A brand-new 300-mile backpacking route is opening in south-central Pennsylvania and northern Maryland, and here's the hook for hikers: no one has completed a thru-hike of it. The Tiltrock Loop, launched by the Bedford County Outdoor Recreation Alliance, is a continuous circuit stitched together from five existing trails — the Great Eastern, Mid State, Tuscarora, Standing Stone and C&O — named for the slanted Allegheny ridgelines that define the region.
The idea came from local hiker Mike Teeter, who spotted that a rerouting of the 1,800-mile Great Eastern Trail had accidentally formed a loop. What followed was an unusually smooth collaboration between five trail associations and multiple state agencies, all keen to shine a light on these historic but overlooked paths.
The route packs in roughly 33,372 feet of elevation gain across Appalachian ridges, deep forest and river valleys, topping out at 2,727 feet. Highlights include the Thousand Steps on the Standing Stone Trail, old-growth forest in the Alan Sager Natural Area, Revolutionary War-era saltpeter caves at Sweet Root, and Tussey Mountain in the Martin Hill Wild Area. There's industrial history too — abandoned mining remnants and the unfinished bones of a never-completed railroad line the way.
Practicalities are well covered despite the trail's newness. Purple Lizard Maps has produced an official map marking campsites, water sources, resupply towns and its signature lizard icons at standout spots. Water availability varies with the seasons, so the guidance is to carry three litres per day and three to five days of food. Camping is a mix of backcountry sites, shelters and primitive spots, with restrictions — such as those in Pennsylvania State Game Lands — noted on the map. Estimates put a full thru-hike at around 30 days.
The loop format solves the classic thru-hike headache: no shuttles, no hitchhiking back to a car. Start and finish wherever suits, though the recommended anchor is Everett, a small trail town on the remote Mid State Trail with family-run restaurants, lodging and — every thru-hiker's favourite amenity — a laundromat. Everett also works as a base for shorter trips: the Everett Ridge section is a highlight, Tenley Park Loop suits families, and the Standing Stone Overlooks deliver a long but rewarding day hike.
Why it matters: for hikers who love the idea of the Appalachian Trail but not its crowds, the Tiltrock Loop offers rugged, empty trail with a genuine first-mover prize. Be the first to finish the loop and you can claim the Fastest Known Time on it. For everyone else, it's a fresh way to see a wild, historic corner of Pennsylvania — mile by mile rather than through a car window.
Via Backpacker.
