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Trails
& Maps...
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| Hiking Seasons |
 A
hike on the trails blazed through the
woods is rewarding any season.
AT THE START of the climb, the richer
soils and gentler slopes support a diverse
assortment of forest trees, including
several kinds of oaks, white ash, sugar
and red maples, shagbark hickory, basswood
and several other kinds. As you climb
the trails, the major trees are chestnut
oaks, with a scattering of red and black
oaks, pignut hickories, and white, pitch
and table mountain pines.
NEAR THE TOP, numerous American chestnuts
continue to sprout from old roots, and
there are dense growths of black birch
and some paper birch and sassafras. Thickets
of the fast growing but scrubby striped
maple or moosewood and bracken fern are
troublesome along some of the trails as
they tend to take over. The forest floor
is covered everywhere with low-bush blueberries
and other shrubs.
 SPRING, Mother's
Day is an ideal time. Spicy fragrant,
pink azaleas have burst forth on upper
areas, with occasional pink lady slipper
orchids appearing underneath. Pink trailing
arbutus line some trails. Mountain laurels
peak a month later. Serviceberries bloom
earlier, their white flowers presaging
red/purple fruits in June. May sees the
return of migratory birds.
SUMMER,
yellow false foxgloves and loostrifes
are common on some trails. Blackberries
and black raspberries flourish on the
far side. The small red berries of wintergreen
or teaberry are almost everywhere. In
some damper areas, mushrooms and saprophytic
white Indian pipes and red and yellow
pine saps sprout.
FALL,
birches, ashes, hickories, and some maples
turn yellow. Oaks follow from bronze to
dark red. A sampling of wildflowers are
held in check by dense forest cover. In
low damp areas, witch hazel bushes yield
yellow, stringy flowers.
WINTER,
leafless trees along ridge trails offer
additional valley views. Snow shows deer,
fox, turkey and bear tracks. Woodpeckers
abound. |
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| Directions |
From
Penn State University Park Campus
Take
Park Ave. onto the Mt. Nittany expressway
(Rt. 322E); Take College Ave. exit;
Left onto E. College Ave. (Rt. 26N)
1/2 mile to traffic light (Pike St.);
Right onto Pike St. 6/10 mile to Mt
Nittany Rd.; Left onto Mt. Nittany
Rd. and up hill one mile to Trailhead
(see maps).
OR
Porter
Rd. to College Ave.; Left onto E. College
Ave. (Rt. 26N) 1/2 mile to Elmwood St.
(Lemont sign on right); Right onto Elmwood
St. 1/2 mile to traffic light (Pike St.);
Left onto Pike St. two blocks to Mt. Nittany
Rd.; Right onto Mt. Nittany Rd. and up
hill one mile to Trailhead (see trail
map).
OR
For
students without a vehicle, the CATA's
M (Nittany
Mall) route will take you to Lemont.
You will then need to walk approx.
.8 miles to the trailhead. Here is
a link to a Google
map with walking directions.
From
State College
South
Atherton Street (Business Rt. 322E) to
Branch Rd. (traffic light - see Lemont
sign); Left onto Branch Rd. two miles
to traffic light (Elmwood St.). Continue
straight ahead two blocks to Mt. Nittany
Rd.; Right onto Mt. Nittany Rd. and up
hill one mile to Trailhead (see trail
map). |
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| Trail
Maps |
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Terrain
Model View from Campus. Print
Version (open in new window)
Topographical
Map of Hiking Trails. Print
Version (open in new window)
Topographical
Map Detailed View.
Print
Version (open in new window)
Elevation
/ Altitude gains of Hike.
*This
Map CANNOT be Enlarged.*
*This
Map CANNOT be Enlarged.*
Notice:
Traveling in the back country can
be hazardous. You are responsible
for informing yourself about these
hazards and taking necessary precautions.
Information on this web site may contain
errors or omissions. Please use common
sense when hiking, and follow all
rules & regulations as well as
Leave No Trace principles when recreating
in the out of doors. The Mount Nittany
Conservancy takes NO responsibility
for any injuries, accidents, mishaps,
etc. that might take place on the
grounds of the Conservancy.
Review:
(HikePA.com)
Mt.
Nittany is the first hike many people
take in Centre County, PA. Its fame
comes from the legend of Princess
Nittany, and it is a landmark for
the Pennsylvania State University,
whose mascot, the Nittany Lion, is
named for. Hiking Mt.
Nittany is easy, compared to most
of the other hikes in Centre County.
Getting there: Find your way to Lemont,
PA, near State College (off of route
26). Once in Lemont, you'll find your
way around easily, since there are
only a few streets in this quiet town.
Find Mt.
Nittany Road off of Pike Street (the
main street in Lemont) and take it
all the way to the end. You can park
there and follow the white blazes.
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