In October 2024 we did a new hunter pace held in Haldeman Tract of Weiser State Forest and thus got to see some of the trails in this popular riding area. There are about 24 miles of horse riding trails in this 5400 acre forest.
Most trails are gated, but adjacent roads would work for horse driving.
Location
Haldeman is near Halifax and Elizabethville, Pennsylvania, about 30 minutes northeast of Clarks Ferry on route 322 above Harrisburg. It’s an easy trip from State College and anywhere around Harrisburg.
Routes 147 and 225 are the main access roads and have some sharp turns and climbs, but are pretty good roads. Getting through the small town of Halifax is a bit of a pain due to narrow streets and right angle turns. Be patient!
The main parking area at Haldeman is maybe 1/2 mile off paved roads.
Parking and Amenities
The hunter pace made use of the main parking area for horse trailers, which is near forest headquarters on White Oak Road.
This parking lot is large enough to hold lots of trailers. The surface is pretty rough, with a lot of big rocks, not just fine gravel. There is not much in the way of grazing around the lot.
Amazingly, there is a hydrant at the north end with water for washing horses! This water is not for human drinking.
There are pit toilets, picnic tables, and a drinking fountain at the adjacent picnic area.
Trails We Rode
The pace covered about 6.5 miles, with nearly a 1000 foot elevation change. That’s 1000 up and 1000 down!
The pace started with a short distance on Iron Mine Trail, then climbed Deep Hollow Trail to a short (and narrow) cutoff to the Hang Glider Launch and overlook. Deep Hollow is most of the climb of nearly 1000 feet, and is fairly rocky in places. Some places the grade is pretty relentless! This may be tough for horses without at least front shoes.
From the overlook we rode a short distance on Wolf Pond Road (gravel) and then picked up Matter Trail.
Matter trail winds through woods on top the mountain, so is fairly level and an easy and pretty ride. In places it is dirt, although some areas have a base of crushed gravel buried under grass and leaves. For horses with sensitive feet, the surface may not be ideal. Compared to Deep Hollow, it is a dream!
Eventually we turned on Shreffler Trail and took it to Iron Mine Trail. Shreffler was largely dirt with some rocks mixed in.
The descent on Iron Mine Trail back to the start is somewhat grueling. It’s ok to Wolf Pond Road, but beyond that the slope is significant, probably approaching 20% in places. Parts of it are washed and quite rocky, although some parts are fairly smooth. With no hind shoes, this trail was fairly hard for my horse.
The pace organizers said they picked these trails because they “are the least rocky”, so you should be warned! This is a pretty place to ride, but trails could be a challenge without shoes or boots if your horse is tender footed.
Haldeman Tract is an enjoyable place to ride, but understand it’s pretty classic Pennsylvania high-mountain terrain, no rolling meadows.
Horse Trail Map for Haldeman Tract
View all the horse trails and download them to your device from the website:
Waymarked Trails: Haldeman Tract 
Hunter Paces
Graceful Acres intends to run hunter paces spring and fall at Haldeman Tract and has announced the spring date for 2025. The group was very welcoming and tried really hard to make an enjoyable event.
See our 2025 Horse Events Calendar.
Preview the hunter pace with this video…
Area Amenities
Plenty of choices for fuel and food exist in nearby Halifax and Elizabethville.
We stopped at Nae Nae’s sandwich shop on Route 225 in Halifax on the way out and recommend it for freshly made and substantial sandwiches. The parking lot isn’t huge, but can probably fit a horse trailer unless they are swamped.