The Boulder Field at the End of This Pennsylvania Trail Will Stop You in Your Tracks

Hikes normally have a main point of attraction. This could range from a towering waterfall to ocean views, a landmark, fields of flowers, or something else. Most of the time, save some monuments or historical landmarks, these points of attraction are naturally made/caused (think geysers and hot springs or even a forest or snowy mountain—places that aren’t created by humans). There are, however, places that are naturally made, but seem so surprising and somewhat alien that it’s almost impossible to think that they haven’t been altered in some way by humans. The boulder field on the Shades of Death Trail in Pennsylvania is one such place. 

At first, despite the ominous name, this hike seems like any other forest hike with excellent water features. It’s a 2.2-mile out-and-back hike in the Hickory Run State Park that is known to be only moderately difficult unless it rains heavily, in which case the mud can make the trail more arduous to navigate. A popular trail with crowded parking, you can find multiple waterfalls along the trail, as well as streams and dams. But, naturally, the boulder field is the big-ticket item here.

So, what is a boulder field? In many ways, it’s exactly what it sounds like: a field of boulders. In this case, the field is around 400 ft by 1800 ft, with boulders ranging from four feet to 26 feet long. It’s important to note that part of the oddness of this field is that it’s only boulders, with a lack of plants growing in between the rocks or even sand or silt filling up the gaps. In this way, it seems like some giant merely decided one day to gather all their favorite stones together in one place as a collection. 

This boulder field has existed for thousands of years and was caused by frost wedging. When glaciers existed in the area, one was only one mile away from the boulder field (which, at this time, was not a boulder field). After the rock underneath the glacier was broken up by frost wedging, the accumulated smaller pieces would move away from the glacier with the melted ice. As they moved, they ground against each other and smoothed each other’s edges (this is why the boulders at the farther end are smoother, because they were ground down for a longer period of time). Over thousands of years, the field as it is seen today was left. Then, when the climate changed drastically and warmed, the glacier melted completely and washed away all of the smaller particles left in the rock field. 

Really, the field is any geologist’s dream. But it’s also a popular photo spot for locals, tourists, and everyone in between due to how large the field is, not to mention the rarity of its existence and sheer size in the world. The forest surrounding the field does temper its alien feel, but in either case, it is certainly a big surprise after following what seemed like a normal forest path with waterfalls. This surprise, plus a truly beautiful trail along the way, makes for quite a day of hiking and a genuinely fulfilling day in Pennsylvania.