The Best Day Hike You Can Take With Your Dog In Pennsylvania

Golden Eagle Trail
Tiadaghton State Forest • Slate Run

If your trail dog spends any time in Pennsylvania he is likely to hear tell of the Golden Eagle Trail being the ultimate day hike in the Keystone State. Seaman may find this curious as the hike is in an obscure state forest neither in the Pocono nor Allegheny mountains.

The statistics paint a crystalline portrait of what lies ahead: nine-mile loop, over 4,000 feet in total elevation gained, two ascents of 800 and 1,000 feet, and four vistas. Looping counter- clockwise gets the steepest climb out of the way early and deposits you on the much celebrated Raven’s Horn vista with 270-degree views of the Pine Creek Valley early rather than late. Timber rattlesnakes make their home in the rocks so keep Seaman from being too curious here.

The rocky slopes give way to a long draw up Wolf Run with many opportunities to get paws wet. White pines and old growth hemlocks keep things cool amidst the huffing and puffing on the trail. The abundance of flat rocks bears evidence to an old flagstone quarry. Three more vistas emerge, climaxing at the highpoint of the trail, the Beulahland Vista, elevation 2,180 feet. The view is of a long ago futile attempt to coax crops out of these mountains.

The loop finishes with a descent down Bonnell Run with more tail-wagging stream crossings and tiny waterfalls. With the tough going behind you assessments can be made on the Golden Eagle’s place in the Pennsylvania canine hiking pantheon.

HIKING TIME: 4-5 hours

(from the book 300 Day Hikes To Take With Your Dog Before He Tires You Out: Trails where you won’t be able to wipe the wag off your dog’s tail)

Hiking With Your Dog In Pennsylvania