Quehanna Wild Area
Managed by Pennsylvania Bureau of Forestry
22,409 acres65.2 mi of trail
Quehanna TrailBig Spring Draft TrailOld Sinnemahoning TrailSevinski Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Photo: Ruhrfisch · CC BY-SA 4.0–Not graded
Outdoors in Gibson Township
More than half of Gibson Township’s land is conserved: 75%
75% of Gibson Township’s land is conserved, about 44,940 acres. The biggest trail networks: Quehanna Wild Area (65.2 mi), Elk State Forest (9.4 mi), Moshannon State Forest (1.8 mi). 1,421 acres are parks and preserves, 12,149 per 1,000 residents.
Conserved land
75%
44,940 acres · of 93.9 sq mi of land
Trails
83 mi
0.9 per sq mi of land
Park land
1,421 ac
12,149 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
16%
of residents within ½ mile
Highest peak
2,136 ft
Grove Hill
The map
Conserved land, trails & bike routes
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it.
Easements protect land from building but are usually private.© OpenStreetMap contributors · USGS PAD-US
Places to walk
Pick a walk
The longest trail network is Quehanna Wild Area, with 65.2 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Elk State Forest
Managed by Pennsylvania Bureau of Forestry
36,589 acres9.4 mi of trail
Old Sinnemahoning TrailBucktail PathGrove Hill Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Moshannon State Forest
Managed by Pennsylvania Bureau of Forestry
6,737 acres1.8 mi of trail
Quehanna Trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yetWebsite ↗
Bucktail State Park Natural Area
Managed by Pennsylvania Bureau of Forestry
3,325 acres0.5 mi of trail
Bucktail Path
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Square Timber Wild Area
Managed by Pennsylvania Bureau of Forestry
1,356 acres0.5 mi of trail
Bucktail Path
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Johnson Run Natural Area
Managed by Pennsylvania Bureau of Forestry
210 acres0.3 mi of trail
Bucktail Path
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
All 7 parks & preserves
Quehanna Wild Area22,409 acres · 65.2 mi of trail · Pennsylvania Bureau of Forestry
DirectionsElk State Forest36,589 acres · 9.4 mi of trail · Pennsylvania Bureau of Forestry
DirectionsMoshannon State Forest6,737 acres · 1.8 mi of trail · Pennsylvania Bureau of Forestry
Bucktail State Park Natural Area3,325 acres · 0.5 mi of trail · Pennsylvania Bureau of Forestry
DirectionsSquare Timber Wild Area1,356 acres · 0.5 mi of trail · Pennsylvania Bureau of Forestry
Johnson Run Natural Area210 acres · 0.3 mi of trail · Pennsylvania Bureau of Forestry
M. K. Goddard/Wykoff Run Natural Area1,204 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · Pennsylvania Bureau of Forestry
DirectionsWho protects it
44,940 conserved acres
75% of Gibson Township’s land. Who manages Gibson Township’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
State natural resources44,921 ac
State parks3,325 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits392 ac
Not recorded10,021 ac
State Wilderness · 23,758 acState Resource Management Area · 22,604 acState Park · 6,651 acState Conservation Area · 4,870 acForest Stewardship Easement · 388 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 401 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 2 of 24 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quehanna Wild Area State Wilderness | State natural resources | 22,410 | Open |
| Elk State Forest State Resource Management Area | State natural resources | 7,695 | Open |
| Bucktail State Park State Park | State parks | 6,651 | Open |
| Quehanna Wild Area - Proposed State Resource Management Area | State natural resources | 4,717 | Open |
| Moshannon State Forest State Resource Management Area | State natural resources | 3,497 | Open |
| Elk State Forest - Bucktail State Park Natural Area State Resource Management Area | Not recorded | 3,460 | Open |
| Bucktail State Park Natural Area State Conservation Area | State natural resources | 3,460 | Open |
| Moshannon State Forest - Quehanna Wild Area State Resource Management Area | Not recorded | 2,711 | Open |
| Square Timber Wild Area State Wilderness | State natural resources | 1,348 | Open |
| M.K. Goddard / Wykoff Run Natural Area State Conservation Area | State natural resources | 1,202 | Open |
2 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
6 places to go in Gibson Township
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Scenic views in Gibson Township
Gore VistaIn Quehanna Wild Area
DirectionsThree Runs VistaIn Moshannon State Forest
DirectionsPlus 1 scenic view without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Peaks in Gibson Township
Grove Hill2,136 ft elevation
DirectionsMason Hill2,034 ft elevation · In Elk State Forest
DirectionsHuston Hill1,811 ft elevation · In Elk State Forest
DirectionsTrails & water
25 named trails
Named trails
Open to bikes · 18.5 miHorses · 22.9 miUnpaved · 64.0 mi
Quehanna Trail13.5 mi
Bucktail Path6.0 mi
Old Sinnemahoning Trail5.0 mi
Big Spring Draft Trail3.8 mi
Sevinski Trail2.0 mi
Baily Log Trail2.0 mi
Red Run Trail1.9 mi
Powerline Loop Trail (Gore Draft Road)1.7 mi
Gore Vista Trail1.6 mi
Foley Trail1.5 mi
15 more trails
Gore Loop
1.5 miPowerline Loop Trail
1.5 miLigament Trail
1.4 miMeeker Trail
1.2 miRalph Seeley Trail
1.1 miNumber 15 Trail
0.9 miGore Draft Trail
0.9 miBig Spring Connector
0.9 miGore Cut Off
0.7 miJugs Springs Trail
0.6 miNumber 14 Trail
0.5 miQuehanna East Cross Connector Trail
0.5 miDavid Lewis Trail
0.5 miGrove Hill Trail
0.3 miWykoff Trail
0.3 miWhen to get out
The best walking months in Gibson Township: May, June, August and September
NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals for the town and the daylight at its latitude. Outlined months have long days, highs of 59 to 86 °F and little rain for the place.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 9.5 | 10.6 | 11.8 | 13.3 | 14.5 | 15.1 | 14.9 | 13.8 | 12.4 | 11.0 | 9.8 | 9.2 |
| High (°F) | 32 | 35 | 45 | 58 | 69 | 77 | 80 | 79 | 72 | 60 | 47 | 36 |
| Rain (in) | 3.2 | 2.6 | 3.3 | 3.9 | 4.0 | 4.3 | 4.4 | 3.8 | 4.1 | 3.7 | 3.3 | 3.4 |
February is the driest month (2.6 in) and July the warmest (highs of 80 °F). 4.4 inches fall in July, the wettest month. The climate in Gibson Township →
Next door
Gibson Township and its neighbors
Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Shippen Township219 miBenezette Township144 miGibson Township83 miCovington Township56 miLumber Township50 miWest Keating Township50 miKarthaus Township31 miGrove Township25 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gibson Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Benezette Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Grove Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Covington Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Karthaus Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| West Keating Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Lumber Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Shippen Township | 45% | 1.4 | 1 | 3% | B− |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Gibson Township
Where can I hike in Gibson Township?
The longest trail networks: Quehanna Wild Area, 65.2 miles; Elk State Forest, 9.4 miles; Moshannon State Forest, 1.8 miles; Bucktail State Park Natural Area, 0.5 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
Are dogs allowed on Gibson Township’s trails?
Quehanna Wild Area and Elk State Forest don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Is there public land near Gibson Township?
354,401 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Gibson Township or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 44,847 of them inside the town line.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Gibson Township neighbors.
Share a tip
Sources
Where this page comes from
Conserved and public land: USGS Protected Areas Database of the United States (PAD-US), service updated July 2026. Parks, trails, playgrounds, beaches and other places: OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), map data as of 2026-10-28. Land and water area: Census 2025 Gazetteer. Residents near a park: 2020 Census blocks. National Register: National Park Service. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →