Hearts Content Recreation Area

Hearts Content is a semi-primitive family campground bordering the Hickory Creek Wilderness Area, surrounded by native hardwoods and a patch of planted pine forest. There is a large open field and amphitheater suitable for games near the campground entry, and another large field at the back of the campground that serves as both group camping sites and a helispot. The campground is operated under a concession permit by Allegheny Site Management. Each of the 26 family campsites contains a picnic table, fire ring and tent pad or RV spur, and two sites also have lean-to shelters. Vault toilets and pressurized water are available, and a dump station is located at the exit. There is lots of open area. Campsites can be reserved or taken on a first-come, first-served basis. A 6.4-mile (10.5 km) cross-country ski trail utilizes old railroad grades, roads and existing trails to form several loops. The Wheeler Loop Trail goes through the campground and connects to the Tom's Run and Ironwood trails in the Hearts Content Scenic Area; these trails are marked with blue plastic diamonds on the trees. There is also a self-guided orienteering course, a permanently marked route starting in the Hearts Content Scenic Area, that you or your group can follow at your leisure. North of the campground, the Hearts Content National Scenic Area sits next to the picnic area across the road. Here stand the remnants of a 300 to 400 year old stand of white pine, hemlock and beech; time, insects and disease are changing the look and nature of this stand. The Interpretive Old Growth Trail starts at the north end of the east side parking lot and winds about one mile through the timber stand before returning to the picnic area. All facilities in the day use area are universally accessible to people with disabilities, and include a picnic area, pavilions, toilet and interpretive materials. South of the campground is the 8,663-acre Hickory Creek Wilderness, a second-growth forest of dense trees and ferny undergrowth managed to let natural processes determine what it will be in the future. Wind, insects, disease and drought are all shaping the species composition of the trees and understory. The trailhead is located approximately a quarter mile north of the campground entrance, and a 13-mile loop hiking trail weaves its way through the rolling terrain, climbing in and out of the valleys. It is sparsely marked and maintained to promote a feeling of wildness and the unknown, and it may not be suitable for novice hikers; please know your limitations and do not add markings to help with way-finding. No motorized equipment of any kind and no mechanical transports are permitted.