View Full Version : Rausch Gap to Rt 325
PAtradhunter
03-29-2016, 18:17
Greetings!
Our boy scout troop will be doing another section of the AT in April (Rausch Gap to 325). I am wondering if anyone is aware of a camping area at the top of Stoney Mountain before you start down into Clarks Valley. We would like to camp in that area Saturday night and then hike down to the parking lot Sunday morning.
Thanks for your help!!
IIRC, there is a wide open area with campsites at Yellow Springs Village site, about 4.6 miles from Rausch Gap Shelter, and 6.7 miles from PA325. There may be others in between as well. How are you getting to Rausch Gap? I have hiked in from PA443 parking lot, and once I bicycled in from Gold Mine Road along the Stony Run Trail. Good luck on your hike!
capehiker
03-30-2016, 14:31
Yes, there is camping up at the top where the Horseshoe Trail intersects with the AT. I have hiked that section a few times and always comment on spending the night up there.
Toolshed
03-30-2016, 20:22
It is a nice flat area. I don't recall water there, but both times I was up there The NG Air was active IIRC Fort Indiantown gap is usually active and has training in the area. - First was a blackhawk flying NOE and then hovered about 50' off the ground as troops rapped down. It was very cool. The 2nd time there were A4's screaming down the valley back and forth. Again, very cool. I think if you are lucky to see this, the boys would love it.
It is a nice flat area. I don't recall water there, but both times I was up there The NG Air was active IIRC Fort Indiantown gap is usually active and has training in the area. - First was a blackhawk flying NOE and then hovered about 50' off the ground as troops rapped down. It was very cool. The 2nd time there were A4's screaming down the valley back and forth. Again, very cool. I think if you are lucky to see this, the boys would love it.
If you mean the area near the mailbox at Yellow Spring village site, there area usually some flowing seeps especially in spring time about a half mile trail-north in an area of stone turnpiking). There is also water not usually too far down (trail-east) the Yellow Spring hollow trail which crosses about 1/4 mile trail-south of the mailbox. Do not do too much wandering at night around Yellow Spring village site, or you might suddenly discover an old well (highly questionable, likely miscellaneous stuff has been tossed down it for the last 120 years, and TPTB were supposedly trying to figure out how to block it off) or mine entrance. The actual Yellow Spring is slightly further downhill than people usually go, and it is actually yellow (supposedly naturally occurring acid drainage).
Rather further trail-south, where the OP was asking about, there are a couple of orange seeps toward the highest part of the NPS corridor former Harrisburg watershed property (visible as a green stripe on most recent KTA A.T. map) on the compass-north trail-south side of the Stony Mountain summit. At this point the AT is following an old jeep trail with a couple of small ups and downs. I don't recall a Scout troop size camp site here.
PAtradhunter
03-30-2016, 21:45
Everyone-Thanks for the information. Disco, we will be hiking in on the rail-trail from the Gold Mine Rd parking area Friday night and staying at the Rausch Gap shelter.
PAtradhunter
05-01-2016, 20:02
Thanks for all the help; we had a great trip. The only issue was dealing with a conservation officer Friday night.
Thanks for all the help; we had a great trip. The only issue was dealing with a conservation officer Friday night.
What was the problem?
PAtradhunter
05-01-2016, 22:38
In Apirl I contacted the PGC about getting a hiking permit (because of the size of our group). The regional land manager said we did not need one since we were through hiking. Friday night we got checked by the local WCO and he said we do need a permit and the land manager gave us wrong information. I stated, by name, who I spoke with and was told, "he is the land manager, I am the enforcer".
The tone of the conversation changed when he realized they made the error (we really should of had a permit). He started questioning/treating us like we were a bunch of high school kids looking to get drunk and shoot up the shelter-not a Boy Scout Troop.
He was a poor representation of the Game Commission.
capehiker
05-02-2016, 18:47
I wonder if that game officer was the same one my buddy Lumberjack and I ran into back in December, except we were 4 miles south of Port Clinton. We had followed the rules according to the signage in game lands and he was still looking to nail us with something. We were polite and respectful. I'm pretty sure the retirement age officer he was with dialed him back and we got off with a warning (still never figured out what the warning was for).
Barryalkar
07-09-2019, 23:54
Headed to rausch tmrw with a jeep and a lifted pick up. If anyone is interested in joining we are meeting in the lot at 9am. PM me prior.