AT Blue Mountain

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Appalachian Trail Along Blue Mountain Ridge is a moderately trafficked point-to-point trail located near Pine Grove, PA that features beautiful wild flowers and is rated as moderate. The trail is primarily used for hiking, walking, nature trips, and birding and is accessible from April until November.

On this 10-mile rock hop along the Blue Mountain ridge, history-minded hikers walk a path blazed by Native Americans, interpreters, missionaries, and soldiers. The focal point is Pilger Ruh (Pilgrim's Rest) spring. Located on a route from Philadelphia to the Native American capital of Shamokin (now Sunbury) on the Susquehanna River north of Harrisburg, the spring was a must stop for travelers over the Appalachian ridges. It was visited by Chief Shikellimy of the Iroquois Federation; the Moravian missionary Count Zinzendorff, who settled Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, in 1740; and Conrad Weiser, an interpreter who grew up among the Mohawks, learned their language and customs, and became a trusted and influential intermediary between several Iroquois chiefs and descendants of William Penn. Natural history feature: Round Head. Social history features: Pilger Ruh; Fort Dietrich Snyder.

In 1926, planners of the Appalachian Trail asked hiking club members to locate and build 102 miles of the Appalachian Trail through the wilderness along the mountaintop from the Lehigh River to the Susquehanna River. Monuments, cabins, and rest stops were built along the way. After five years of volunteer labor, dedication of the completed section was held on October 12, 1931.The Blue Mountain Eagle Climbing Club currently maintains a 64.4 mile section of the trail along the Blue Mountains from Lehigh Furnace Gap Road to Rausch Gap, with the exception of a section between Bake Oven Road and Tri-county Corner. 

Length:10.4 total miles
Elevation Gain: Minimal
Trail Type: Point-to-point
Skill Level: Moderate
Duration: 5-6 hours
Top Elevation:1,565 feet
Skill Level: Moderate
Duration: 5-6 hours
Top Elevation:1,565 feet