Laurel Highlands Hiking Trail - PA

[benjamin921]

Well, I finally finished the entire trail and now have the completed track. The entire track is under 10,000 points so it will fit on the PN-20 (thanks to Sanaghan for the tips on TopoFusion). The trail is actually 70.1 miles long but the track reads ~66 miles (the entire track is there from start to finish).

**Edit**
Waypoints and mileposts added.

***UPDATE*** - January 2010
Just found out that the bridge over the PA Turnpike (this is between milposts 36 & 37) has been closed due to deteriorating bridge conditions. They supposedly have plans in the works for replacement but who knows how long this might take. I would take an educated guess and place this at a couple of years if not longer.

What this means is that the trail is now broken and not a complete thoroughfare unless they come up with something until they replace the bridge.

[Sanaghan]

You were on the Laural Highlands trail the whole time?
You have some real differences from them.
There's a few times where the trail goes straight, while you do an out-and-back (like a "V")

Then there's times where you're over a mile different, but you are following the general shape.

I don't have the TopoQuads for that area, it would be interesting to compare the DeLorme trail, to your track, to the TopoQuad.

[benjamin921]

That is the end that I started on and the GPS track is correct and the trail on Topo USA is definitely wrong. So yes it looks like my track could be wrong but it is not

[Sanaghan]

That's why I'm curious about the Topoquads.
I've seen a lot of DeLorme trails missing compared to the quads.
I've even seen them off a bit.
But nothing this far off.

Pretty wild; thanks for the clarification. Hopefully DeLorme will see this and fix it....along with other trails in your area.

[Maine Guide]

If you compare the topoquads 2 maps side by side with the topo6 maps you will consistently see they dont match up. Take you pointer tool and point to a stream going into a lake or just a stream on the topoquads map and see where it shows on the topo6 map. I found to usually be around 500 ft difference all the time. Waypoints, tracks etc are all off. Switching datums doesnt change anything also.

[benjamin921]

I downloaded some ADP's for the beginning part of the trail. There is no hiking trail on the 3DTQ's that I can see except for the Jeep trail.

http://mapshare.delorme.com/Consumer/V.aspx?p=c288sxl5

[benjamin921]

Here is a Mapshare of the first 10 miles.

http://mapshare.delorme.com/Consumer/V.aspx?p=zsdlgnjy

[Sanaghan]

Pretty neat comparison; thanks for the extra work. In the Grand Canyon area, I've found that the USGS matches my tracks, while DeLorme is missing many roads. However, many of these "signature" trails are new, and not on the old quads.

Did you have any local printed maps (state maps) of the trail? If so, what's your gut feeling (no pictures needed).

[benjamin921]

I just checked the state map and it has what I have. Below is a link to the very beginning part of the trail.

http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/stateparks/ ... e_mini.pdf

[DiskDoctr]

Wanted to say nice work, and thanks for the trail info.

We backpacked it end to end during a week this summer and I had an estimated map on my TP6. Now I have a more accurate trail, thanks to you!

I'm near New Florence, PA, not too far from Somerset.

- JC

[mattsteg]

At some point one starts to wonder if it's worth having these trails on the map at all. Trails are similarly way off in the areas I know best. One in particular starts and ends on a local (snowmobile) trail), but in the middle follows, alternately, several other trail segments (some that you could drive a car down, some that haven't been used in 20 or 30 years), plus goes through a lot of woods and swamps where there aren't any trails, as much as a mile or so away from the trail that I think it might be supposed to be following. It's almost like they knew certain bits of trails were there and guessed at how they were connected, getting it wrong. It's kinda baffling and makes it tough to develop any level of trust in whether most foot trails in delorme's map data exist and even remotely resemble their layout in topo. Is it useful to "know" that there might be a trail here (or somewhere within a mile+) that might follow the route shown?

I submitted a revision, including state GIS data with the trail that I think they want.

There might have been a trail through most of the route given 20-30 years ago, but parts of it I just don't even remember the remnants of a trail, and there certainly isn't one now.

[benjamin921]

This trail has been around since, the late 60's or very early 70's and is very well marked and heavily traveled. It is very hard to get off trail here. Having said that, people do get lost up here in the mountains, hence one of the main reasons that I wanted to track this so I could put it on our CAD mapping at the 911 center where I work.

[tessustiosift]

Skydog and I and maybe some others for the first few days are planning a thu hike of the Laurel Highlands Hiking Trail in Sept. Does anyone have suggestions for safe trail head parking or somewhere close by at the Johnstown, PA end.

Also, if anyone is interested in joining us, shoot me a pm with your email address and Ill keep you on our logistics email. Start date - as it stands right now - is Labor Day Weekend. Well take about 6 days to get to other end at Ohiopyle, PA.

HC

[benjamin921]

There is parking at the trail head at mile 70. It does get patrolled by the park police. I'm not sure if they check it 24/7 but it is checked.