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Pavia Lookout
"Look Out" Loop
Blue Knob State Park
Bedford County, PA
Pennsylvania’s Best Panoramic Mountain Vista on its Highest Hiking Trail
( Trail Account by Craig Mayer)
Introduction: World class! Absolutely spectacular! Don’t miss it! This the only way to describe the view at Pavia Lookout. It is truly inspiring as it surprises you with its sweep and quiet grandeur. The lookout is located on the "Look Out" Loop of the Mountain View Trail on the top of Blue Knob Mountain, Pennsylvania’s second highest and a mere 67 feet lower than Mt. Davis. Pavia Lookout had fallen into neglect and disrepair over the years, and was rebuilt in the summer and fall of 1998 by the Blue Knob State Park Civilian Conservation Corps team. It once again offers a lovely and safe setting for inspiring visits to the mountains.
This account is based on a hike taken on October 18, 1998 during the peak of the fall foliage. This is a 1.6 mile loop-style hike suitable for all members of the family. While it is easy to get to Pavia Lookout and not a long or strenuous walk, you should still take a bottle of water and wear good hiking shoes. Remember, you are in the wilderness and black bears probably use the trail when you don’t. The trail is marked with two painted red horizontal blazes (8" lines) which you will find on the trees.
Getting to the Trailhead: Simply follow signs to the Blue Knob Ski Resort. Go to the lodge parking lot. From the ski lodge take Tower road ( the paved road on the Pavia or southwest side of the mountain) about 1/4 mile down to the fenced electrical sub-station on the left side of the road (going down). It is located at a sharp turn and you will see a tall vertical black and white trail marker and a gated maintenance road. Park your vehicle somewhere around here. The trail marker says "Mountain View Trail". The trail at this point begins as a maintenance road
Doing the Trail: Start your hike here and go about 150 yards to the Deep Hollow Trail marker, which is located on the right side of the trail. The lettering of the trail name is yellow on brown, and the trail appears to be marked with 4 red blazes. Pass this trail. Do not turn right yet. Go about another 300 yards and come to another yellow on brown trail sign which says "Mountain View Trail". Turn right here and remember to keep following the two red blazes marked on the trees. You will then travel about 400 yards and cross a connecting trail. The "connecting trail" is marked with a yellow on brown lettered sign.
As you continue past the connecting trail you will go about 50 yards and then the trail will bear to the right and get narrower. From here you simply follow the trail for about another 400 yards until you reach Pavia Lookout. A sign marks the Lookout. The overlook is a redoubt of paving blocks reaching out from the mountainside and sporting a 3 foot high safety wall. When you stop to think about it, you realize that the Conservation Corps crew worked very very hard to build this structure.
As I have already stated, the view is incredible and I only hope the Park Ranger or perhaps another organization will put a plaque at the Overlook that explains the geologic and geographic features in the vista. As best I could determine, with the help of Dick Ickes, the Conservation Corps leader, from right to left as you stand at the Overlook, you will see the Appalachian Plateau to the west. It stretches southward to Shaffer Mountain which is about in the center of the panorama and easily distinguished by its sharp and steep profile. It reminds you of a ship’s bow. The eastern half of the panorama is the valley and ridge province of Bedford County. There are three towers visible. The large one farthest to the right is the radio tower at the village of Lovely in Bedford County. The next, looking to the left, is a tower at Babcock Ridge in Somerset County where PA route 56 crosses the plateau. Continuing left, the third is the tower, again in Somerset County, where PA route 31 crosses the plateau. To the left or east of the Shaffer Mountain profile is Shawnee Lake and continuing left (or east) the Cumberland Valley is clearly visible. I’ll let the further description of features to a future and more exact effort.
At this juncture you can either double-back to the trail head or continue on the "Look Out" Loop. It is easier going if you simply double-back, and the total hike distance would be about 1 mile. If you continue, the hike is not difficult but you will have to walk up a steep grade for about 200 yards toward the end of the hike. Continuing, you will hike along the eastern side of the hilltop and should look for what is called "Queen Lookout".
It is so named because it overlooks the village of Queen located to the east of Blue Knob. It may be difficult to find as it is currently marked only by a fallen post (on the left side of the trail and telephone pole-sized in diameter) and a trail blaze marking on the tree near it. The pole is notched as it once had a sign on it. Also, at this same location, you can see an old narrow logging trail (located to the right of the post as you look east) that was used for horse and mule drawn sleds in the latter part of the 19th and early part of the 20th century. Perhaps, a lookout can be built here or a few trees cleared to help with the views.
After leaving the Queen Lookout you will next come across the "connecting trail" you crossed at the beginning of the hike. You can go right at this point and continue on the loop trail or go left and double-back on the connecting trail. If you double-back here you will avoid the hill climb and you will stay in the forest, but you won’t save any distance. Continuing on the Loop trail you will now begin a slow descent and the trail becomes very much a series of stepping stones, some natural, but many obviously placed to form steps. Soon the trail intersects the same maintenance road upon which you started the hike. when you get to the road turn left (here is a steep but easy climb) and the road will take you back to your vehicle.
It helps a great deal to stop at the State Park Ranger Station and get two maps. The first is the standard green glossy DCNR recreation guide map with the best depiction of the trail and road traces. This map however does not have contour lines and does not identify the Pavia Lookout or the "Look Out" Loop of the Mountain View Trail. Also, it does not give you information about the rest of the parks’ many trails. With the second map, a one page xeroxed (black and white) hiking and nature trail map, you should have a complete library for the park. This map has contour lines, identifies the Pavia Overlook, and describes all the park’s trails. Both maps are needed for navigation.
Pavia Lookout
"Look Out" Loop
Blue Knob State Park
Bedford County, PA
Pennsylvania’s Best Panoramic Mountain Vista on its Highest Hiking Trail
( Trail Account by Craig Mayer)
This account is based on a hike taken on October 18, 1998 during the peak of the fall foliage. This is a 1.6 mile loop-style hike suitable for all members of the family. While it is easy to get to Pavia Lookout and not a long or strenuous walk, you should still take a bottle of water and wear good hiking shoes. Remember, you are in the wilderness and black bears probably use the trail when you don’t. The trail is marked with two painted red horizontal blazes (8" lines) which you will find on the trees.
Getting to the Trailhead: Simply follow signs to the Blue Knob Ski Resort. Go to the lodge parking lot. From the ski lodge take Tower road ( the paved road on the Pavia or southwest side of the mountain) about 1/4 mile down to the fenced electrical sub-station on the left side of the road (going down). It is located at a sharp turn and you will see a tall vertical black and white trail marker and a gated maintenance road. Park your vehicle somewhere around here. The trail marker says "Mountain View Trail". The trail at this point begins as a maintenance road
Doing the Trail: Start your hike here and go about 150 yards to the Deep Hollow Trail marker, which is located on the right side of the trail. The lettering of the trail name is yellow on brown, and the trail appears to be marked with 4 red blazes. Pass this trail. Do not turn right yet. Go about another 300 yards and come to another yellow on brown trail sign which says "Mountain View Trail". Turn right here and remember to keep following the two red blazes marked on the trees. You will then travel about 400 yards and cross a connecting trail. The "connecting trail" is marked with a yellow on brown lettered sign.
As you continue past the connecting trail you will go about 50 yards and then the trail will bear to the right and get narrower. From here you simply follow the trail for about another 400 yards until you reach Pavia Lookout. A sign marks the Lookout. The overlook is a redoubt of paving blocks reaching out from the mountainside and sporting a 3 foot high safety wall. When you stop to think about it, you realize that the Conservation Corps crew worked very very hard to build this structure.
As I have already stated, the view is incredible and I only hope the Park Ranger or perhaps another organization will put a plaque at the Overlook that explains the geologic and geographic features in the vista. As best I could determine, with the help of Dick Ickes, the Conservation Corps leader, from right to left as you stand at the Overlook, you will see the Appalachian Plateau to the west. It stretches southward to Shaffer Mountain which is about in the center of the panorama and easily distinguished by its sharp and steep profile. It reminds you of a ship’s bow. The eastern half of the panorama is the valley and ridge province of Bedford County. There are three towers visible. The large one farthest to the right is the radio tower at the village of Lovely in Bedford County. The next, looking to the left, is a tower at Babcock Ridge in Somerset County where PA route 56 crosses the plateau. Continuing left, the third is the tower, again in Somerset County, where PA route 31 crosses the plateau. To the left or east of the Shaffer Mountain profile is Shawnee Lake and continuing left (or east) the Cumberland Valley is clearly visible. I’ll let the further description of features to a future and more exact effort.
At this juncture you can either double-back to the trail head or continue on the "Look Out" Loop. It is easier going if you simply double-back, and the total hike distance would be about 1 mile. If you continue, the hike is not difficult but you will have to walk up a steep grade for about 200 yards toward the end of the hike. Continuing, you will hike along the eastern side of the hilltop and should look for what is called "Queen Lookout".
It is so named because it overlooks the village of Queen located to the east of Blue Knob. It may be difficult to find as it is currently marked only by a fallen post (on the left side of the trail and telephone pole-sized in diameter) and a trail blaze marking on the tree near it. The pole is notched as it once had a sign on it. Also, at this same location, you can see an old narrow logging trail (located to the right of the post as you look east) that was used for horse and mule drawn sleds in the latter part of the 19th and early part of the 20th century. Perhaps, a lookout can be built here or a few trees cleared to help with the views.
After leaving the Queen Lookout you will next come across the "connecting trail" you crossed at the beginning of the hike. You can go right at this point and continue on the loop trail or go left and double-back on the connecting trail. If you double-back here you will avoid the hill climb and you will stay in the forest, but you won’t save any distance. Continuing on the Loop trail you will now begin a slow descent and the trail becomes very much a series of stepping stones, some natural, but many obviously placed to form steps. Soon the trail intersects the same maintenance road upon which you started the hike. when you get to the road turn left (here is a steep but easy climb) and the road will take you back to your vehicle.
It helps a great deal to stop at the State Park Ranger Station and get two maps. The first is the standard green glossy DCNR recreation guide map with the best depiction of the trail and road traces. This map however does not have contour lines and does not identify the Pavia Lookout or the "Look Out" Loop of the Mountain View Trail. Also, it does not give you information about the rest of the parks’ many trails. With the second map, a one page xeroxed (black and white) hiking and nature trail map, you should have a complete library for the park. This map has contour lines, identifies the Pavia Overlook, and describes all the park’s trails. Both maps are needed for navigation.