The Ironstone Loop

Distance: About 13 miles
Time: 10 hours
Vertical Rise: 800 ft
Highlights: Views, old stone steps
Maps: USGS 7.5' Pine Grove Mills; MSTA Map 202

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The Indian Steps seem to he another mystery of Penn's Woods. Nobody today can explain their location (up a mountainside) or say with certainty who built them. According to one legend the steps were built by the Kishacoquillas tribe over 300 years ago, but Paul Wallace, in his book Indian Paths of Pennsylvania, does not even mention them. However, their existence prior to 1911 is documented.

The location is unusual because Native American paths usually took easier routes and an easy route ran across Tussey Mountain less than 5 km away. Called the St standing Stone Path (now called PA 26) and listed by Wallace it passed through the gap between Leading and Rudy Ridges just above Monroe Furnace. A Native American on the Standing Stone Path who wanted to use the steps would have had to detour either through Harry's Valley or cross over Leading Ridge near its highest part. Indeed, the best preserved steps of all continue up the northwest flank of Leading Ridge and stop, suspiciously, at the boundary of state forest land on the ridgetop. On Leading Ridge their route parallels a number of old boundary lines, and it seems likely that the Indian Steps were a white man's boundary line in the 19th century.

The hike starts and ends at the parking lot on the top of Tussey Ridge on the west side of PA 26, 2 miles uphill from the intersection of PA 45 and PA 26 in Pine Grove Mills. The ridgetop portions of the hike are on the orange-blazed Mid State Trail (MST). You will want your hiking boots for the notoriously rocky Mid State Trail.

Begin walking south on PA 26 and turn right on the gated road that is the trail at this point. Do not cross PA 26. Continue past a microwave tower and through the woods to an old clear-cut area. Proceed along the trail to the power-line crossing for northwest views of farmland at the foot of Tussey Ridge, heavily wooded Barrens backed by Bald Eagle Mountain, and the Allegheny Front on the horizon. To the southeast you see upper Stone Valley and Stone Mountain on the horizon. At this point the woods road ends, and the Mid State Trail becomes rough and rocky.

You then pass a trail register and another view to the southeast a hit farther. Con tinning, you cross the Campbell Trail at 2.3 km. This trail was a wagon road built across the ridge by a tavern owner named Campbell to deliver thirsty wagoneers to the front door of his tavern and away from the competition in Pine Grove Mills. Proceeding along the ridge, you pass one overlook above Harry's Valley and then three more overlooks.

Finally, at 4.7 km from PA 26, you reach the top of the Indian Steps, marked by a post sign. Turn left and follow the deeply worn and blue-blazed path to the edge of the ridge and then descend. Many steps are missing but near the ridgetop sections are still intact. The Indian Steps Trail continues down to Harry's Valley Road for a steep drop of almost 200 meters. For obscure reasons the trail sign here is labeled Crownover Trail. The Crownover Trail is blue- blazed as part of the Ironstone I Loop. Turn right on Harry's Valley Road. On some weekends the traffic may he heavy but at mid-week you may not see a single car in the time it takes to cover the 800 meters on the road. Bear right on the next road, the unmarked Pump Station Road. The gentle grade of the road makes for an easy climb hack up Tussey Ridge. Toward the ridgetop you pass rocky areas with views of Harry's Valley and Leading Ridge and finally connect with Pennsylvania Furnace Road. Continue ahead past several more view points. To the southeast Jacks Mountain rises over the top of Stone Mountain, and Terrace Mountain comes nip from the south and ends abruptly. The Juniata River flows just to the north of the mountain's end, and Butler Knob on Jack's Mountain is visible behind Terrace Mountain. One view extends so far south you see Tussey Ridge itself at the loop south of the Little and Frankstown Branches of the Juniata, and at one place you can see west over Tussey Mountain to Canoe Mountain.

At the ridgetop turn sharply right again on the Mid State Trail arid proceed along the gated access road past the site of Tussey Fire Tower. The views from the top were truly spectacular.
Beyond the tower site you enter the woods and pass a southeast view of Stone Valley Lake and a blue-blazed side trail to Kepler Road.

You then begin a fairly long pull of 1.4 km to the Schall's Gap Overlook, where a log seat provides a good resting spot. The Indian Steps Trail is 600 meters farther, but only a couple of steps remain on this sidle of the ridge. For the next 300 meters you follow the old ridgetop trail connecting the Indian Steps Trail on opposite sides of the ridge, and then you retrace your steps on the Mid State Trail to return to PA 26 and your car.

Other hiking opportunities near the Indian Steps include the Jackson Trail on the other Side of PA 26.

Excerpted from:

50 hikes in Central Pennsylvania  3rd Edition, Tom Thwaites  Back Country Publications Woodstock, Vermont