Bellisario faculty member unveils top day hikes in upcoming PA Wilds guidebook

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Penn State faculty member, experienced hiker and author Ben Cramer spotlights more than 50 hikes in the Pennsylvania Wilds in a new guidebook set to hit bookshelves in late 2025.

The PA Wilds region spans more than 2 million acres across 12 counties in northern Pennsylvania. It is ripe with diverse ecosystems and hiking trails that organizers admit can be intimidating, but they want to change that.

Through a collaboration with the PA Wilds Center for Entrepreneurship and the Keystone Trails Association (KTA), Cramer penned “Hiking in the Pennsylvania Wilds,” a guidebook that condenses the 1,600 miles of trails into more than 52 day hikes.

“People who live outside the PA Wilds region often don’t know what goes on up there,” said Cramer, a teaching professor in the Donald P. Bellisario College of Communications. “It’s a great place to visit, and I hope this book gets people interested in what Pennsylvania has to offer … and I hope they gain a greater appreciation for the outdoors and for this particular region.”

Last summer, Cramer hiked nearly every trail in the PA Wilds to prepare for the book. He said there are “epic hikes, day hikes and everything in between.” He has written seven other guidebooks that mostly focus on long-distance backpacking. This time he wanted to showcase everything the PA Wilds offers in smaller, more digestible hikes.

“In the book, I have everything from one-mile hikes to nine-mile hikes,” he said. “They are set up where you start out on trail A, you turn on trail B, do a loop and come back to your car at the end.”

In addition to identifying popular trails with scenic vistas and waterfalls, Cramer also provides information about the local ecology and landscapes.

According to Ta Enos, founder and CEO of the PA Wilds Center, hiking guidebooks help visitors “navigate and connect with special places and experiences.” Making the PA Wilds more approachable and welcoming is a big part of what she hopes Cramer’s book will do.

“The region has the greatest concentration of public lands in Pennsylvania,” she said. “That can be both appealing and intimidating for new visitors.”

The PA Wilds Center provided the initial idea and funding for the book, while the KTA leveraged its connections such as connecting with Cramer to lead the project.

“Our mission is conservation and economic development to strengthen and inspire communities in the Pennsylvania Wilds,” Enos said. “In Ben’s book, there's something for everybody.”

Shorter hikes are important for KTA executive director Brook Lenker, who said easing into the hobby can lead to commitment later. It’s how he and many others got into hiking, and he said guidebooks are an important part of that introduction.

“I got drawn to some of my earlier hikes because I read about them in guidebooks,” Lenker said. “They provided me enough information to safely experience a particular trail or route.”

Lenker hopes Cramer’s book will do the same and that many new hikers will take the next step — literally and figuratively — toward a life on the trail.

"We're hoping that it will move some people from just enjoying the trails to actually helping to take care of them, he said. “It’s very important."

Cramer, a lifetime KTA member, agrees. He said that trail maintenance is a significant undertaking that requires a lot of people and equipment. Powered by volunteers, the KTA coordinates trail maintenance efforts across the state.

“It's not just about hikers clearing small obstacles … it’s removing fallen trees and repairing cave-ins requiring construction tools and equipment,” he said. “It’s a small chapter, but I explain the work that goes into keeping trails accessible in the book.”

Hiking has been a serious hobby for most of Cramer’s adult life. It’s something he’s passionate about, and he sees guidebook writing as a way of giving back to his home state. He hopes it inspires visitors to enjoy the natural beauty of the commonwealth and build an appreciation for nature while helping local economies through environmental and healthy ecotourism.

“There is a variety and diversity of hiking experiences available in Pennsylvania beyond the Appalachian Trail,” said Cramer, who grew up in Erie. “Guidebooks are just one way to get people engaged with Pennsylvania's lesser-known regions like the PA Wilds.”

With the manuscript complete and a Pennsylvania-based publisher interested, Cramer’s guidebook is well on its way to becoming a valuable resource for anyone looking to explore the state’s hidden gems and discover the beauty of the PA Wilds.