Highpoint #6: Pennsylvania

Touching The Highpoint!

Vanity Shot at Highpoint Sign

Yay, my home state!  I am embarrassed to admit that I grew up less than 90 minutes from the highpoint in Pennsylvania, and I have never been there.  It was something I was only vaguely aware of, really.   If I had to reflect on it for a minute or two, I would probably have summoned the name Mt. Davis as being the highest mountain in Pennsylvania, but I knew nothing about it.  I certainly would never have thought to seek it out as a destination either, but that ended up being my loss.  This was a very nice part of Pennsylvania to visit, and I managed to catch it during the seasonal change of the leaves.

Observation Tower

Sign at Entrance

A Clear Road Sign North of the Entrance

The drive there from DC was anything but clear though.  The route quickly devolves into farm roads and tiny offshoots from farm roads that are gravelly.  The GPS on my phone guided me to the highpoint well enough, but I might be reluctant about the drive in severely inclement weather.  There were certainly no signs on this approach indicating that a highpoint might be nearby.  Ironically though, when I left on the north side, there was a very large road sign calling out the highpoint.  So how you arrive here really makes a difference.

Relief Map at Top of the Tower

The View from the Top of the Tower

I was able to pull into a parking lot just below the highpoint tower.  So the climb to the summit was a very short walk up a moderately sloping paved path.   I did the obligatory photo shot at the signpost along the way.  The observation tower is fairly simple in design, and after 7 quick flights of steps, you will find yourself at the top.  The platform is small and narrow, but the panoramic view is grand.  I was able to see the full fall foliage well into the distance.  On the platform itself, they had a 3D relief map of the surrounding area and a short paragraph in raised lettering above it discussing the highpoint. 

Looking Straight Down

Of course, the tower is man-made so climbing to the top of it is entirely unnecessary.  The true highpoint is actually nearby much closer to the ground.  Indeed, just beyond the tower there are some large boulders.  The largest among them, coming in at shoulder height or so, has a geodetic marker on the top of it.  That’s the highpoint!  I posed for a self-taken photo of me touching the highpoint with the observation tower in the background (see below).  The marker has no sign pointing it out, and it is very easy to miss!  I imagine most of the visitors here climb the tower and completely miss the marker.  It is an openly hidden secret, really.

The Highpoint is on the Largest Rock Straight Ahead

Just beyond the tower and the boulders, there is an extensive series of signs, arranged side by side, talking about the surrounding area and points of interest:   the tar kiln, the Baughman rocks, etc.  One of the signs interestingly points out how the sorted stone pattern at and around the highpoint was entirely due to frost pressure.  That was kind of cool.  Beyond this, there is a very short trail that leads down to a picnic area and another parking lot.  I suppose one could have started there and properly summited via this trail, but it all comes down to which way you are traveling.

The Highpoint Marker

One thing I definitely recommend is traveling down the road from the highpoint a quarter mile or so.  There is a small pull-off there with a very lovely view of “Highpoint Lake” off in the distance.  The views are gorgeous here, making this a fun highpoint to do.         

View of Highpoint Lake