There is a new hiking trail at the Flight 93 memorial in Pennsylvania.

The trail of remembrance is a half-mile long trail where the dirt road, skyline drive used to be and connects the memorial plaza to the site were the temporary Flight 93 memorial was first made.

Nearly one million people came to visit the first, temporary memorial site, and visitors still come back to the memorial today to ask where the original site was.

Now visitors will be able to walk along this trail and never forget those raw emotions of September 11th.

“This site is symbolic because it is the first place that people can come to honor the passengers of Flight 93 and really understand what happened out here on September 11th,” said Katie Cordek, the memorial park’s public information officer.

The trail starts at the memorial plaza which is located in the back of the Flight 93 memorial park.

For more information about the site and the new hiking trail, visit www.nps.gov/flni.

Sure hiking trails are great, but don’t you think they’d be even better if they included scoops of ice cream instead rocks and bugs and stuff? Well, Pennsylvania just made that dream into a sweet, sweet reality with their massive, statewide ice cream trail.

The trail is made each year by Discover PA, and this year it features a whopping 32 creameries and ice cream shops for you to enjoy. If that sounds like a lot to you, you can break the big journey into three smaller trails, segmented by region. The Western trail features nine stops, the South Central trail features 13 stops, and the Eastern trail features nine stops.

In case eating delicious ice cream doesn’t seem worth your time, you can also get rewarded just for taking part in the trail. Participants until September 2, 2019 to visit five stops on the list of their choosing and mail their ice cream “passport” in to get a free T-shirt.

If you still need some inspiration before hitting the trail, know this: yo might find three goats named Frosty, Dip, and Scoop at one ice cream trail location. That alone is reason enough to set off on your merry way.

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The Allegheny National Forest chapter of the North Country Trail Association will hold its eighth annual Allegheny 100 Hiking Challenge (A-100) on June 9-11, 2017.

The hike will take place throughout the Allegheny National Forest, and is billed as an endurance challenge of individual stamina, determination, and resilience. It is not a race.

Hikers will traverse 100 miles, 75 miles, 50 miles or 25 miles of trail through rolling hills and stream valleys in a fifty-hour time period.

Event organizers remind those who are interested that this event is for anyone, regardless of skill level, who wants to test him or herself against the trail. Event organizers also note that cell phone reception is spotty along the length of the trail.

For the 2017 challenge, hikers will travel north to south, from the state Route 346 trailhead, near Willow Bay, to the state Route 66 trailhead, between Marienville and Vowinckel.

Those who are interested should note that the A-100 is an unsupported hike. There will be no first aid or water stations.

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In June 2008, the PA Appalachian Trail Act was amended by Act 24, requiring the 58 PA municipalities along the Appalachian National Scenic Trail (A.T.) to take action to preserve the natural, scenic, historic, and aesthetic values of the Trail and to conserve and maintain it as a public natural resource. The legislation was prompted by a Commonwealth Court case related to a proposal to construct a country club for sports car enthusiasts, which threatened a portion of the A.T. in Monroe County, Pennsylvania.

Act 24 requires such actions – including the adoption, implementation and enforcement of zoning ordinances as the governing body deems necessary – to preserve those values. The PA Department of Community & Economic Development (DCED) was directed to assist municipalities with implementation. The Appalachian Trail Conservancy (ATC) now manages the Act 24 implementation project with oversight from the National Park Service (NPS).

DCED appointed a Task Force to design a program to implement the intent of Act 24. The Task Force identified the need for resource material to assist municipalities in developing the most appropriate zoning and other conservation strategies. The resulting Conservation Guidebook for Communities Along the Appalachian National Scenic Trail (Guidebook) identifies seven characteristics of communities that are most likely to be effective in addressing issues associated with the Trail. Those characteristics – also known as the Seven Principles – provide the basis for a suggested checklist for municipalities to use in making their own assessments of how well the Trail experience is conserved in their community.

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After traversing all 220 miles of the AT in the Keystone State, both statements are indeed accurate. The reason is entirely geological, owing to the amazing jumble of rocks of all types, sizes and shapes – known scientifically as felsenmeer – that make up the progressively more difficult mountain terrain.

The Pennsylvania rocks at best have hikers stumbling about much like a drunken sailor for miles at a time; at worst the jagged rocks grab and tear at boots, twist ankles, snap trekking poles, bloody shins, sap spirits and exhaust already weary walkers. Take a fall on the nasty rocks, and all bets are off.

The trail enters Pennsylvania on South Mountain and follows its long ridges north through the piney woods of 85,500-acre Michaux State Forest. Several state parks punctuate the route through the forest.

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Hiking through the woods is one of the best ways to exercise, but those in Pennsylvania over the next week will be in for a treat as the state celebrates Hiking Week 2015 starting on Saturday, May 30.

According to the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources and the Keystone Trails Association, there will be almost 100 organized hikes that will make their way through parks, forests and cities across the state. A full list of scheduled Hiking Week events can be found at ExplorePATrails.com.

Hiking Week is a celebration that wraps up Sunday, June 7, 2015. Before the festivities stop, though, the state will be organizing events to raise awareness for healthy lifestyles and promoting environmental stewardship.

Included in the week is National Trails Day on Saturday, June 6, a celebration of the endless amounts of walking and hiking trails throughout the United States. With the spirit of hiking in mind, novice and experienced hikers will find this to be the perfect opportunity to view the beautiful scenery of Pennsylvania.

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The Appalachian Trail has put Wind Gap, PA on the map – a map of communities along the 2,180-mile trail, that is.

Designation as an Appalachian Trail Community means Wind Gap will be highlighted in guidebooks and hiking maps, and the recognition could be a financial benefit to the borough.

The Appalachian Trail Conservancy created the Appalachian Trail Community program to assist communities with sustainable economic development through tourism and outdoor recreation, while the communities, in turn, help preserve and protect the trail.

The conservancy website lists only 35 other locations as designated communities along the trail that runs from Georgia to Maine.

There are no designated communities in New Jersey and five in Pennsylvania, including Wind Gap, which was awarded the distinction in March; nearby Delaware Water Gap received its designation in 2014.

One of the benefits of being named a trail destination means trail guidebooks will list the amenities available to hikers in Wind Gap. Hikers on long distance hikes need places along the trail to wash clothes, stock up on food and pick up mail.

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The Keystone Trails Association’s second annual KTA Membership Celebration and Film Festival will feature four films about Pennsylvania trails. The event begins at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, March 19, at the Wesley Center of Camp Hill United Methodist Church, Camp Hill.

The four films will include the following.

Best of Pennsylvania – 1000 Steps Hiking Trail is a humorous look at a great trail near Mount Union in Huntingdon County.

Among the best day hikes in Pennsylvania is Tiadaghton State Forest’s Golden Eagle Trail, which Scott Adams explores in his film.

North Country Trail – We Build Trails In Low Places is a tribute to the folks who maintain the national scenic trail passing through Pennsylvania and surrounding states.

In the Old Loggers Path Running Adventure, four young trail runners tackle the 27-mile loop trail in Lycoming County.

Keystone Trails Association is a federation of membership organizations and individuals dedicated to providing, preserving, protecting and promoting recreational hiking trails and hiking opportunities in Pennsylvania.

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The Mason-Dixon Trail section receiving NRT recognition is a 30 mile-long hiking path, following the western slopes of the Susquehanna River Gorge between Wrightsville and Norman Wood Bridge (at PA Rt. 372). This blue blazed hiking trail rolls along river hillsides and drops into deep ravines while crossing a number of tributaries to the Susquehanna River. Along the way are an abundance of wild flowers, ferns, broad leafs and evergreens.

Rock formations, stream crossings and scenic overlooks add to the beautiful setting of the mile wide Susquehanna River valley. The area is habitat for many species, including bald eagles, osprey, white tail deer, wild turkey and is a stopping place for numerous migratory birds. The area is rich in history, including archeological evidence of native americans, boundary disputes between american colonies and the construction and demise of a canal system.

This section of trail designated as a National Recreation Trail, is part of the larger Mason-Dixon Trail (MDT) system, a 192-mile long hiking trail. The MDT connects with the Appalachian Trail at Whisky Springs to the west and the Brandywine Trail at Chads Ford to the east. A large loop can be made by going north on the Appalachian Trail to the Horse Shoe Trail, then back on the Brandywine Trail to the eastern terminus of the MDT.

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The commission is scheduled to consider a new rule Jan. 27, 2015 that would forbid hiking and other non-hunting activities on state game lands during fall and spring hunting seasons, which total more than 130 days. Hiking would still be permitted on Sundays, when hunting is disallowed.

The Appalachian Trail and other long-distance trails that go through state game lands would be exempt, but hiking advocates worry access paths to those trails through state game lands would be restricted.

Biking, horseback riding and snowmobiling is already prohibited on state game land during those two seasons, and hiking also is considered a secondary use on the property, said Travis Lau, a spokesman for the Pennsylvania Game Commission.

Much of the land was purchased through hunting permit sales and taxes on hunting equipment especially for hunting, Lau said.

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