Galbraith Gap

As the primary gateway to 96,975-acre Rothrock State Forest, Galbraith Gap is a hiker’s and mountain biker’s paradise. A mix of nature trails and scenic gravel roads run through the area’s mossy landscape, passing enormous rock formations and running alongside the meandering Galbraith Gap Run. Hobbyist trekkers can enjoy the easy Galbraith Gap Trail, while pro bikers can take the Rothrock TrailMix, an International Mountain Biking Association (IMBA) "Epic" 36-mile loop with over 4,000 feet of elevation gain, and plenty of technical terrain.

Mix-and-match routes wind through hardwood forests, stream valleys, and ecosystems such as Bear Meadows Natural Area—a swampy stretch brimming with rhododendron thickets, highbush blueberries, and forest of spruce and balsam fir trees. 

The forest itself has an interesting history: In 1903, this large, rugged landscape had been stripped of its trees, which were used as wood and to make charcoal for the nearby iron furnaces. State forestry commissioner Dr. Joseph Trimble Rothrock (who became known as the Father of Forestry in Pennsylvania) was concerned that the trees wouldn’t rebound, so he started acquiring large swaths of land for protection. Rothrock was initially part of central Pennsylvania’s Seven Mountains area, and ruins of a 19th-century iron furnace, circular charcoal hearth flats where loggers made charcoal to fuel the iron furnaces, and even an historic church and cemetery still exist there. 

The forest is also home to several distinct natural areas, including Big Flat Laurel Natural Area, known for its large stands of mountain laurel—Pennsylvania's state flower—and Thickhead Mountain Wild Area, an expansive wilderness of mixed-oak forest that’s just a short drive away from Penn State University’s main campus.