Here are a collection of websites for various hiking and outing clubs and organizations in and around central Pennsylvania. Many of these clubs conduct day hikes, on weekly and monthly basis, as well as leading overnight backpacking trips. These hiking club provide a great opportunity to interactive with others that share your interest in hiking and backpacking.
The organizations listed here provide an opportunity to give back to the trails that we all love. Monetary donations and membership dues to these organizations help support trail maintenance. The money that they collect purchases supplies for keeping trails clear from brush, paint for blazing trais, as well as purchasing lumber and hardware for bridges and signage. Even better yet, take advantage of your membership and volunteer. Trails in Pennsylvania are maintained by volunteers and without their help we wouldn't have nearly as many opportunities to enjoy the solitude of Penn's Woods as we do today.
The Keystone Trails Association — The Keystone Trails Association, a volunteer-directed, public service organization is a federation of membership organizations and individuals dedicated to providing, preserving, protecting and promoting recreational hiking trails and hiking opportunities in Pennsylvania, and to representing and advocating the interests and concerns of the Pennsylvania Hiking community.
The Mid State Trail Association — The group of hikers whose main objective is to maintain the Pennsylvania Mid State Trail. Their website has a nice collection of newsletters, called the Brushwhacker, that they publish on a quarterly basis.
Ridge & Valley Outings Club — The Ridge and Valley Outings Club provides a social framework for planning and enjoying outdoor recreation in Central Pennsylvania.
Standing Stone Trail Hiking Club — The Standing Stone Trail Hiking Club maintains the Standing Stone Trail (formerly the Link Trail) located in south central Pennsylvania. The Standing Stone Trail "links" the Mid State Trail in the center of the state to the Tuscarora Trail in the south. Over 70+ miles in length, the Standing Stone Trail takes you along scenic ridges connecting Greenwood Furnace State Park to Cowan's Gap State Park.
The Alpine Club of Williamsport — Formed in 1953 to help maintain the Loyalsock Trail, this club still has work hikes during the spring as well as monthly outings for hikes through out Northeastern Pennsylvania.
Lancaster Hiking Club — A hiking club for the Lancaster, Pennsylvania region that provides a program for outdoor recreation and maintaining the Conestoga Trail.
Susquehanna Appalachian Trail Club — A hiking club for the Harrisburg, Pennsylvania region. This club maintains 20 miles of the Appalachian trail plus many other trails around Harrisburg.
Allegheny Outdoor Club — This hiking club leads hikes in northwest Pennsylvania. Their website lists upcoming hikes as well as scheduled trail maintenance.
Butler Outdoor Club — The Butler Outdoor Club promotes outdoor education and provides year-round outdoor activities in Western Pennsylvaina and surrounding areas. These activities are geared for all levels and are designed to provide recreation and foster a better understanding of the outdoors.
Cumberland Valley Appalachian Trail Club — The CVATC works to raise community awareness of the Appalachian Trail, and to perpetually protect the trail corridor as well as conserve the Appalachian Trail and its corridor lands and conserve wild lands and wildlife, natural, historical, and agricultural resources along the Cumberland Valley Appalachian Trail corridor.
Triple Cities Hiking Club — Based in southern New York, the Triple Cities Hiking Club often leads hikes into sections of northern Pennsylvania. This club has been active since 1947 in promoting access to the great outdoors.
Chester County Trail Club — The Chester County Trail Club creates and promotes interest in, enjoyment of, and the fellowship associated with hiking and other outdoor recreational activities, and to participate in the building, maintenance and protection of trails for public use. Founded in 1970, this club maintains over 60 miles of trail on four different hiking trails.
Pocono Outdoor Club — The Pocono Outdoor Club's mission is to get people off the couch and into the outdoors. The club enjoys hiking, camping, mountain biking, snowshoeing, cross country skiing, canoeing and maintaining area trails since 1989.
Appalachian Mountain Club — Since 1876, the Appalachian Mountain Club has been promoting the protection, enjoyment, and wise use of the mountains, rivers, and trails of the Northeast outdoors. They are the nation’s oldest outdoor recreation and conservation organization.