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The Chuck Keiper Trail traverses the Burns Run Wild Area, Fish Dam Wild
Area, East Branch Swamp Natural Area and Cranberry Swamp Natural Area. A
looped trail is located around the perimeter of Cranberry Swamp. This trail
will be marked with blue paint blazed when time and manpower permits.
The trail is named for Charles F. Keiper who was the District Wildlife
Conservation for Western Clinton County from 1951 until his death in 1973.
Chuck Keiper was a dedicated conservationist and wildlife law enforcement
officer. This trail is a tribute to his devotion to Pennsylvania's wildlife
resource. There are many stream crossings without bridges so the trail
should be hiked during low water.
On May 31, 1985, a complex tornado ripped through much of North Central
PA. Over 8,000 acres of forest land in the Sproul State Forest was
flattened. Fish Dam Trail and Denniston Fork Trail in the Fish Dam Wild Area
were particularly devastated. As a result, the trail in this area has been
relocated.
The Western Loop of the trail bisects the Two Rock Run Fire area. This
wildfire was ignited by careless burning on April 18, 1990. Nine out of ten
trees in the path of the wildfire died as a result of the burn. Timber
salvage on a third of the 9600 acres burned has been completed. The wildfire
cuts the Chuck Keiper in two places. These segments include Walker Trail and
J. U. Branch Trail. Dead trees on both sides of the trail have been removed.
Carsonite post trail markers have been used to mark the trail in some areas
where all trees were harvested. Now, in the summer there is no shade on the
burned segments of the trail.
In cooperation with DCNR, sections of this trail are maintained, in part,
by volunteers from the Keystone Trails Association.
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