AT to Pole Steeple

The short but punishing route to Pole Steeple packs exceptional scenery into a compact package, climbing 600 feet in just one mile to reach a dramatic quartzite outcrop perched on the South Mountain ridgeline above Pine Grove Furnace State Park. The summit ledges of Pole Steeple overhang the forest below at a vertiginous angle, providing a wide panorama northward over the Cumberland Valley toward Blue Mountain and on clear days extending to the Susquehanna Highlands. The rock face is a popular traditional rock climbing area, with established routes on the clean quartzite walls ranging from beginner to expert grades. Climbers gather on weekends from the broader central Pennsylvania region. The trail begins near Laurel Lake and immediately engages the hillside on a steep, rooted path that requires use of hands in several sections near the summit ledges. The quartzite itself is a billion-year-old Precambrian formation, among the oldest surface rock exposures in Pennsylvania. In May the adjacent AT corridor is a highway for northbound thru-hikers, and conversations with long-distance travelers at the summit add a social dimension to the outing. Sunset visits are spectacular but require a headlamp for the descent. The trail is a spur connecting to the Appalachian Trail, which can be followed north or south to extend the outing along the South Mountain ridge.