On a trip to Watkins Glen NY, my wife, son and myself thought this trail might be a good way to spend a little extra time. We weren't expecting much with a straight, flat and short trail, but the discovery of the adjacent lake and park midway was a rewarding surprise on our late afternoon bike trip. The walkers we encountered were friendly, and the path wide enough to accommodate multi-use.

Be prepared to go steadily uphill from Cass Park. So much fun riding downhill. Beautiful views of several waterfalls.

We did the whole trail on our electric bikes. Never passed anyone. Bring along a lunch, great spots to stop.

In mid September, when my husband and I were walking the trail, we found the mosquito population from Dresden to the parking lot for Seneca Mills Falls to be horrible. I would never hike in that area at that time of year again. Even mosquito repellent hardly helped. However, hiking from the Seneca Mills Falls parking lot to Seneca falls is lovely and the falls is lovely too.

At end of 60 mile ride we took this trail south into Ithaca. It seemed to be all downhill or maybe I was delirious!

Nothing could have prepared me for the experience of walking this trail and unfortunately the memory will be ingrained in my head for the foreseeable future. I went with my grandparents, intent on enjoying the nature and picturesque waterfalls. The first red flag should have been the singular car in the parking lot as we arrived, but we ventured out on our journey nonetheless. All began well as we made our way down the trail. As I swatted a couple mosquitoes from my face, I questioned why I hadn’t thought to use bug spray. We made our way deeper into the woods and this fleeting regret turned to all consuming contrition. The mosquitos and gnats were a cloud around us and my desperate flailing arms served as poor defense. We were in too deep before the situation got bad so we persisted towards the waterfall, needing our efforts to be fruitful. Just before I thought I couldn’t bear it anymore, the sound of rushing water was a beacon of hope shining through the dense cloud of insects tickling my skin. My grandparents and I admired the waterfall for a few minutes before deciding we needed to turn back. There was no way we could continue on through that inferno. Two miles. That’s all that stood between us and the safety of the car. We set off and the fury of the mosquitos seemed to increase exponentially. Left and right the little suckers were descending upon me, sucking my blood even through my clothes and buzzing in my ear with fierce perseverance. I knew the only solace would come from walking faster, but my grandparents wouldn’t be able to match the necessary speed. I stayed back with them until I thought I might throw myself into the river in an attempt to end my suffering. Eventually they gave me their blessing to do what I had to do, and therefore I set a furious pace. I felt bad leaving them behind, but I had to save myself. There was nothing I could do to help them. I did indeed leave them in the dust, pumping my arms as I tried to outrun the bugs. Apparently they had no mercy in their tiny souls because they refused to relent. My eyes were squeezed almost shut to prevent them from flying in and I was slapping my skin like a member of a high school step team. All I can say is it was a massacre. I was on the verge of tears and if I weren’t carrying a backpack and a camera I would have broken into a full out run. At this point I thought I’d also like to mention the weather conditions. It was around 90 degrees and the percent humidity was probably about the same. The sweat was cascading down every inch of my body as I was booking it and the fact that I didn’t care really says something about the situation. The swarm thinned as I drew closer to the parking lot and I almost cried in relief at the sight of car at the end. I had to then wait in the sun as my grandparents made their way back, hoping they hadn’t been consumed entirely by the bugs. Luckily, we all made it out alive, but not without the battle scars both physical and emotional that came with this experience. I went to bed that night, twitching with the phantom sensation of mosquitos on my skin, aching to forget the events of the day. All I can do now is recognize this hike as a piece of character development that has humbled me deeply for years to come.

With this being said, the trail is very nice and I just want to warn those hoping to go that they should proceed with caution and probably unload an entire can of bug spray on themselves before going.

The Pine Creek Trail is located in the Pennsylvania Grand Canyon. We rode the 62 mile trek in one day and what a wonderful ride it was. The trail is exceptionally well maintained and God has landscaped this trail with beautiful mountains on each side and (this summer) a flowing ‘creek’ along side. The 62 miles flowed so smoothly that we reached the end before we knew it.

We just took our 11yo and 8yo from Jersey Shore to Waterville (22mi) and it was fantastic. Lots of scenic stopping points including a number of mini-waterfalls and 4 bridges. We stopped halfway for lunch at the Waterville Tavern and the kiddos played at the park adjacent to the restaurant. Headed back to Jersey Shore after that. While the grade seems relatively flat, there is a slight rise - so inexperienced young riders may tucker out on the way out. But the way back is much easier.

Easy trail but beautiful and well maintained!