When hikers ask which trails in Pennsylvania are worth a full day — or several — the conversation always circles back to the same handful of routes. Below we've ranked the ten longest hiking trails in Pennsylvania by total mapped distance, drawing from the 19,247 trails OutsideAtlas currently tracks in the state. Each entry includes the distance, what makes the route distinctive, and an honest note on who should actually attempt it.
Pennsylvania's ridge-and-valley Appalachians dominate the state — the "Rocksylvania" reputation along the AT comes from genuine geology. The AT (229 miles), Mid State Trail, and Allegheny Front Trail combine for over 700 miles of formal long-distance routing. Spring and fall are best; summer is humid and rattlesnake-active in the mountains; winter ice is common on shaded ridges.
Our rankings here are data-driven — pulled from the 19,247 mapped entries OutsideAtlas tracks in Pennsylvania — but the data has limits worth being honest about. OpenStreetMap distance tags are crowd-sourced and inconsistent. A route may appear longer or shorter than the official measurement, especially when long-distance trails (like state and national scenic trails) are tagged in segments rather than as a single relation.
The Ranking
Ranked from #1 to #10. Click through any entry for the full trail page — map, elevation profile, weather forecast, and direct OpenStreetMap source link.
#1. Mid-State Trail
At 0.30 mi, Mid-State Trail tops the list — a route built for hikers who plan in days, not hours. Expect 0.30 mi on a forgiving grade. Local trail-association reports tend to agree this is one of the better-maintained options in the area, which matters more on a hike of this length than on a quick walk. Plan as a multi-day if you're not used to single-push 20+ mile days; resupply or shuttle logistics matter here. See full trail details, map, and current weather on OutsideAtlas for the most current information.
Open the Mid-State Trail trail page →Map, elevation profile, current weather, and OSM source.#2. Westinghouse Trail
At 0.30 mi, Westinghouse Trail lands at #2 — a route built for hikers who plan in days, not hours. Expect 0.30 mi on a forgiving grade. The route is well documented in OpenStreetMap, which is what put it on our radar — community-mapped routes tend to be the ones that get hiked enough to stay open. Plan as a multi-day if you're not used to single-push 20+ mile days; resupply or shuttle logistics matter here. See full trail details, map, and current weather on OutsideAtlas for the most current information.
Open the Westinghouse Trail trail page →Map, elevation profile, current weather, and OSM source.#3. Tuscarora Trail
At 0.20 mi, Tuscarora Trail lands at #3 — a route built for hikers who plan in days, not hours. Expect 0.20 mi on a forgiving grade. It earns its ranking on the data, but trail conditions can change quickly after storms or fire seasons, so verify before you commit a full day. Plan as a multi-day if you're not used to single-push 20+ mile days; resupply or shuttle logistics matter here. See full trail details, map, and current weather on OutsideAtlas for the most current information.
Open the Tuscarora Trail trail page →Map, elevation profile, current weather, and OSM source.#4. Horse-Shoe Trail
At 0.10 mi, Horse-Shoe Trail lands at #4 — a route built for hikers who plan in days, not hours. Expect 0.10 mi on a forgiving grade. Compared to similar trails in Pennsylvania, this route trades difficulty for either solitude or scenery — sometimes both. Plan as a multi-day if you're not used to single-push 20+ mile days; resupply or shuttle logistics matter here. See full trail details, map, and current weather on OutsideAtlas for the most current information.
Open the Horse-Shoe Trail trail page →Map, elevation profile, current weather, and OSM source.#5. Loyalsock Trail
At 0.10 mi, Loyalsock Trail lands at #5 — a route built for hikers who plan in days, not hours. Expect 0.10 mi on a forgiving grade. What makes this one earn its spot on the list is the combination of mapped detail and the kind of through-and-through experience that justifies a longer drive. Plan as a multi-day if you're not used to single-push 20+ mile days; resupply or shuttle logistics matter here. See full trail details, map, and current weather on OutsideAtlas for the most current information.
Open the Loyalsock Trail trail page →Map, elevation profile, current weather, and OSM source.#6. Quehanna Trail
At 0.10 mi, Quehanna Trail lands at #6 — a route built for hikers who plan in days, not hours. Expect 0.10 mi, dirt surface on a forgiving grade. Local trail-association reports tend to agree this is one of the better-maintained options in the area, which matters more on a hike of this length than on a quick walk. The natural-surface tread can get slick after rain and muddy in spring — pick a dry weather window if you have the flexibility. Plan as a multi-day if you're not used to single-push 20+ mile days; resupply or shuttle logistics matter here. See full trail details, map, and current weather on OutsideAtlas for the most current information.
Open the Quehanna Trail trail page →Map, elevation profile, current weather, and OSM source.#7. Quehanna Trail
At 0.10 mi, Quehanna Trail lands at #7 — a route built for hikers who plan in days, not hours. Expect 0.10 mi on a forgiving grade. The route is well documented in OpenStreetMap, which is what put it on our radar — community-mapped routes tend to be the ones that get hiked enough to stay open. Plan as a multi-day if you're not used to single-push 20+ mile days; resupply or shuttle logistics matter here. See full trail details, map, and current weather on OutsideAtlas for the most current information.
Open the Quehanna Trail trail page →Map, elevation profile, current weather, and OSM source.#8. Quehanna Trail
At 0.10 mi, Quehanna Trail lands at #8 — a route built for hikers who plan in days, not hours. Expect 0.10 mi, dirt surface on a forgiving grade. It earns its ranking on the data, but trail conditions can change quickly after storms or fire seasons, so verify before you commit a full day. The natural-surface tread can get slick after rain and muddy in spring — pick a dry weather window if you have the flexibility. Plan as a multi-day if you're not used to single-push 20+ mile days; resupply or shuttle logistics matter here. See full trail details, map, and current weather on OutsideAtlas for the most current information.
Open the Quehanna Trail trail page →Map, elevation profile, current weather, and OSM source.#9. Quehanna Trail
At 0.10 mi, Quehanna Trail lands at #9 — a route built for hikers who plan in days, not hours. Expect 0.10 mi, dirt surface on a forgiving grade. Compared to similar trails in Pennsylvania, this route trades difficulty for either solitude or scenery — sometimes both. The natural-surface tread can get slick after rain and muddy in spring — pick a dry weather window if you have the flexibility. Plan as a multi-day if you're not used to single-push 20+ mile days; resupply or shuttle logistics matter here. See full trail details, map, and current weather on OutsideAtlas for the most current information.
Open the Quehanna Trail trail page →Map, elevation profile, current weather, and OSM source.#10. Quehanna Trail
At 0.10 mi, Quehanna Trail lands at #10 — a route built for hikers who plan in days, not hours. Expect 0.10 mi on a forgiving grade. What makes this one earn its spot on the list is the combination of mapped detail and the kind of through-and-through experience that justifies a longer drive. Plan as a multi-day if you're not used to single-push 20+ mile days; resupply or shuttle logistics matter here. See full trail details, map, and current weather on OutsideAtlas for the most current information.
Open the Quehanna Trail trail page →Map, elevation profile, current weather, and OSM source.Planning your Pennsylvania trip
A few pieces of context are worth keeping in mind specifically for Pennsylvania. Spring and fall are best; summer is humid and rattlesnake-active in the mountains; winter ice is common on shaded ridges. Timber rattlesnakes in the rocky ridges, ticks (Lyme endemic), and ankle-rolling rock fields on the AT.
Always cross-reference the official land-manager page before driving out — closures, fire restrictions, and seasonal road access can change quickly. Our trail pages link directly back to the OpenStreetMap source so you can see the tags we're working from.
If you're new to hiking generally, our beginner's guide covers footwear, layering, and the day-pack basics. For safety planning on bigger objectives, the ten essentials guide is worth twenty minutes of reading.
More Pennsylvania hiking guides
If you found this useful, the rest of our Pennsylvania coverage continues below.
- Steepest trails in Pennsylvania — Hikes with the most elevation gain in the state.
- Best beginner hikes in Pennsylvania — Easy, well-marked trails for first-time hikers.
- Most challenging hikes in Pennsylvania — Expert-rated routes for experienced hikers only.
- Best national parks in Pennsylvania — Federal parks and recreation areas ranked.
- Best waterfall hikes in Pennsylvania — Trails leading to named falls, ranked by accessibility.
- Best dog-friendly hikes in Pennsylvania — Where leashed dogs are explicitly welcome.
- Best family hikes in Pennsylvania — Short, easy trails sized for kids and grandparents.
Rankings like this are starting points, not verdicts. Trail conditions change, new routes get tagged, and what was the toughest trail in Pennsylvania last year might not be next year. We refresh these articles when the underlying data shifts meaningfully.
Got a correction, a route we missed, or a question? Drop us a note via the contact page. We read every email and we'd rather hear it from you than miss it.
