking, workshops, lectures, and alternative outings are often planned. If it is a "Fall" or "Spring" Hiking Weekend, the Board and Council of Keystone Trails Association will each hold a meeting. Meetings are open to the public. For more information about the history of KTA, click HERE.
All KTA hiking weekends are also fundraisers for our mission. The margins are designed to be affordable first and foremost, because the point is to get more folks hiking in more places so that they leave wanting to go back, wanting to care for the trails, and maybe even wanting to help keep the trails accessible. For more information on trail care and maintenance (the incredible volunteer effort you might have never heard of) visit our Trail Care and Crew page.
Hope to see you at a hiking weekend soon!
Hope to see you at a hiking weekend soon!
Questions? Contact Cameron Elo, Program Administrator, at [email protected].
