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 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)
After 229 miles in Pennsylvania, the Appalachian Trail (AT) spends a relatively brief 41 miles running through Maryland, mostly following the lengthy ridgeline of South Mountain. While thru-hikers will breeze through the state in 2-3 days, day-trippers can complete the Maryland portion in seven discrete sections. (Note: This is the breakdown outlined in the excellent …
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