Rothrock State Forest — Attraction in Jackson Township

This review is for the Tussey Mt Trail. This is a great low incline trail running about 8 miles along a ridge on Tussey Mt. It offers phenomenal views on both sides of the mountain. The trail is rocky and narrow, and in some areas, the ledge is next to you, so watch your step. I've hiked this trail a couple times and have hardly run into another person, particularly further up on the trail. This is my preference. There are several places to park and get onto the trail. Some small trails that connect to the main trail, though, are quite steep. If you are looking for some difficulty in your hike the Filmore Trail and Shingle path are great. I think my coonhound was a mountain goat in a former life as he loves these really steep trails. He loved hiking up Filmore Trail, where I parked and got onto the Tussey Mt trail from, and then tried pulling me down Shingle Path, which was too steep for me. If you are like me, and not my hound, and want a steady low level hike, then just stay on Tussey Mt Trail. You are in for a bit of a laugh if you walk all the way to the end of the trail to where it forks off to Camp Trail or down to Treaster Kettle Rd. There is a beer tap landmark in the middle of the trail. Alas, there is no beer. My coonhound was very upset by this realization. From there you can go straight, right or left. I went left and took Camp Trail down to Corner Rd which meets up with Bear Meadows Rd. As I write this review, I had parked on Bear Meadows Road where the Filmore Trail begins. I just had to walk about a half mile back up to my car. So, if you want a rather easy hike on top of the mountain with some awesome near 360 views, silence, and few people, check out...

While the views are nice and there are various trails to take, I went specifically to get a view from the fire tower. The hike is considered to be moderate and is about a mile hike to get there (one way). The climb is steep and does have a lot of loose rocks and gravel which can make it a little tough walking up and down. There are some parts that level out which is a nice break if you're not used to hiking. The fire tower unfortunately is closed due to vandalism which we didn't know until we got there and after reading reviews. So if you want to climb the tower at the end, just know it's closed. The beginning of the hike is nice, but escalates to a steep hike for about 3/4 of the hike to the top. It is a beautiful nature hike either way, but it seemed a little more than moderate at times. There is free parking with restrooms...

I make my dogs hike behind me here, especially while hiking the Mid-state trail. Timber rattlesnakes are always a concern. Many trails leading to and from the ridge are steep.

The Rainbow trail should not be considered navigable on the south side of the ridge as it is extremely steep and the top half is made up of fist sized loose rocks.

The views on the Mid-state ridge are spectacular and frequent. It will also tone you up with its protruding rocks and loose rocks.

The boulders on the Standing Stone trail are worth hiking to visit. I've encountered rock climbers exercising there...