For the first time in Pennsylvania history, patches are now available for both the Chuck Keiper Trail (CKT) and the Donut Hole Trail (DHT)—2 of our favorite trails to explore during our annual Prowl the Sproul Hiking Weekend in July! These patches are available for purchase exclusively at the KTA’s online store.
The CKT is a long-distance, lightly used backpacking trail that goes through some of the wildest and most visually arresting public lands in Pennsylvania, offering remarkable solitude. The trail system is divided into 2 loops—the West Loop (32.9 miles) and East Loop (22.4 miles)—creating 2- and 3-day backpacking options. Two particularly lovely portions of the CKT—Yost Run, which has an outstanding waterfall, and Eddy Lick Run—of historical interest—are described in 50 Hikes in Central Pennsylvania (2002), by Tom Thwaites. Read more about the CKT here.
The DHT is a long-distance backpacking trail paralleling the West Branch Susquehanna River through Sproul State Forest. It is among the most remote and challenging of the state’s backpacking trails and is for seasoned hikers only, with numerous steep climbs and unbridged stream crossings. After extensions were added to both ends of the trail by KTA crews in the mid-1990s, the DHT now extends 89.7 miles from Jericho (near the intersection of PA 120 and PA 872 in Cameron County) to Farrandsville (outside of Lock Haven). Read more about the DHT here.
The KTA would like to extend its gratitude to Nicole Sarver and Susan Norris for designing the CKT and DHT patches, respectively, and to Jack Hauler and Barbara VanHorn for serving on the KTA’s recently created Patch Committee. We plan to create additional patches for other noteworthy Pennsylvania trails in the coming years. If you would like to nominate a trail for a patch or submit a design for a trail you love, please contact us!