About

Just your average overworked, 30-something mama, running from cell service and civilization to find sanity on Pennsylvania’s backcountry trails.

My name is Erin, and for the past 10 years, I’ve called Lancaster County in Central Pennsylvania home. I’m lucky enough to live within hours of some of the most beautiful trails and state parks, and I enjoy sharing information about these places so that others can spend less time planning and more time outdoors.

I started hiking because I was so unbelievably stressed out. Hectic home schedule, a demanding day job that includes frequent travel, bills to pay, mental and physical health issues to manage, and a cell phone that just never stops ringing and buzzing with texts, calls, and emails.

Sound familiar?

Spending time outdoors is the cheapest form of therapy and stress relief I’ve found. Most days, I’m on the trail alone, which gives me time to reflect and take a break from the everyday grind. Last year my daughter (trail name: Peep), started hiking with me on brief day hikes close to home, and recently has graduated to more difficult challenges, including the 9-mile Pinnacle & Pulpit Rock loop on the Appalachian Trail.

Hiking, camping, and backpacking with kids isn’t always easy, but we’ve had some of the most meaningful conversations and beautiful experiences while adventuring together. I hope to inspire and encourage other mamas to get out there with their kiddos and see for themselves how easy it is to be present without the distractions of technology and everyday nonsense. 

My husband is supportive of our outdoor adventures, but typically only joins us for day hikes. He prefers the comfort of modern conveniences — hot showers, comfortable mattresses, and flush toilets — which aren’t always available when we camp or backpack. He has earned the trail name Ghost because he’s usually only on the trail with us in spirit.

My family isn’t very outdoorsy, so I didn’t have a lot of camping or hiking experiences growing up. Not having those memories or knowledge to draw from made me nervous as an adult to go too far off the beaten path. I started with hiking popular trails and car camping and am transitioning now to longer backpacking trips on more remote trails. It took me a long time to build up the confidence I needed to turn my adventure fantasies into a reality. And the first step toward gaining that confidence started with research. 

I have gathered a lot of information while preparing for my own day hikes, camping adventures, and long-distance backpacking treks. I started Hike PA as a place to share experiences and local knowledge. The outdoors are a source of infinite adventures and humbling life lessons. I want to encourage others — especially women — to go exploring and give them the information they need to do it confidently on their own, with friends, or with kiddos.

Lancaster County is my current base of operations, but I frequently venture across the state — from Allegheny National Forest to the Lehigh Valley. I use as much vacation time as my day job and family will allow to visit new trails and parks. There’s just so much to see here in Pennsylvania that I will start my explorations here and see where the trails take me. I hope to see you out there!