Pennsylvania

Gerard Hiking Trail

36 mi long · in Pennsylvania · centroid 78 mi from Pittsburgh

Gerard Hiking Trail is a 36-mile hiking trail in Pennsylvania. This page summarises what we have from public sources (OpenStreetMap and trail-association data); always verify current conditions and trail status with the maintaining organisation before heading out.

Gerard Hiking Trail
Photo via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Length
36 mi
Network
Local (lwn)
Centroid nearest city
Pittsburgh, PA · 78 mi · ~2.3 hr drive
Centroid coords
41.5489°, -79.6636°
OSM relation
9450955
From Wikipedia: The Gerard Hiking Trail is an approximately 36-mile (58 km) hiking trail in Oil Creek State Park in northwestern Pennsylvania, forming a long and narrow loop on both sides of Oil Creek. Several cross-connector trails enable shorter loops of various lengths. The trail is known for numerous vistas over Oil Creek and the state park, many small waterfalls on side streams, and historic artifacts associated with early American oil exploration led by Edwin Drake, who struck oil in the area in 1859. Excerpt from the Wikipedia article on Gerard Hiking Trail, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Plan your hike

Practical notes

Maps + permits: long-distance trails like this often require permits for through-hiking, backcountry camping, or specific sections (especially in National Parks). Check with the maintaining organisation listed above and the relevant land manager before booking travel.

Water + supplies: water sources vary seasonally on most U.S. trails. Carry a filter and consult current trail-condition reports — through-hiker journals (PCT-L, AT Reddit, etc.) and the maintaining organisation publish regular updates.

When to go: hiking seasons vary widely with elevation, latitude, and snowpack. Through-hikers traditionally start the AT in March-April (Springer northbound) and the PCT in late April (Campo northbound). High-elevation western trails (CDT, JMT, Wonderland) generally aren't passable until July.

If you've hiked Gerard Hiking Trail and have current notes (water sources, trail closures, permit changes), tell us at /contact — we update pages as we learn.

Stay nearby

Affiliate · disclosed
Driving in? The nearest documented metro is Pittsburgh, PA — 78 miles away (~2.3 hr drive). See accommodation in Pittsburgh on Booking.com → RoamFound earns a small commission if you book through this link, at no extra cost to you. How we handle affiliate links.

Other trails within 50 miles

3 nearby

Sources

Public data + curation

Trail data on this page is compiled from OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), the maintaining organisation's public-facing materials, and Wikipedia (CC BY-SA where excerpts are quoted). Distance, terminus, and descriptive text for nationally-designated trails are hand-curated from federal land-manager websites and trail-association sources. We do not modify the underlying data; this page presents what is already publicly recorded. To suggest corrections, see our methodology page.