Exploring Flat Top-SGL 57

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Corner Room, Flat Top, SGL 57

Flat Top is a prong of the plateau in SGL 57.  It is notable for its scenic and ecological diversity.  There are vistas, gorges, caves, chasms, overhangs, waterfalls and bedrock balds.  Flat Top is home to hardwood, spruce, hemlock, and pine forests, not to mention wetlands, streams, and bogs.

I’ve been to Flat Top many times, but on this hike we decided to explore the base of the extensive cliffs.

If you want to hike to Flat Top, you should be an experienced hiker with a GPS or other navigational aid.  There are some old forest roads and grades to help with navigation, but there are no marked or signed trails.  Begin at the game commission parking area at White Brook (41.496555, -76.132024), cross the field (no mowed trail) to the northwest corner, climb a bank with some pickers, hike up along two homes, and follow the steep grade into a pine forest.  Leave the pine forest and follow an obvious grade just to the right and hike up it.  White Brook, and its falls, are far below on the right.

We reached an obvious grade to the left and followed it to near the top of the plateau.  We reached a T intersection, turned right, and then left off the trail to begin the bushwhack part of the hike.  We hiked west to the rim of the plateau and reached Conglomerate Cave, a massive overhang with a distinct layer of conglomerate rock.  From here, we followed the rim around.

We were treated to incredible overhangs, mazes, chasms, and caves.  We crossed some small streams and the rocks returned with Skylight Chasm.  We squeezed through the slot at the back of Skylight Chasm to enter the Rock Room, a fascinating overhang and cave feature with ice flows.  Amazing.

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P=Parking. B=Bald. Black dots are rock features.  Red is off trail.  Yellow are old grades or forest roads, or other unblazed trails.

The rocks continued along the edge of the rim.  We went up through a rock maze, crossed a bald and reached a cliff.  As we made our way toward Spruce Ledge, there was very rugged terrain and giant jumbled boulders.  We reached the base of Spruce Ledge and marveled at the giant, orangish cliffs.  A quick climb up to Spruce Ledge provided fine views and forests shimmering in a coat of ice.

We returned to the base, to see more caves, overhangs, and giant boulders.  Heading north, we hiked below Preachers Rock and explored more chasms.  Soon we were at the base of a bald where Ryan saw a weasel, which ran under a log, and something rolling down in the snow.  It was a mouse it had just caught, but released after seeing us.  We quickly moved on so the weasel could get its meal.

Giant boulders and passageways loomed in the forest.  We reached the next highlight, the Corner Room, and incredible overhang and cave.  A narrow roof of rock stretched over a giant house sized boulder.  We climbed to the bald, and followed a faint trail to an even larger bald.  Our off trail hike continued as we hiked to two balds, that we had not seen before.  We went off trail through hemlock forests, saw a small rock maze, and dropped down to an existing trail, which we took back down White Brook to complete our hike.

SGL 57 is such a special place and is PA’s best kept secret.  Sometimes I think it should be a national park.  Experienced hikers will want to spend some time here.

Part of this hike is described as Hike No. 14 in Hiking the Endless Mountains.

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Back into the wonders of SGL 57. Tough 9 mile hike today circumnavigating Flat Top to see new balds, caves, and overhangs. We begin with Conglomerate Cave.

A post shared by Jeff Mitchell-Outdoors Author (@hiking_mitch) on Feb 18, 2019 at 2:09pm PST

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Bedrock mazes, SGL 57.

A post shared by Jeff Mitchell-Outdoors Author (@hiking_mitch) on Feb 18, 2019 at 2:17pm PST

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Natural rock sculpture in a cave. SGL 57 is incredible.

A post shared by Jeff Mitchell-Outdoors Author (@hiking_mitch) on Feb 18, 2019 at 2:22pm PST

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Skylight Chasm, SGL 57. We slipped through the very narrow slot in the back to see…

A post shared by Jeff Mitchell-Outdoors Author (@hiking_mitch) on Feb 18, 2019 at 2:31pm PST

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After slipping out of Skylight Chasm, this is what we saw. Nonstop caves and overhangs. SGL 57.

A post shared by Jeff Mitchell-Outdoors Author (@hiking_mitch) on Feb 18, 2019 at 2:38pm PST

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Giant cliffs below Spruce Ledge, SGL 57.

A post shared by Jeff Mitchell-Outdoors Author (@hiking_mitch) on Feb 18, 2019 at 3:16pm PST

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Views from Spruce Ledge, SGL 57.

A post shared by Jeff Mitchell-Outdoors Author (@hiking_mitch) on Feb 18, 2019 at 6:14pm PST

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Spruce Ledge, SGL 57.

A post shared by Jeff Mitchell-Outdoors Author (@hiking_mitch) on Feb 18, 2019 at 6:20pm PST

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Cave hunting. SGL 57.

A post shared by Jeff Mitchell-Outdoors Author (@hiking_mitch) on Feb 19, 2019 at 2:59pm PST

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Towering rock formations, chasms, and caves. SGL 57.

A post shared by Jeff Mitchell-Outdoors Author (@hiking_mitch) on Feb 19, 2019 at 3:54pm PST

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Dot of blue. The bald the unblazed trail crosses. SGL 57.

A post shared by Jeff Mitchell-Outdoors Author (@hiking_mitch) on Feb 19, 2019 at 3:58pm PST

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A new bald we discovered. SGL 57 has some of the most extensive areas of bedrock balds in the east. The diversity of this place is incredible.

A post shared by Jeff Mitchell-Outdoors Author (@hiking_mitch) on Feb 19, 2019 at 4:03pm PST