New trail opens in Rothrock State Forest as part of 50-mile project in Centre County
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- Musser Gap Trail opens first 7.5 miles in Rothrock as part of 50-mile project.
- DCNR invests $2.4 million to advance Gov. Shapiro’s statewide trail access plan.
- Trail expansion supports $19B outdoor recreation industry and local job growth.
The first 7.5 miles of the new Musser Gap Trail are now open in Rothrock State Park — the first phase of a state-funded initiative to develop approximately 50 miles of trails that will connect Centre and Huntingdon counties.
About 50 volunteers and officials gathered in front of the new trail on Thursday evening for a ribbon-cutting ceremony and press conference. The project received a $2.4 million investment from the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR), which has a long-term goal of having a trail within 10 minutes of every Pennsylvanian.
Local politicians and leaders, including state Rep. Paul Takac, D-College Township, State College Mayor Ezra Nanes and Centre County Commissioner Mark Higgins, discussed the economic impacts of the outdoor recreation industry, which contributed $19 billion and over 168,000 jobs in Pennsylvania in 2023.
“If you listen to Governor Shapiro’s vision about Pennsylvania, he really understands outdoor recreation and time outdoors and the amenities like state parks and trails as a part of Pennsylvania’s future,” DCNR secretary Cindy Adams Dunn said at the event. “We need to keep young people ... we need to retain people that come into Pennsylvania. We need to make Pennsylvania communities the place everyone wants to live, work and play, and outdoor recreation is a big part of that.”
The new trail splits into two segments — Fern Winder Trail and Up and Over Trail — that will go from the Musser Gap Trailhead to Pine Swamp Road. Part of the trail is still closed due to construction of a bridge.
Phase 2 of the project began construction on June 4 and is expected to be completed in mid-fall. This will extend the Musser Gap Trail by 11 miles from Hubler Gap toward Whipple Dam State Park in Petersburg.
Phase 3, which plans to add 9 miles of trail to the west of Greenwood Furnace State Park in Huntingdon, is currently awaiting grant funding. Rothrock Trail Alliance president Jay Ziegler said construction is expected to begin in spring 2026, which will mark the halfway point of the project. Planning and fundraising for Phase 4 of the project is also underway, with a scheduled start time set for 2027.
Ziegler thanked DCNR, ClearWater Conservancy, the Happy Valley Adventure Bureau, the Nittany Mountain Biking Association, local businesses and the community at large for their contributions to the first phase of the project.
“Our progress has been made possible only through the unwavering support of this community,” Ziegler said. “Without your dedication, this achievement would not have been possible.”
