Location: Near Huntington, PA Website: https://www.standingstonetrail.org Know Before You Go: There is not cell reception at the trailhead in Greenwood Furnace State Park, so downloading maps prior to losing service is recommended. Part of this trail is steep and covered with large rocks that could be steep when wet. There is an Avenza map for each part of the trail which we would highly recommend. The Avenza app can be downloaded from your App Store. Length: The entire Standing Stone Trail is 70-85 miles. There are conflicting reports online and in brochures. We hiked a 4-mile out-and-back. Time: 4 miles took us a little over 2 hours. DifficultyLevel: Moderate to challenging. Terrain: Stone, dirt, steep steps. Dog-friendly: Yes. Dogs must be kept on a leash and physically-controlled at all times. Kid-friendly: Yes. Standing Stone Trail traverses over 70 miles (or 85 miles; there are conflicting reports in brochures and online) across central Pennsylvania ridges and valleys from Cowans Gap State Park in the south to Rothrock State Forests’s Detweiler Run Natural Area in the north. It’s part of the 1,800 Great Eastern Trail, which starts at the Florida-Alabama state line and extends to New York State. Elevations run from a low of 660 feet to a high point of 2380 feet.
The Greenwood Spur takes you into Greenwood Furnace State Park where you can view the remains of two old iron furnaces and see several 1800s-era iron-industry structures, then heads up to the Greenwood Fire Tower around 3 miles north of the park.
We hiked from the Greenwood Furnace State Park Visitor Center up to the Stone Valley Vista. At the top of the vista sits a mailbox filled with notebooks where you can record your thoughts upon seeing the grand view of the beautiful Stone Valley. This hike can be a 4-mile out and back up a very rocky, steep path - the way we hiked- or you can turn it into a 5-mile loop and see a bit more of the park by continuing south past the mailbox, turning right on Lorence Trail and Right on Monsell Trail into the parking lot.
This trail was created and is maintained in part by volunteers and donations. Learn more at standingstonetrail.org.