Resting at the Pinnacle along the Appalachian Trail, Pa. (Compass Points Media / flickr)
Discover the finest section of the Appalachian Trail in Pennsylvania on this 8.6-mile loop northeast of Hamburg. The route takes you to a pair of sweeping views overlooking the deep green mountain ridges and checkerboard fields which make up the Lehigh Valley.
GPS ROUTE AND WAYPOINTS: Download here.
LOCATION: Hamburg Borough Watershed Lands, Pa.
LENGTH: 8.6 miles
ELEVATION GAIN: 900 feet
DIFFICULTY: Moderately strenuous due to length, one steep section, extremely rocky trail.
MAP: Keystone Trails Association, Appalachian Trail in Pennsylvania, Sections 1 through 6. $12.
DIRECTIONS: From I-78, take Exit 35 and turn northbound on Route 143. In less than a mile, go left at Mountain Road and follow that until turning right onto Reservoir Road. The road turns to a gravel path and ends at a parking area near a building for the Hamburg Reservoir.
HIKE ON:
PRP 001: Trail Head. Follow gravel road uphill from parking lot (N40 34.986 W75 56.523).
PRP 002: Intersection of gravel road with the Appalachian Trail. Turn right with the A.T.’s white blazes (N40 35.380 W75 56.642).
PRP 003: Side trail to left leads to Windsor Furnace Shelter (N40 35.368 W75 56.413).
PRP 004: Two unmarked side trails lead to the right. Stay on Appalachian Trail (N40 35.557 W75 55.751).
Pulpit Rock, Pa. (Compass Points Media / flickr)
PRP 005: Intersection with blue-blazed trail to the right. Stay on Appalachian Trail (N40 35.829 W75 55.654).
PRP 006: Appalachian Trail turns right. Difficult to see. Look for white blazes (N40 35.697 W75 55.889).
PRP 007: Boulder spill. Follow white blazes over rocks (N40 35.765 W75 55.874).
PRP 008: Pulpit Rock (N40 35.800 W75 55.878).
PRP 009: Cell phone tower and gravel road to the left (N40 35.854 W75 56.032).
PRP 010: Trail with red blazes to the left. Stay on the Appalachian Trail. Begin rocky path (N40 36.037 W75 56.121).
PRP 011: Junction with yellow-blazed trail to the right. Stay on Appalachian Trail (N40 36.495 W75 55.062).
PRP 012: Boulder field. Follow white blazes across (N40 36.636 W75 54.932).
PRP 013: Blue-blazed trail to right leads 250 feet to the Pinnacle. Look for rock pile (N40 36.767 W75 54.761).
PRP 014: Campsite to the left. No water (N40 36.777 W75 55.036).
PRP 015: Arrive at helicopter clearing. Camping. No water. Turn left onto dirt road. Follow blue blazes (N40 36.431 W75 56.402).
PRP 016: Side trail to the left to campsites. Arrive at Furnace Creek (N40 36.378 W75 56.205).
PRP 017: Junction with red-blazed trail to the left. Continue following blue blazes (N40 36.181 W75 56.565).
PRP 018: Road to the right. Stay on blue-blazed trail (N40 36.133 W75 56.632).
PRP 019: Arrive at Hamburg Reservoir. Follow around to the left (N40 35.633 W75 56.779).
PRP 020: Gravel road to the left. Go straight. Arrive back at A.T. Follow to right, then take gravel road back to your car (N40 35.479 W75 56.588).
View Pulpit Rock and the Pinnacle, Pa. in a larger map
