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Bear Run Nature Reserve
4.8 ★★★★★ 1,335 Google reviews · Running trail in Mill Run, Pennsylvania · Open 24 hours
Runner's snapshot
- Surface
- Mixed
- Loop distance
- 20 mi
- Shape
- Loop
- Shade
- Not reported
- Access
- Open 24 hours
Confirmed from Bear Run Nature Reserve's own listing, the park or land manager's website, and runner reviews. Blank cells mean we could not verify that fact — we would rather say "not reported" than invent one. There is no Easy / Moderate / Hard rating on this page on purpose: a one-word difficulty score tells you nothing about whether a trail suits your run. Surface, distance, shade and hours do.
What runners say about Bear Run Nature Reserve
“Beautiful sounds of the birds went early morning barely any cars in the lot.”
“The thick trees would on a sunny day let little light through creating a very remote feeling even though we were in a very familiar place with well marked trails.”
“The flow of the home that brought water, light, and air into it was serene.”
Awesome night at campsite 3. Room for one hammock, plenty of room for tents. Had a hard time finding a tree that had limbs low enough for my bear bag, but managed to find one that worked. Quiet and peaceful, water source very close, fairly easy 2 mile hike in.
Man I love this place!! If you like county creek crossings, laurel, huge rocks, pine and hemlock ... This is for you. Several diffent loops from short to take a whole day. Would love to volunteer to help maintain.
Paved parking lot, ample parking, behind the barn at falling waters which is the parking lot for this trail. Did the orange loop. Trails seemed to be pretty well marked with metal markers. There were a few places that were harder to figure out but lots of leaves at this time of the year.
This place is quite wild, even if you are never more than a couple miles away from civilization. There are 20 miles of trail, of which the outer loop (black blaze) is quite challenging and over 12 miles long. We camped along the way and it nice. The trail is not consistently blazed, so make sure you are following it!
Trail conditions & character
“Beautiful sounds of the birds went early morning barely any cars in the lot.”
“There are 20 miles of trail, of which the outer loop (black blaze) is quite challenging and over 12 miles long.”
“The flow of the home that brought water, light, and air into it was serene.”
“Paved parking lot, ample parking, behind the barn at falling waters which is the parking lot for this trail.”
“The thick trees would on a sunny day let little light through creating a very remote feeling even though we were in a very familiar place with well marked trails.”
“The thick trees would on a sunny day let little light through creating a very remote feeling even though we were in a very familiar place with well marked trails.”
“There are 20 miles of trail, of which the outer loop (black blaze) is quite challenging and over 12 miles long.”
Plan your run at Bear Run Nature Reserve
The practical stuff
- AccessOpen 24 hours — no gate to beat, so a 5am or a 10pm run both work
- SurfaceMixed — more than one surface along the route, so check the segment you plan to run
- Loop distance20 mi back to where you parked. Long enough for a real long run.
- ShadeNot reported. Assume some of it is exposed and carry water in summer.
- LightingRunners report lights on the path — useful for pre-dawn and after-work miles. Lighting and opening hours are separate things, so check both.
- At the trailheadparking, restrooms — reported by runners
- DogsWelcome, per reviewers. Leash rules vary by park — the trailhead sign is the authority.
- Stroller / wheelchairReported as smooth and step-free enough for a running stroller or a chair.
- Websitewaterlandlife.org
- Phone(724) 329-1441
- Social Instagram · Facebook
Hours
| Monday | Open 24 hours |
| Tuesday | Open 24 hours |
| Wednesday | Open 24 hours |
| Thursday | Open 24 hours |
| Friday | Open 24 hours |
| Saturday | Open 24 hours |
| Sunday | Open 24 hours |
Running trails near Mill Run
Other trails within easy driving distance — useful when this one is flooded, gated, or just not the run you had in mind today.
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