Pine Swamp Loop

This loop hike circles around Pine Swamp Mountain, Pine Swamp and the Pine Swamp mines. Start this adventure at the Lake Shannatati parking area. This parking lot fills up fast, especially on weekends. People park along the side of the road when the lot is full. The trailhead is to the right of Lake Shannatati. From this trailhead, take the Long Path (turquoise markers) and travel along side the lake, crossing a stream, and ascending to the Dunning Trail (Yellow markers) after 1.3 miles. This section of the Dunning Trail is also a forest road. The Dunning Trail and Long Path travel together for a very short distance.The Long Path turns right through a rock outcropping. Stay on the Long Path for 0.8 miles where the Long Path meets two others trails. This location is known as Times Square as noted on maps and spray painted on a large rock. Turn right here onto the Arden-Surebridge Trail (A-SB on maps with a red triangle markers on trail).After about a half mile on the Arden-Surebridge Trail the Dunning trail in on your right. This is a good landmark for locating the Pine Swamp mines. These mines are only excavated rock outcroppings usually filled with water. After passing Dunning trail, it is only 1.2 miles back to the trailhead on the Arden-Surebridge trail.