God’s Country trail network offers a huge network of more than 80 miles of horse riding trails in Potter county in northern Pennsylvania, with three primitive camping areas.
Summary
A beautiful, remote, rugged area with dozens of miles of trails, but few comforts are available. Greatly expanded ATV use seems to seems to make it far less attractive to equestrian users.
While there are many dozens miles of trails to ride in this area, Pennsylvania provides no amenities like bathrooms, drinking water, or bathing facilities anywhere in the region. If you can afford a trailer with living quarters you might enjoy camping here, anyone else is pretty much restricted to day-use, and they don’t provide much to encourage that.
We haven’t ridden here yet but made a scouting trip in July 2024.
Online Map
We created an online slippy map of horse trails and roads as shown on the official 2021 Susquehannock forest map. Printed copies of that map should be at campgrounds, but don’t be surprised if there aren’t any.
The new map shows color coded horse trailer parking and camping locations:
official horse trailer parking
Notes:
The trail along Pine Hill Road (PA 44) from Twelve Mill Trailhead to Black Forest is not highlighted as a horse trail because it seems to be taken over for ATV users.
Particularly steep areas are shown with a red caution symbol.
ATVs
In 2023, the state conducted a pilot program for extensive ATV use in the region. Despite negative input from non-motorized users, the state apparently decided to expand ATV access.
As of 2024, there appears to be considerably more ATV use than horse use. The main ATV trail in the area parallels PA 44 from Black Forest to Rauch Road. At some places it’s right alongside, other places it veers away. Some places ATVs are allowed on public roads–like Rauch Road.
ATV traffic really chews up this trail, which is coarse rock anyway (think railroad ballast). So while it once was a useful connector spine to get from campgrounds to many of the horse trails, it’s now pretty useless. It’s unclear whether horses are even permitted to use it now! It would be hard on feet and you would have to contend with reckless ATV operators and noise and huge clouds of dust. The trail is not wide enough to get far off to the side for ATVs to pass.
There is obviously tremendous demand for ATV recreation. It’s too bad it seems to have such an outsized impact on all non-motorized users.
Horse Trailer Parking
Main horse trailer parking areas for day use are:
- Twelve Mile Trailhead (PA 44 and Twelve Mile road)
- Rauch Road Gas Well Trailhead (Rauch Road north of PA 44)
These lots are shared with ATV users, who are likely to greatly outnumber horse users. There doesn’t seem to be much grass, either.
There are also a number of decent-sized gravel pull off lots along PA 44, especially towards the eastern end of the area.
Horse Camping
There are several camping options, though all are very basic.
Dyer Road CCC Campground
An organized campground with 8 designated sites is at Dyer CCC Campground, nestled in dense woods back a long and narrow road. Sites are fairly small. There are no restrooms and no running water. There are no stalls; highline or tie rail only. A manure bin is provided.
Because this campground is not right next to ATV trails, it is probably preferred by horse users.
Portable corrals are NOT permitted
Twelve Mile Camping Area
Four sites are at a less formal and (supposedly) popular campground at Twelve Mile Camping Area. This is commonly called “Horsey Hilton”, which is truly baffling since I’m pretty sure every Hilton provides a toilet and running water! All you get here is a picnic table, a fire ring, and a manure bin. No stalls; highline only. The clearing does offer reasonable space for only 4 campers.
This campground is the closest to ATV trails, so should probably be called “ATV Hilton”.
Portable corrals are NOT permitted.
Rauch Road Camping
Camping at the Rauch Road Gas Well Trailhead has a five trailer limit. You get one picnic table and a fire ring. No toilets. No water. No stalls; highline only. The clearing is reasonably large for 5 campers.
Rauch Road seems to get a lot of ATV traffic, so this campground is probably being overrun with ATV campers.
Portable corrals are NOT permitted.
Twelve Mile Trailhead
Camping was once permitted at Twelve Mile Trailhead, but it appears this is now only parking, primarily for ATV users. Of course DCNR has done little if anything to make this change known.
Roads
Roads in the area are twisty and hilly, with limited sight lines. There were two motorcycle accidents on PA 44 at the same time when we visited! PA 44 is fairly smooth, but it’s not a road you’re going to drive very fast pulling a rig. Stay alert for ATVs being driven recklessly.
Once off PA 44, roads get much worse. Some are gravel, many are dirt. Many of the roads shown are quite narrow and have tree limbs and brush sticking out and grass growing in the middle. Don’t take your brand new truck!
If you head west on PA 44 into Kettle Creek valley, be aware that there is a very steep descent with twisting turns. Use extreme caution with a heavy rig!
Water
It does not appear running water is available anywhere for you or your horses. A ranger at Kettle Creek State Park in the region emphasized it is illegal to take water from that park for use at God’s Country. Wow, what a welcoming state!
Facilities
It does not appear there are ANY public restrooms or running water available to the public anywhere in the God’s Country trail area.
Amenities
This area is quite remote and you should be fully prepared with food, drink, and fuel before heading here. To the east, the Black Forest Inn on PA 44 has food and lodging but the nearby gas station appears permanently closed in July 2024.
Renovo is probably the closest place to find a couple stores with food and fuel, and that’s quite a hike! There is a store with Perry’s ice cream on Erie Avenue across from the old rail yards.
Be aware that cell phone service may be severely limited in the entire area!
More Comfortable Alternative
Not too far away is Kettle Creek State Park, which has a fairly nice equestrian camping area among trees with an adjacent meadow, and some comfort facilities are available. It appears to be very lightly used, so consider staying there to ride God’s Country trails. It will probably take about 45 minutes to travel between the two.
Kettle Creek park and surrounding state forest also have a substantial number of horse trails.