Over the next four weeks, ClearWater Conservancy will wrap up its Centred Outdoors summer season, offering guided hikes at Poe Paddy Tunnel, Ray F. Decker Trail, Musser Gap and Indian Steps Loop.
For all guided hikes, which are free and open to the public, Centred Outdoors recommends using a water bottle that can hold at least 32 ounces per adult and wearing sturdy shoes.
For those interested in the guided hikes who may benefit from using gear they don’t own, such as trekking poles, child carriers and day packs, items like these can be used free of charge through Centred Outdoors’ Gear Library. Reservations can be made online through the program’s website up to two days prior to the event.
Details about the remaining four events can be found below:
Poe Paddy Tunnel
Guided hikes at Poe Paddy Tunnel will be approximately 90 minutes and 1.25 miles in length, and offered at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 27, as well as 9 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 31.
There is a free van shuttle service available from State College for the hike at 11 a.m. on Thursday, Aug. 31, with a limited number of seats. Reservations are required and open one week in advance.
If attendees choose to drive themselves, Poe Paddy Tunnel is approximately 50 minutes away from State College.
According to the Centred Outdoors website, the trail is a “short trip” along the Pennsylvania Mid State Trail that includes a walk through the 250-foot Paddy Mountain Railroad Tunnel and views of Penn’s Creek.
All ages and fitness levels are welcome, as the trail is flat and even.
Ray F. Decker Trail
For the Ray F. Decker Trail and the remaining two locations, there will be one hike offered at each — and the routes are more challenging than previous Centred Outdoors events.
The hike at Ray F. Decker Trail is short yet steep, and it will take place from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 3. The trail is approximately 20 minutes away from State College.
The route connects to the James Cleveland Memorial Trail, and along the way, hikers will have the chance to visit a monument in honor of James Cleveland, who was an airmail pilot who passed away in May 1931 in a plane crash on Mount Nittany between Centre Hall and Pleasant Gap, according to the Centred Outdoors website.
At the top of the trail, there’s an inscribed pillar and wreckage from the accident, preserving Centre County history.
Musser Gap
From 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on the following Sunday, Sept. 10, a guided hike will be offered at Musser Gap, which is approximately 25 minutes away from State College.
According to the Centred Outdoors website, the Musser Gap Trail is “scenic and memorable” during all four seasons.
“The 423-acre property was purchased by Clearwater Conservancy and transferred to DCNR Bureau of Forestry in 2007 in order to protect an important groundwater recharge area for the community as well as vital wildlife habitat,” the website said.
Attendees can expect a “steady incline” most of the way up the trail, with a bridge crossing over a brook about 0.8 miles in.
Indian Steps Loop
For Centred Outdoors’ final event of the summer, a guided hike will be offered at Indian Steps Loop from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 17, according to its website.
Indian Steps Loop is approximately a 25-minute drive away from State College in Pennsylvania Furnace.
The hike will take attendees up the south side of Tussey Mountain, according to Appalachian Outdoors, and there are some wooden stairs along the route.
More information about Centred Outdoors and events can be found at centredoutdoors.org. The free, guided hikes offered to the public throughout the summer were to encourage Centre County locals to spend more time outdoors.
