The White Rocks Trail in Cumberland County, PA features massive rock outcroppings on a narrow ridge that are a hiker’s playground.
The White Rocks Trail is located in the northeastern foothills of South Mountain in Cumberland County, PA. The trail is a popular hiking spot for its playground-like boulder formations and majestic mountain views. It is also notable as an excursion that joins with the midpoint of venerable Appalachian Trial at Center Point Knob.
Park in the lot at 40.13206, -77.08824. Take the blue-blazed White Rocks Trail and begin the gradual ascent. If you pay attention, you may spot old collier’s hearths in the woods where charcoal was made to fuel the nearby Boling Springs Furnace. See the video at the end of the post. The trail grows steeper and rockier as you progress to the White Rocks. The invigorating final thrust is pictured above. Keep on; you’re almost there!
Your efforts are reworded with a series of majestic craggy rock formations atop a narrow ridge. The area has the feel of a hiker’s playground. In most cases, the trail climbs up the fun and challenging White Rocks formations. Alternatively, there is a bypass trail that runs on the northern side of the formations if you are inclined to enjoy them from their base.
We had a thrilling time climbing on the rocks. The many pinnacles offer majestic mountain views, like the one below.
In some spots, there are paths leading to the bottom of the cliffs, with vantage points like the one below. You can also climb down into the crags and along the cliff face.
There are a series of large outcroppings on the ridge, each with a distinct form and beauty. Some spots are thick with boulders, but the trail is well marked. Whether traversing up and over boulders or though maze-like passages between, if you follow the blue blazes, you will be fine. Just watch your footing on the rocks.
Before ascending one of the White Rocks formations, we peeked around the corner of the bypass trail and encountered a sheer wall of rock.
There is a high concentration of formations on the narrow ridge for about half a mile. The formations thin and the rocky terrain gives way to a softer pine-needle carpeted trail approaching Center Point Knob.
If you look carefully to the southwest, you can catch mountain vistas through windows like the one below.
The blue-blazed White Rocks Trail joins the white-blazed Appalachian Trail at Center Point Knob. The pitch-pine crowned Center Point Knob is a dramatic hump in the landscape. The plaque below marks the mid-point of the Appalachian Trail
From Center Point Knob you have multiple trail options, including the Appalachian trail to the north and south, State Game Lands 305 to the west, and a spaghetti-like network of trails through the foothills of South Mountain to the south and east. We opted to take the Appalachian Trail down the south side of Center Point knob, then follow a trail at the bottom of the hill heading east. We picked up this trail at 40.12172, -77.10535. This trail parallels the White Rocks Trail and offers views of the rocky cliffs from the bottom. After about 0.6 miles, we encountered a mossy path heading south and up the next mountain. We took this mossy path, enticed by the network of trails on the mountain. We encountered a dead end at 40.11929, -77.09065 (shown on the map below) then backtracked and scaled the relatively steep ascent to the top of the mountain. However, our exploration was cut short by private property at 40.11740, -77.08293.
We turned back and headed north down the mountain in the direction of the trailhead, skirting the private property. An easy-to-lose trail led us down the slope to a babbling stream. However, the trail quickly faded, and we followed the stream through the woods, keeping a distance from the homes to the right. We made our way to the trail at 40.12665, -77.08600. Fromm here you can head east and return to the trailhead via Kuhn Road, or you can climb over the ridge where White Rocks is located and reconnect with the trail you came in on from the parking lot.
Overall, the way we took was 6.2 miles.
The White Rocks formation begins only 0.6 miles from the trailhead.
With an abundance of trail options, there is opportunity to extend your adventure as much as you like.
Parking is at 40.13206, -77.08824.
The trail we took is shown in purple below. The red section is the off-trail route we took to avoid private property and return to White Rocks and the trailhead.
The orange trail is the Appalachian Trail.
The fun factor of the White Rocks Trail exceeded expectations. We thoroughly enjoyed hiking the rewarding rock formations and the mountain views. If you find any of the rock formations too challenging, there are bypass trails on the north side. As a bonus, the White Rocks Trail connects with the Appalachian Trail and there are numerous other trails through the foothills of South Mountain, making this a highly customizable adventure. Be advised, though, the terrain is rocky and in some places steep.
Be sure to check out our other adventures.
