Page Type:
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Route |
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Lat/Lon:
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41.55208°N / 77.3722°W |
Route Type:
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Hiking |
Season:
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Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter |
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Time Required:
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Half a day |
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Difficulty:
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hiking class 1,2 |
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Overview
The only trail up Gillespie Point is through the Mid State Trail. There are other ways but would require a fair amount of bushwhacking. The Mid State Trail runs the whole length of PA and through a variety of scenic landscapes. The Trail runs North and South through PA and crosses over Gillespie Point.Getting There
To get to Gillespie Point is fairly easy, if you are ever in the Northern parts of Pennsylvania. From the north, simply take PA route 414 south from Morris and right before the bridge into Blackwell there will be a road on the left called Big Run Road. If coming from the South, come up PA 414 until you reach the small village of Blackwell. There you will first take a bridge over Pine Creek, then go around a few sharp corners, proceed across another bridge over Babb Creek, and turn right within 0.1 mile from the bridge onto Big Run Road. Simply turn up Big Run Road and the first trail-head will be about 100 yards up the road, where it makes a right turn. The next trail-head is about 2 miles up Big Run Road. The Mid State Trail will cross the road and you will want to go north on the trail (or take the trail to the left if coming up from Blackwell). The use of a Pennsylvania state atlas or a good road map of the area will facilitate the actual “getting there.”Route Description
The only trail to the peak of this mountain is on the Mid State Trail which is a rectangular shaped blaze and the color orange.North on the MST
Here’s the description heading North on the Mid State Trail.
The trail head you want to start at for heading North on the MST is the one on the side of Big Run Road about two miles from where you first turn onto it from 414. The trail is on the left and climbs up Brill Hollow from Big Run Road south of the mountain. At a Y intersection of the stream, the trail will cross the main branch of Brill Hollow and follow the left side (or west side) of the gully. After about 1 mile of hiking the terrain will get steeper as it nears the top of the ridge. At 1.1 miles the trail attains the ridge line that leads to the top of the mountain and turns sharply left, following the ridge in a southwesterly direction. After 1.5 miles of hiking from the road, the trail attains the ‘summit,’ which is some exposed rock (due to the lack of good soil) and a natural vista of the surrounding area. From the top of the mountain can be seen the village of Blackwell, Pine Creek extending to the north and the south, the Babb Creek valley to the northeast, and the plateau mountains that characterize northern Pennsylvania, which are most dramatic to the north and west. A 360 degree view, such as this one, is rare in Pennsylvania, so it is a pleasing experience to be on this point.
Here’s the description heading South on the MST.
The trail head you want to start at for going South on the trail is only about 100 yards down Big Run Road. There’s parking space for about 2 cars at this point on either side of the road. The trail is on the left side of the road and can be easily recognized from the road with its orange blazes. The trail starts off on an easy incline which gradually gets steeper as it goes on. It parallels Big Run Road by going West but ascends faster than it, so you can see it gradually getting further away off to the right as the trail climbs up the side of the mountain. You follow it up until you come to a sharp left bend of the trail about ¼ th a mile into the hike and start heading East You then traverse the top ridge which gradually ascends as well. There are two false peaks before you reach the true summit about ½ mile up the trail after the left turn. Once you reach the top there may be a geocache at there. You can continue East on the trail to go down the South side of the mountain.