Greenwood Furnace Trail Challenge Huntingdon, PA   May 4, 2025

The Greenwood Furnace Trail Challenge is an intense, rugged, single track half-marathon. A figure 8 route of rocky climbs and nasty downhills; it at Greenwood Furnace State Park, climbs to the fire tower, drops down in to Alan Seeger Natural Area before climbing back to the tower, and then returns down to the park.

The approximate 13 mile figure 8 trail course traverses Rothrock State Forest to Alan Seeger Natural Area and back to the park. The route will be marked with orange flagging and volunteers will be stationed at all road crossings. The course features two brutal ascents and descents with some recovery in between. The trails include a stream crossing, 3 footbridge crossings, rock gardens, mud, and some nasty scrambling.

Behind Pavilion #1 runners will warm-up/walk/jog back to the rock furnace, where the race . Runners will run back the loop past the pavilion, up Chestnut spring trail briefly, cross the service road on to Spencer a wide, rolling abandoned service road. Off of Spencer Trail, runners will be directed left for their first brutal climb up Greenwood Spur (1200 feet). The spur steep but as you approach the Greenwood Tower it to level off (center of the figure 8).

At the tower runners will find a hydration/first station and be directed to their left to their descent down the Greenwood Spur to Alan Seeger Natural Area (~2 miles). The descent is gradual at first and then degrades from there into a steep scramble on loose rock gardens and intense switch backs.

When runners arrive at Alan Seeger Natural Area there is a stream crossing (Stone Creek), a hydration/snack station and some much needed recovery. The trail winds on level ground through the towering trees of Alan Seeger Natural Area crossing several foot bridges over Stone Creek. The Alan Seeger loops finishes on Alan Seeger Road where runners will be directed to Ross Trail just up the road on the right (3/4 of a mile).

Ross Trail is a daunting ascent (1300 feet) back to the tower (~2.5 miles). Its steepest part (no switchback) is in the middle coming just after running through a beautiful, yet muddy meadow of ferns and grasses and another footbridge crossing of Stone Creek. It to level off as runners approach the tower where any final hydration or aid may be found.

Runners will be directed left down a short section of grassy service road (~.5 miles) to access Ruff Gap Trail for their final descent. Ruff Gap is a scraggly consistently steep trail (~1 mile). At the bottom racers will be directed right on the level, grassy Spencer Trail (~1 mile). Volunteers will direct runners left on to Greenwood Spur for the final leg back to the pavilion (~1 mile).