We visited Sunset Rocks and the Appalachian Trail’s historic halfway point in Michaux State Forest, Pennsylvania. We enjoyed a six and a half mile loop hike utilizing the Sunset Rocks Trail and the Appalachian Trail.
We began our hike at the parking area for Camp Michaux and after exploring the ruins of the former Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) camp, we walked down the road to the Sunset Rocks Trail. From there we followed that trail to its intersection with the Appalachian and then followed both trails past the Tom’s Run Shelter and to the intersection where the Sunset Rocks and Appalachian Trails split. Between the shelter and the trail junction, you’ll pass the unofficial halfway point of the Appalachian Trail – which is a cool Appalachian Trail landmark to check out!
The length of the Appalachian Trail changes year to to year, but the halfway point is always located in Pennsylvania’s Michaux State Forest. At one point a monument and a mailbox (with a logbook) was installed at the halfway point. The mailbox is behind us here and the monument is in front of us!
We stayed on the Sunset Rocks Trail, climbed up onto the Sunset Rocks Ridge, reaching the biggest and best view first. From there we descended along the rocky ridge, eventually reaching the same road that we started on. From there it was a quick walk along the road back to our trucks at the Camp Michaux parking area.
For More Information
You can find this hike on:
- National Geographic’s Trails Illustrated Map for the Appalachian Trail in Pennsylvania
- Michaux State Forest Purple Lizard Map
Find additional information about Michaux State Forest and Pine Grove Furnace State Park:
Gear we used and/or carried on this hike:
- Goodr Sunglasses
- Osprey Talon 22 Pack
- Osprey Kestrel 38 Pack
- Altra Lone Peak Shoe
- Salomon X Ultra 3 GTX Hiking Shoes
- Darn Tough Midweight Hiking Socks
- Black Diamond Trail Back Trekking Poles
- Eddie Bauer Guide Pro Pants
- EMS Epic Active Hoodie
- Patagonia R1 Pullover
- Energizer LED Headlamp
- NEMO Chipper Reclaimed Closed-Cell Foam Seat Pad
- Nalgene 32-ounce Wide-Mouth Water Bottles
- Garmin Instinct Watches
- Garmin InReach Explorer+ GPS
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Jeff Senterman 
That is a great hike; my Boy Scout son and I have hiked and backpacked all over Michaux (we live locally in Carlisle, so it’s like our big outdoor playground). It’s a beautiful area with a ton of variety in the terrain and vegetation, and I’m glad to see it getting some love. We once incorporated the Sunset Rocks Trail along “Little Rocky Ridge” (the semi-official name of that ridge which includes Sunset Rocks) into an overnight trek and that boulder scramble section got a bit extra challenging when we were all top-heavy with full backpacks! I enjoyed the video; interestingly we have not been up there at this time of year. Looks like a beautiful time to hike that spot.
It is a beautiful area! We only scratched the surface – we have friends who live nearby and they took us for a quick intro. Looking forward to exploring more – and love all the AT stuff there too.