Frozen Run Gorge Vista

Length: Varies greatly; this is an off trail hike. You can hike 5-10 miles depending on the features you want to see.

Trail conditions: No marked trails or signs, this is an off trail hike. There are some old logging roads and grades that can be used.

Difficulty: This is a challenging and difficult hike that should only be attempted by experienced hikers with good navigational skills. Terrain is rocky and steep with cliffs and ledges. You will also need to cross creeks without bridges (although there is one bridge). Do not hike here alone. Use all safety precautions.

Parking: Look for pull off parking roughly here: 41.502362, -77.008409 . Bodine Mountain Road was in very good shape when I was last on it, although it is narrow when going up the mountain. There may be gas trucks using the road. There were check stations at the bottom and top directing traffic, so you may be asked to wait for a truck to use the road.

When to hike: When the creeks are flowing well (due to all the falls and cascades), but do not attempt this hike in high water. Frozen Run becomes a ferocious whitewater river. Bodine Mountain Road is likely not accessible in winter.

Highlights: Stunning views, waterfalls, rapids, cascades, giant rocks, overhangs, caves, chasms, beautiful creeks.

Future: There is talk of a hiking trail system being established in the gorge.

Description: Frozen Run is a crown jewel of the Loyalsock State Forest, and even Pennsylvania. It is a place of incredible beauty. But there is a price. It requires off trail hiking and it is rugged. However, if you come here, it will be an experience you won’t forget.

Frozen Run is just different from other gorges in PA. The creeks are wild and rugged, filled with large, smooth boulders with rapids, cascades, and pools. There are waterfalls on the tributaries. There’s a glen with smooth bedrock and deep pools. There are giant rocks, cliffs, chasms, and overhangs on the top of the plateau. And there is the stunning Frozen Run Gorge Vista, looking straight down the gorge with the impressive Pickenville Cliffs. You can easily spend a day in this magnificent place.

This is a hike where you really need to choose your own route. You can stay on top and explore all the giant rocks. There are impressive rock formations and overhangs. One view is Windmill Vista; it’s not an amazing view as it looks across the top of the plateau to some windmills. A very cool chasm scramble is close by.

Frozen Run Gorge Vista is a must-see. There are other views on the escarpment, but you must punch through the laurel to see them.

I also recommend you explore Frozen Run and the side streams. If there is good flow, expect to see lots of falls and cascades. These creeks are so beautiful. There is one random wooden footbridge, which I call the Bridge to Nowhere.

Trip reports from April, 2016 and October, 2016.

This place is also described in Hiking the Endless Mountains.

Enjoy this special place!

Blue dots are larger falls, cascades, or rapids. Brown lines or old forest grades or roads. Black dots are rock features or views. All locations are approximate. This is a rugged gorge, be careful.

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