See views of Broad Mountain on a guided hike in Pennsylvania’s Rothrock State Forest

Next week, Centred Outdoors will offer several guided hikes of the Dutch Alvin Trail as part of its summer series of guided outings and other wellness activities.

The trail, just over two miles long and rated at “moderate” difficulty, runs through the Rothock State Forest, allowing hikers to explore the Cooper’s Gap and Chestnut Spring areas.

Along the trail, participants can expect to see Pennsylvania’s state flower — the mountain laurel — in addition to hemlocks and tall pines before gently ascending to the ridge. Once at the trail’s summit, hikers can bask in the clearings of open forest and enjoy views of Broad Mountain and surrounding nature to the west.

Centred Outdoors will offer free guided hikes along Dutch Alvin Trail on Sunday, July 2, from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. and 1-3 p.m., and on Thursday, July 6, from 9-11 a.m. and 11 a.m.-1 p.m. No registration is required prior to any of Centred Outdoors’ guided hikes.

Guests can park at the Dutch Alvin Trail Parking Lot. Once at the trailhead, or the start of the trail, participants can expect to see a tent set up with information about ClearWater Conservancy and Centred Outdoors and greeters who can answer any last-minute questions and assist with the sign-in process. ClearWater’s Assistant Adventure Coordinator Olivia Stas said the welcome table is also stocked with bug spray, tick spray and sunscreen.

Stas or ClearWater’s Adventure Coordinator Bridget Whyte will guide the hikes. All Dutch Alvin Trail groups will also be joined by Joe Gyekis, State College Bird Club VP for Programs and Penn State Associate Teaching Professor of Biobehavioral Health, who will talk about mating birds in Pennsylvania this time of year.

Along the trail, Stas said guides will point out different plants, flowers and other signs of life and that all trail-goers are encouraged to ask any questions. She also mentioned that guides will provide extra binoculars for hikers looking to bird-watch.

“It’s all about going for a walk with people in your community and just being out and enjoying nature together and sharing a little bit about the space,” Stas said.

She also recommended that those attending the Dutch Alvin Trail hike bring sturdy shoes, like sneakers or hiking boots; water bottles with at least 32 oz. of water per adult; and any additional desired hiking gear.

For those who may want or need gear but do not have any, ClearWater offers the Centred Outdoors Gear Library, where anyone can rent trekking poles, day packs and child carrier backpacks. Those interested in renting gear should fill out the request form online, and then the trail guide will bring any requested items to the chosen event.

Centred Outdoors also offers free transportation through their shuttle van service for many events, including the guided hikes of Dutch Alvin Trail on July 2 and July 6 — though only for the 11 a.m-1 p.m. time slots. Those interested in the service should note that reservations are required and open one week before the event date. More information about the service, reservations and pickup locations can be found on Centred Outdoors’ website.

“We’ve always been pretty intentional about making these activities accessible to everybody, but we’ve put a lot of extra effort into it this season,” Stas said.

In addition to offering gear and transportation services, Stas said the team also ensured that the trail “passports” were all up to date with information like trail accessibility, difficulty and distance so hikers know what to expect.

And though Centred Outdoors offers outings at various difficulties on multiple days, Stas mentioned that the team is always open to suggestions about what trails and accessibility features could be added.

“We’re always taking suggestions on places to go or things that we can change to make our program more accessible because that is our goal,” she said. “We want this program to be for everybody to join us in the outdoors.”

The Dutch Alvin Trail hike is just one installment of Centred Outdoors’ guided hikes. More information about upcoming trails and other events can be found at www.centredoutdoors.org/events.

Do you have any questions about hiking/recreation in Centre County that you’d like to see answered? Ask Centred Outdoors’ Strategic Communications Coordinator Andrea Murrell at andrea@clearwaterconservancy.org to have your questions featured in next week’s article.

Grace Miller is a freelance writer for ClearWater Conservancy.