Distance

1.6 mi to summit

3.2 mi total

Elevation

2,100 ft start

Vertical

675 ft gain

Time

1 hr 30 min to summit

3 hr 0 min total

At 2,753 ft, Devies Mountain is no slouch for these parts, two miles north of the Mason Dixon Line. It’s the 34th highest mountain in Pennsylvania. (Coincidentally, this peak is exactly the same height as Magazine Mountain, which is the highest point in Arkansas.) It sits in an isolated stretch of the Quebec Run Wilderness Area, Forbes State Forest. There’s no trail, just old logging roads from the century before last. That’s what intrigued me about this place: the inaccessibility. It’s steep, slippery, full of briars, and there’s not much in the way of views. But you’ll definitely have the whole mountain to yourself. In the summer there’d be nothing to see but leaves, but it’s a fun discovery for an eerily balmy February day, when the upland trees were prematurely budding.

Route to summit

None

out-and-back
Obstacles

road/access issues, routefinding, stream crossing, bushwhacking, blowdowns

Key gear

trekking poles