Stone Tower–Bear Lake Trail, 5 sights is a 6-mile out-and-back in Spruce Swamp Natural Area near Thornhurst, PA. The route reaches Stone Tower. It climbs 484 ft and is mostly dirt. It scores 76/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: genuinely wild.
Elevation
0 mi1,759 – 2,077 ft6.1 mi
Getting there
Trailhead: Birchstill Trail 41.20073, -75.61439
Nearest town Thornhurst, PA
Directions
AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com
Stone Tower–Bear Lake Trail, 5 sights
6 mi · ▲ 484 ft · 2 hr 15 min
Elevation 1,758–2,077 ft
Out & Back · Spruce Swamp Natural Area
Trailhead: Birchstill Trail · 41.20073, -75.61439
Weather Sep 7: sunrise 6:36 AM · sunset 7:27 PM
- Start on Sunday Trail, heading NW.
- 0.7 miTurn right onto Bear Lake Trail, heading N.
- 0.7 miBear right onto McClintock's Gate Trail, heading SW.
- 0.2 miContinue straight onto Stone Lookout Trail, heading W.
- 50 ftPass Stone Tower.
- 1.4 miContinue straight onto McClintock's Gate Trail, heading NW.
- 350 ftReach Stone Tower, then turn around and head back the way you came.
- 350 ftContinue straight onto Stone Lookout Trail, heading SE.
- 1.4 miContinue straight onto McClintock's Gate Trail, heading E.
- 0.2 miBear left onto Bear Lake Trail, heading NE.
- 0.7 miTurn left onto Sunday Trail, heading S.
- 0.6 miArrive back at the trailhead.
Each distance is the walk from the previous step. Tap a step for a map of its junction.
Trail surface
100% dirt
Weather
Sunrise 6:36 AMSunset 7:27 PM
Sunset
The best sunset spot on this hike is 1.5 mi in (~46 min). Leave by 6:21 PM for the 7:27 PM sunset. Back at your car by 8:19 PM, after dark — bring a headlamp.
More from Birchstill Trail Trailhead
- Stone Tower–Bear Lake Trail, 3 sights 3.1 mi · ▲ 300 ft
Get outside more
A wild hike near Thornhurst, emailed to you once a week.
Hikes near Thornhurst, Pennsylvania