Mount Nittany Conservancy will host a grand reopening of Mount Nittany’s Blue and White trails to celebrate installation of a new wayfinding system on Sunday, May 16 from noon to 4 p.m. beginning at the trailhead on Mt. Nittany Road in Lemont.
The wayfinding system is a series of sign posts placed at key intersections to keep hikers from getting lost. About two years ago, several hikers did get lost on the mountain and were rescued well after dark, so the Conservancy decided to make the improvements. Twelve wayfinding markers located at important intersections and additional signs will allow hikers to more easily see where they are and how to get back.
A new trailhead map and brochures, purchased with a tourism grant through the Central Pennsylvania Convention and Visitors Bureau, will be in place as well. Both contain updated trail distances as well as GPS coordinates at twelve points along the trails.
The new signs, purchased in cooperation with the Central Region Emergency Strike Team (CREST), have been designed to blend in with the surrounding environment as much as possible to keep the landscape beautiful.
The event is on Penn State’s graduation weekend, so students and family members in town are welcome to join the community to hike the trails. Students will have one last chance to check off a climb of Mt. Nittany from their to-do lists. A brief ribbon cutting ceremony will be held at noon, and volunteers will be stationed at several points along the trail to help explain the history of the mountain and the goals of the conservancy. The first 200 hikers will receive a free gift courtesy of the Mount Nittany Conservancy.
To learn more about the Conservancy (and see a trails map), download our brochure “A Symbol of our Pride” here: