Trail Overview
Licking Creek Drive is a standard PA State Forest road. It is graded gravel and is an easy, relaxing drive. This road offers access to several very nice dispersed motorized camp sites that, as with all camp sites and campgrounds in PA, must be reserved on the Reserve America app or site. It also features the scenic Karl Guss picnic area situated right on the banks of the Licking Creek. This is a very pleasant part of the Tuscarora State Forest to spend time in, and this road offers access into the forest from the east if coming from the Mifflin area. This road runs east to west in one of the northernmost tracts of this state forest. It's worth noting that on the east end, where the paved road of the same name enters the forest, there is one of the iconic Pennsylvania State Forest signs that indicates you are leaving or entering the forest, depending on the side of the sign. These are perfect photo ops that are often on the side of a busy road, so having one you can take photos of on a less-traveled forest service road is another attraction.
History
Licking Creek Drive follows one of the main trout streams in Tuscarora State Forest, a mineral‑rich ‘lick’ valley that’s been important to wildlife, hunters, and anglers for generations. This corridor started as cut‑over timberland and is now the backbone dirt road across Tuscarora, with 1960s‑era picnic areas, designated campsites, and a classic tight Appalachian valley feel the whole way.
