Trail Overview
Ames Road is a less-traveled route between Knobs Road and Caledonia Pike, and a good way to cut some miles and traffic off your route. It runs 2.6 miles through Moshannon State Forest and is well marked with stone markers at each end. Near the Knobs Road end, it travels through a reforestation planting made by the General Federation of Women's Clubs of Pennsylvania with the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) Bureau of Forestry. Those trees have grown in, making this a great stretch of the trail with a tall, even corridor running down to the Deer Creek crossing.
Difficulty
The surface is smooth, graded gravel and heavily crowned, so low-clearance vehicles may have to drive in the center to avoid scraping in some places. The trail is wide enough for two vehicles to pass on most of its length, but use caution when yielding on the berm, as the drainage ditches are well hidden in the summer when vegetation is at its peak. At about a mile off Knobs Road, the trail has a steep descent into the valley and crosses over and runs along Deer Creek before climbing back out toward Caledonia Pike. The grade is the only demanding stretch on the route. Heavy rain leaves minor washes on it, and with no winter maintenance, travel is not advised in heavy snow or ice. Late summer and early fall are the best times to drive this route.
