Stone Tower–Bear Lake Trail, 5 sights is a 9.8-mile out-and-back in Spruce Swamp Natural Area near Thornhurst, PA. The route reaches Stone Tower. It climbs 746 ft and is mostly dirt. It scores 65/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: backcountry feel.
Elevation
0 mi1,621 – 2,077 ft10.1 mi
Getting there
Trailhead: Unnamed 41.17485, -75.60894
Nearest town Thornhurst, PA
Directions
AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com
Stone Tower–Bear Lake Trail, 5 sights
9.8 mi · ▲ 746 ft · 3 hr 38 min
Elevation 1,620–2,077 ft
Out & Back · Spruce Swamp Natural Area
Trailhead: 41.17485, -75.60894
Weather Sep 7: sunrise 6:36 AM · sunset 7:27 PM
Parking lot at the trailhead
- Start at the trailhead, heading SW.
- 0.3 miTurn right, heading NW.
- 0.2 miTurn right onto Pinchot Trail, heading N.
- 0.3 miTurn right onto Keller's Swamp Trail, heading E.
- 1 miBear right, heading N.
- 50 ftTurn left onto Birchstill Trail, heading N.
- 1.2 miBear right onto Sunday Trail, heading W.
- 0.7 miTurn right onto Bear Lake Trail, heading W.
- 0.7 miBear right onto McClintock's Gate Trail, heading S.
- 0.2 miPass Stone Tower.
- 200 ftBear left onto Stone Tower Trail, heading W.
- 0.4 miReach Stone Tower, then turn around and head back the way you came.
- 0.4 miBear right onto McClintock's Gate Trail, heading NE.
- 0.2 miBear left onto Bear Lake Trail, heading E.
- 0.7 miTurn left onto Sunday Trail, heading S.
- 0.7 miBear left onto Birchstill Trail, heading SE.
- 1.2 miTurn right, heading SW.
- 50 ftBear left onto Keller's Swamp Trail, heading SW.
- 1 miTurn left onto Pinchot Trail, heading S.
- 0.3 miTurn left, heading SW.
- 0.2 miTurn left, heading SE.
- 0.2 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
89% dirt11% unspecified
Weather
Sunrise 6:36 AMSunset 7:27 PM
Sunset
The best sunset spot on this hike is 4.4 mi in (~123 min). Leave by 5:04 PM for the 7:27 PM sunset. Back at your car by 9:35 PM, after dark — bring a headlamp.
Good to know
- Parking lot at the trailhead
More from this trailhead
- Hines Pond & Red Pine Plantation Trail via Keller's Swamp Trail 3.3 mi · ▲ 136 ft
- Choke Creek Falls–Butler Run Trail, 3 sights 4.8 mi · ▲ 236 ft
- Hines Pond–Butler Run Trail, 3 sights 5.9 mi · ▲ 321 ft
- Choke Creek Falls–Butler Run Trail, 3 sights 6 mi · ▲ 236 ft
Get outside more
A wild hike near Thornhurst, emailed to you once a week.
Hikes near Thornhurst, Pennsylvania