Skip to content
Booked one camp per night, in order

West Rim Trail Permit

Tioga State Forest (PA) · Pennsylvania

The West Rim Trail is a 30-mile hiking trail along Pennsylvania's Grand Canyon in Tioga State Forest. Trailside camping books through Pennsylvania State Parks' reservation system; this page sells a cancellation alert on that booking.

Get an alert when a night opens on your West Rim Trail (PA) dates.

Get alerts for your West Rim Trail (PA) nights

A West Rim Trail (PA) reservation is a sequence of nights, and each night books a camp.

Give us your trip window and we check every night of it across all camps on this permit, then tell you the moment nights open.

Cover the whole trip, plus any spare days you could shift onto. A wider window catches more openings.

The window above is how much time you have to work with. This is how many nights the trip itself takes. Leave it blank and we'll check every night in the window. We alert you when 2 or more nights in a row open.

Party

70% of the openings our scanner caught on West Rim Trail (PA) were gone within 10 minutes.

West Rim Trail (PA) reservation dates

route distance, point to point
30mi
elevation gain
4,711ft

West Rim Trail (PA) elevation profile

Ansonia trailhead (north terminus) to Blackwell trailhead (south terminus)

4,639 ft of descent · 3% average grade

Trailhead

Ansonia trailhead (north terminus)

Mile 0 of 30
0 Ansonia trailhead (north terminus)30 Blackwell trailhead (south terminus)
Mile
0
Elevation
≈1,134 ft

West Rim Trail (PA) landmarks

Map of the West Rim Trail, Ansonia trailhead (north terminus) to Blackwell trailhead (south terminus)

6 of 6 places in this section

This device cannot draw the interactive map.

Landmark

Barbour Rock overlook

MI ≈27.4 · ≈1,864 ft

Terrain USGS 3DEP · Water USGS NHD · Trail © OpenStreetMap contributors

4,639 ft of descent · 3% average grade

How to get a West Rim Trail (PA) permit

As of September 2026, West Rim Trail (PA) in Tioga State Forest (PA), Pennsylvania requires a permit issued via reservation. West Rim Trail (PA) rates 5/10 on PermitSnag's demand index. Cancelled West Rim Trail (PA) permits are re-released on the booking system, and PermitSnag alerts you the moment one opens. The West Rim Trail (PA) route covers 30 miles with 4,711 feet of elevation gain.

Type
Backpacking
Location
Pine Creek Gorge (the Pennsylvania Grand Canyon), Tioga and Lycoming counties, PA

  1. Step 1: Create a Pennsylvania State Parks account

    Sign up at Pennsylvania State Parks if you don't have an account. Have your payment info ready.

  2. Step 2: Know the release schedule

    Permits release on a rolling basis. Check the release time for your dates.

  3. Step 3: Be ready when permits drop

    Log in a few minutes early. Have your dates, group size, and payment ready to go.

  4. Step 4: Monitor for cancellations

    If your dates are sold out, people cancel all the time. Set up PermitSnag alerts to catch openings instantly.

Book at Pennsylvania State Parks
Learn more:
Best booking timesCancellation hunting

West Rim Trail (PA) pro tips

  1. Never confuse this Pennsylvania West Rim Trail with Zion National Park's West Rim Trail; they are unrelated.

More on West Rim Trail (PA): Live availability activityWhen West Rim Trail (PA) permits open upWest Rim Trail permit itinerary

How much a West Rim Trail (PA) permit costs

West Rim Trail (PA) permit fee: Nightly Trailside camping fee (confirm current rate at booking).

The West Rim Trail (PA) hike

Distance
30 miles
Elevation Gain
4,711 ft
Route Type
Point to Point
Duration
typically 2-4 days

30 miles along the west rim of Pennsylvania's Grand Canyon, with Trailside camping through Tioga State Forest.

About this permit

The West Rim Trail runs 30 miles along Pennsylvania's Grand Canyon in Tioga State Forest, from the Ansonia trailhead to Blackwell. Trailside camping books through Pennsylvania State Parks' reservation system.

The feeling

The trail traces the canyon rim from the Barbour Rock overlook down to the gorge floor at Pine Creek.

How hard the West Rim Trail (PA) hike is

  • Physical DemandFitness and endurance required5/5
  • Technical SkillClimbing, scrambling, or specialized skills1/5
  • NavigationRoute finding and trail clarity1/5
  • CommitmentDifficulty of bailing out mid-route3/5

Best for: Experienced hikers with excellent fitness and relevant technical skills.

Recommended experience: Should have completed 10+ mile day hikes with significant elevation gain.

When to hike West Rim Trail (PA)

West Rim Trail (PA) photography guide

Classic Shots

  1. Barbour Rock overlook
  2. Pine Creek on the gorge floor

West Rim Trail (PA) rules, gear and safety

Safety & planning

Emergency Info

Emergency contacts, ranger station locations, and satellite communicator tips for West Rim Trail (PA).

Food Storage

Bear canister requirements, approved container lists, and rental locations for this permit.

Gear Checklist: Required and recommended gear for West Rim Trail (PA) · Shuttle Services: Trailhead transportation options · Guide Services: Experienced wilderness guides

Some links may be affiliate links. Purchases support PermitSnag at no extra cost to you.

West Rim Trail (PA) FAQ

Do you need a permit to camp on the West Rim Trail in Pennsylvania?

Yes. Pennsylvania DCNR states camping permits are always required in the Pine Creek Gorge, regardless of the type of camping, because the West Rim Trail runs the length of the gorge's west side.

How long is the Pennsylvania West Rim Trail?

Pennsylvania DCNR's own trail database lists the West Rim Trail at 28.85 miles, running between trailheads near Ansonia and Blackwell along Pine Creek Gorge.

Is the Pennsylvania West Rim Trail the same as Zion's West Rim Trail?

No. This is a separate 28.85-mile trail in Tioga State Forest, Pennsylvania, along the Pine Creek Gorge (the Pennsylvania Grand Canyon). Zion National Park's West Rim Trail in Utah is an entirely different trail.

How much elevation gain is on the West Rim Trail?

Trail guides cite about 4,711 feet of cumulative elevation gain over the trail's roughly 30 miles, since the route repeatedly climbs in and out of side ravines along the gorge rim.

Which direction should you hike the West Rim Trail?

The trail can be hiked either direction between Ansonia and Blackwell; many backpackers go southbound from Ansonia to see the widest gorge views earlier in the trip.

How do you reserve a West Rim Trail camping permit?

Book online through the Pennsylvania State Parks and Forests reservation system for Tioga State Forest, or call 888-PA-PARKS.

West Rim Trail (PA) trail conditions and trip reports

Trail Conditions

No active conditions reported

Sign in to report trail conditions.

Questions

No questions yet

Be the first to ask about West Rim Trail (PA).

Trip Reports

Write Report

No trip reports yet

Be the first to share your experience at West Rim Trail (PA).

Write the First Report

Alternatives to a West Rim Trail (PA) permit

Plan the full trip, not just the permit

Build your full itinerary start to finish

Add your dates and get a day-by-day plan: what needs a permit, what gear to bring, and one link to share with your whole group to coordinate every step.

Plan a trip here

No permit needed to start

One tick helps us more than you’d think

Google lets you pick the sites it highlights for you. Add PermitSnag and our permit pages get marked as one of yours in AI Overviews and AI Mode.

Add PermitSnag in Google

Takes less than a minute.