Hiking at Trough Creek State Park
12 miles of trails
The hiking trails of Trough Creek State Park are famous for their beauty and scenic views. Sections of the trails are steep and narrow with rocks and roots covering the surface. Some trails follow rock ledges with vertical cliffs and pass through boulder fields and narrow ravines.
Hikers should use extreme caution and wear sturdy hiking boots with ankle support. Trail conditions may be slippery when wet or icy depending on weather conditions. Children must be supervised at all times.
Trough Creek State Park Trail Map (PDF)
Trail Definitions
Difficulty Ratings
Easiest -- For beginner trail users. Grade is gentle with few obstacles.
More Difficult -- For the majority of trail users. Grade is steeper and trails narrower with embedded rocks or roots on the trail surface.
Most Difficult -- For trail users with advanced skills. Grade is steep and provides a definite physical challenge. Routes may not be well marked. Elevation gain or loss is severe.
Trail Route Type
Loop -- Start and end at the same location and follow a single trail to form a loop.
Out-and-back -- Start and end at a trailhead and follow a single trail to an endpoint or specific point of interest, then return along the same route.
Point-to-point -- Trails are generally longer in distance and parks may often contain only a portion of the trail within their boundary. Hiker starts and ends in different locations, often requiring a shuttle.
Connector -- Begin and end in connection with another trail or trails but do not terminate at a trailhead.
Abbot Run Trail
0.35 mile | More difficult hiking | Out-and-back trail | White blazes
Recreations permitted: hiking
Trailhead amenities: none
Beginning at the suspension bridge, this trail follows Abbot Run up out of Great Trough Creek Gorge past the trail to Balanced Rock to Old Forge Road.
Balanced Rock Trail
0.12 mile | More difficult hiking | Out-and-back trail | Green blazes
Recreations permitted: hiking
Trailhead amenities: benches
This trail starts at Trough Creek Drive. It passes over Great Trough Creek via a suspension bridge then past beautiful Rainbow Falls. The trail ascends a flight of CCC-built stone steps overlooking Abbot Run and ends at the geologic wonder, Balanced Rock.
Boulder Trail
0.75 mile in the park, 1.05 miles total | More difficult hiking | Out-and-back trail | Red blazes
Recreations permitted: hiking
Trailhead amenities: none
Starting at Ice Mine, the 1.05-mile Boulder Trail follows an old logging road up the mountain through an oak and hemlock forest and ends at the suspension bridge parking lot.
Brumbaugh Trail
0.1 mile in the park, 2.4 miles total | Most difficult hiking | Out-and-back trail | Orange blazes
Recreations permitted: hiking
Trailhead amenities: none
Starting at Balanced Rock, this 2.4-mile trail rises and falls through spectacular forest scenery along the hillsides and ridges, including a beautiful view of Raystown Lake. This trail ends along Old Forge Road and Terrace Mountain Trail below the old park dam.
Cemetery Trail
0.28 mile | More difficult hiking | Out-and-back trail | Orange blazes
Recreations permitted: hiking
Trailhead amenities: none
Starting at the Paradise Furnace ruins, this trail crosses a small stream on a wooden bridge then begins a moderate climb to the 17th century Paradise Furnace Cemetery.
Copperas Rock Trail
0.43 mile | More difficult hiking | Connector trail | Red blazes
Recreations permitted: hiking
Trailhead amenities: non-flush restrooms
Starting along Trough Creek Drive at Copperas Rock, this trail climbs a fairly steep and rocky slope through oak and hemlock trees and ends on Ledges Trail. Hikers can make a 2.5-mile loop by following Ledges Trail to Abbot Run Trail, descending to Rainbow Falls and following Rhododendron Trail back to Copperas Rock Trail just above the parking lot.
Laurel Run Trail
0.12 mile in the park, 1.8 miles total | More difficult hiking | Loop trail | Blue blazes
Recreations permitted: hiking
Trailhead amenities: none
Starting along Trough Creek Drive, this scenic, 1.8-mile trail meanders across Laurel Run numerous times on rustic bridges in between two ridges and into state forest land, then crosses Terrace Mountain Road and ends with a moderate incline to Boulder Trail.
Ledges Trail
0.91 mile | More difficult hiking | Connector trail | Blue blazes
Recreations permitted: hiking
Trailhead amenities: none
This trail starts at Trough Creek Drive below the park office and ends at Abbot Run Trail. The highlights of this trail are the panoramic view of Great Trough Creek Gorge and the remnants of the old Paradise Furnace schoolhouse.
Nicholas Crum Trail
0.5 mile in the park, 1.5 miles total | More difficult hiking | Out-and-back trail | No blazes
Recreations permitted: hiking, backpacking, equestrian, snowmobiling, cross-country skiing recommended
Trailhead amenities: non-flush restrooms
Starting at Ice Mine, the 1.5-mile Boulder Trail follows an old logging road up the mountain through an oak and hemlock forest and ends at the suspension bridge parking lot.
Raven Rock Trail
0.32 mile | More difficult hiking | Out-and-back trail | Yellow blazes
Recreations permitted: hiking
Trailhead amenities: none
This trail starts near the upper end of Abbot Run Trail. It takes hikers by the geologic wonder, Balanced Rock, and ends along Trough Creek at the base of Raven Rock where hikers will need to turn around to return to Balanced Rock. Raven Rock is the cliff site that local legend says was a favorite nesting site for ravens.
Rhododendron Trail
0.6 mile | More difficult hiking | Connector trail | Green blazes
Recreations permitted: hiking
Trailhead amenities: none
Starting at Copperas Rock Trail and ending at the suspension bridge, Rhododendron Trail takes hikers up and down from ridge top to valley floor. The steepest portion of the trail is very rocky and requires cautious hiking. The trail is named for the beautiful rhododendrons that line the trail and bloom during early July.
Terrace Mountain Trail
1.07 miles in the park, 29 miles total | More difficult hiking | Out-and-back trail | Blue blazes
Recreations permitted: hiking, biking
Trailhead amenities: none
The 29-mile Terrace Mountain Trail traverses the eastern side of Raystown Lake, from Weavers Falls in the south to Corbins Bridge north of the dam. The trail provides hiking and backpacking spanning some of the area’s most remote and challenging terrain. The trail crosses state park, Rothrock State Forest, and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers lands.