2019 has come and gone, and it was an excellent year for hiking. Over the course of the year, I added 43 posts to Live and Let Hike and notched nearly 150,000 site visits (81,000 visitors). As always, the travel was diverse, spanning hikes and scenic drives from 13 states (plus the District of Columbia), …
The Youghiogheny River Gorge in southwest Pennsylvania’s Ohiopyle State Park has many echoes of other, arguably grander canyons in the area, such as New River Gorge in southern West Virginia and Cheat River Gorge at Coopers Rock State Forest near Morgantown: sweeping vistas and lush side canyons, flush with rhododendrons and picturesque waterfalls. While most …
Continue reading Jonathan Run Trail and Sugar Run Falls (Ohiopyle State Park, PA)
What precisely happened on May 28, 1754 at Jumonville Glen in southwestern Pennsylvania remains unknown to this day. British forces led by a young Lieutenant Colonel George Washington claimed that, when they encountered a French contingent encamped at the base of a cliff, the French fired first. The French forces, commanded at the time by …
Continue reading Jumonville Glen Trail (Fort Necessity National Battlefield, PA)
The start of the new year offers a time to reflect on the year that was: although other commitments slowed my rate of production in 2018, I still managed to add 37 new posts during the year to Live and Let Hike. Like usual, the quest for hiking had me crisscrossing the country in 2018—from …
At the Delaware Water Gap, part of a broader National Recreation Area bearing its name, the Delaware River slices through a weakness in the mountains, forming a picturesque valley on the border of Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Two peaks, part of the broader Kittatinny Mountain, tower above the Gap: Mount Minsi (1,463’) on the Pennsylvania …
Continue reading Mount Tammany Loop (Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, NJ)
The Crater Lake Trail (no, not that Crater Lake) is a pleasant—although not particularly inspiring—loop hike in a remote section of Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area on the New Jersey side. Access to Crater Lake requires a lengthy drive on unpaved roads, which helps thin out the crowds in an otherwise crowded park, although …
Continue reading Crater Lake Trail (Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, NJ)
The 150-foot Raymondskill Falls, when at full strength, is one of the most spectacular waterfalls in the Mid-Atlantic and the tallest in the state of Pennsylvania. Nestled in a shaded valley in Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, the three-tiered falls are reached by way of a short but steep trail. While Raymondskill is just …
Continue reading Raymondskill Falls Trail (Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, PA)
- Revolutionary War Series - At just 0.02 acres in size, Thaddeus Kosciuscko National Memorial in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania is the smallest unit in the National Park Service system. A short walk from Independence National Historical Park, this rarely-visited site commemorates the life of one of America’s two most famous Polish-American war heroes (the other being …
- Revolutionary War Series - Independence National Historical Park comprises more than a dozen historical sites scattered across Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, tied together through the thread of the American Revolution. Frequented by the Founding Fathers, Philadelphia was the epicenter of revolutionary activity in the lead-up to the American War of Independence. While the Liberty Bell is …
- Revolutionary War Series - While the majority of the historical sites are across the river, the north side of Pennsylvania’s Valley Forge National Historical Park offers some quiet hiking along the gentle Schuylkill River. Those looking for a circuit hike can find tranquility on a roughly 3-mile stroll along the River, Commissary, and Walnut …
Continue reading River Trail Loop (Valley Forge National Historical Park, PA)
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