Keystone Trails Association‘s trail care program focuses on trails that lack formal trail maintenance clubs. Deep in the Sproul State Forest just south of Renovo in Clinton County, the Chuck Keiper Trail is one of those trails.
Over the past several years, the Chuck Keiper Trail has earned a reputation for having very rough conditions. Although the conditions can get rugged without routine maintenance, the trail is recognized as having some of the most peaceful areas, views of wildlife, and gorgeous scenery.
Named after Chuck Keiper, a longtime game warden and forestry official in Clinton County, the Chuck Keiper offers remarkable solitude along its more than 32-mile loop.
The Pennsylvania Outdoor Corps crews often tackle tough, lengthy trail projects that can need more than one year to complete. These crews are well suited to help KTA in our mission of protecting and preserving our most rugged and remote hiking trails.
The Pennsylvania Outdoor Corps fills a key role in keeping our rugged, wilderness trails open and accessible.
The Pennsylvania Outdoor Corps works across the many state parks and forests that make up the PA Wilds landscape. Through trail maintenance and construction, and other recreation and conservation projects, they have a visible and long-lasting impact on the region.
From repairing the Turkey Path at Leonard Harrison State Park (multiple times) to pavilion repairs, to invasive species control, visitors to the PA Wilds benefit greatly from their work.
The 2024 Williamsport young adult crew was tasked with re-establishing the treadway of the Chuck Keiper Trail along Boggs Run. Due to overgrown vegetation, downed trees, and erosion, many parts of this section were basically un-hikeable.
KTA volunteers have worked over the past two years to take care of hundreds of downed trees in this section. Once that work was completed, work to re-establish the trail could begin.
After and Before
I had the opportunity to spend time with the crew on the Chuck Keiper Trail, which has been a focus of KTA trail care for the past two years. I’m a graduate of the PA Outdoor Corps, and I give credit to my time in that program as a large influence on my understanding of trail maintenance and construction.
With the help of the Sproul State Forest staff, I, along with a KTA volunteer, all joined forces with the Outdoor Corps crew to build and re-establish more than two miles of trail in some of the most beautifully rugged terrain PA has to offer.
The hike to the worksites lengthened each day as the crew made progress, culminating in a 6-mile round trip commute down and back up the mountain.
The crew’s hard work and determination have made a large step forward in improving what was one of the chief complaints from hikers on this trail.
The Keystone Trails Association and the PA Wilds Center for Entrepreneurship are collaborating to create a hiking guidebook for the scenic Pennsylvania Wilds region.
The PA Wilds region is home to the greatest concentration of public lands in the commonwealth, more than 2 million acres, which includes more than 1,600 miles of trails.
The hiking book will highlight just some of the amazing trails and vistas that define the PA Wilds region as a premier outdoor recreation destination. The finished hiking book (which will likely be available for purchase in late 2025 or early 2026) will include hiking trail options for all 13 counties that make up the PA Wilds region as well as stewardship messaging.
As a licensed PA Wilds product, a portion of the proceeds from the book will go back to the mission of the PA Wilds Center, to integrate economic development and conservation in a way that inspires and strengthens the rural communities in the PA Wilds region.
Stay tuned for more updates on the guidebook in 2025! Sign up for the PA Wilds newsletter here to be one of the first to know when it’s available.
Al Germann is the Keystone Trails Association’s Trail Care Coordinator for the PA Wilds region. Originally from East Hanover Township, Dauphin County, Al spent his younger years in the Boy Scouts, hiking, fishing, and camping. Later in life, he worked on the Harrisburg Young Adult Pennsylvania Outdoor Corps crew, learning many new skills at various state parks and forests, including working with his crew to create a new section of trail at Kings Gap Environmental Education Center. Prior to joining KTA, Al held a role at the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources as Deputy Digital Director, helping to administer the agency’s website, social media, and create video content.
Author: Guest Contributor
The Pennsylvania Wilds is home to more than 2 million acres of public land, 50 state game lands, 29 state parks, 8 state forests, 2 National Wild & Scenic Rivers, abundant wildlife, hundreds of miles of land and water trails, some of the darkest skies in the country, and the largest elk herd in the northeast.
The PA Wilds team is grateful to share the many stories of this region through the words and images of our talented guest contributors.