Zig Zag
- 0.1 mi
- round trip
- 23 ft
- climb
- 1,644 ft
- high point
- Out and back
- route
- Jul–Sep
- best months
Zig Zag is a short, easy cross-country ski route in Pennsylvania, about a quarter mile long and rising just over 20 feet from start to finish. The trail is an out-and-back with a front-loaded climb, peaking at about 1,644 feet, and the steepest part comes early, around 2% grade, before the slope tapers off. It makes a quick addition to a day of skiing on the surrounding network of trails. Winter is the natural season for cross-country skiing here. Typical averages from a nearby weather station show January highs around 32°F with lows near 16°F, while February and March run only slightly warmer. That station sits about 240 feet lower than the trail's high point, so temperatures on the route run slightly cooler. The nearest town is Marvin, New York, about 2.8 miles away. Several other cross-country ski routes sit within a third of a mile, including Secret, All Ya Gotta Do and Swamp Fox. For a change of pace, French Creek offers canoeing roughly 10 miles off.
Best time to go · Jul–Sep
Best time to visit Zig Zag
Best months: July–September. Best months have typical highs of 55–85 °F, lows of 30 °F or warmer (32 °F where the station doesn't record snow), at most one snowy day and no more than 12 wet days.
Jan
32° / 16°
20 wet
Feb
34° / 15°
16 wet
Mar
43° / 23°
16 wet
Apr
56° / 34°
14 wet
May
68° / 45°
14 wet
Jun
76° / 54°
13 wet
Jul
80° / 58°
12 wet
Aug
79° / 56°
12 wet
Sep
73° / 49°
12 wet
Oct
61° / 38°
15 wet
Nov
48° / 31°
16 wet
Dec
37° / 23°
18 wet
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Union City Filtration Plant, PA, 11.4 mi away at 1,400 ft. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
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Map and trail data © OpenStreetMap contributors
