Pinnacle Overlook to the Wind Cave via Conestoga Trail, Susquehanna State Park

Hiking, Pennsylvania

Wagons, rivers, grottos, fern valleys, hosta seas, a wind cave! This 9.8 miles has it all, baby, and you should go enjoy it for yourself. On a hot summer day, the fern grotto offers a cool, shady respite, and the wind cave will downright chill you off from the hot, dry, overland trail to it. Wear layers! In late May, my outfit went from sweatpants + long sleeves + fleece vest + socks to shorts + tank top – socks.

In the dark days before AllTrails, we would search the internet for people’s personal write-ups of trails, with directions to get to the trailhead and text descriptions of how to navigate the trails. 😱 🙀 2013 was in those Dark Ages, so I offer this Pinnacle Overlook to the Wind Cave trail that I made years after the fact (hi, I’m writing this from the future). If you want something vaguely official with pictures and reviews and stuff, we did Pinnacle Overlook from Pequea via Conestoga Trail, but we started at Pinnacle Overlook, and we hiked a bit beyond the wind cave, but not all the way to Pequea, so our overall distance was half a mile shorter.

Total distance: 9.99 mi
Max elevation: 698 ft
Min elevation: 178 ft
Total climbing: 3625 ft
Total descent: -3625 ft
Average speed: 0.00 mi/h

A journey of 1000 miles begins with feet over the Susquehanna.
Pinnacle Overlook is a lovely spot in the river, and it boasts benches, picnic tables, and a grassy lawn for picnic blankets.
There was a fun metal stagecoach at Pinnacle Overlook. Dar drove it. As one does.
There are rocky outcroppings from which to see the river better.
Dar communes with the river.
Mmm, river.
From the river, you head down a hill into the forest.
There are dripping grottos.
Dar had high-fashion fair.
There are many waterfalls.
Ferns burst from all surfaces.
You cross the river somewhere.
More waterfalls!
I can’t stop taking photos of the river, please send help.
Fairly certain this an Ent.
Many hostas along the shady river.

Along the shady river, waltzing among hostas and ferns and dribbling rocks, approaches magical. I was half expecting fairies.

Tufty ferns.
Fern turtle head!
Another waterfall!
  • Bridge!
  • Fern cliff!
Eventually, you must leave the luscious Fern Valley to return to the woods.
Rocks are scaled.
To everyone’s relief, there was no house rocking playing at House Rock.
Rock squeezes!
Hey girl, turn makers.
THE WIND CAVE. BEWARE. At least bundle up, it’s damn cold inside. And dark. And more of a wind chasm than a wind cave, so don’t expect to go very far.
I’m really feeling these rocks, you know?
Wind-surfing Pinnacle Overlook

Stats

Distance9.8 miles
Elevation Gain2480 feet

Equipment

BackpackCamelbak Rim Runner hydration pack
NavigationiPhone 5
ShoesKeen sandals
PolesBlack Diamond Trail Ergo Cork Trekking Poles