Rachel Carson Trail

Rachel Carson Trail is a short, easy mountain biking route in Harrison Hills Park in Pennsylvania, set at about 1,050 feet. The trail is an out-and-back that covers roughly 0.4 miles, with a total climb of about 124 feet, and it is rated easy. The route rises to about 1,119 feet before returning to the starting point. The steepest stretch comes early on, with a grade of about 14 percent at around 0.08 miles. The climb is gentle enough to fit into a longer day on the park's trails. For comfortable weather, late spring and early fall are the best bets. Typical averages from a nearby weather station show May highs around 72°F and September highs around 76°F, with July the warmest month at about 83°F. That station sits several hundred feet lower than the trail, so temperatures on the route run a little cooler. Several other trails and climbing areas sit within a short distance. Scouts Trail and Pond Loop are each about 0.1 mile away, and the Harrison Hills Park climbing area is about 0.3 mile off. Creekside Trail, another mountain biking route, is about 0.4 mile away.