First and most important, remember most unpaved roads up to the Appalachian Trail have no winter maintenance. 4 wheel drive is highly recommended in the winter. If conditions seem treacherous do not even attempt to drive up the mountain roads. You may make it up, but coming down on the narrow, snowy and icy roads are not worth the risk of injury to you or damage to your vehicle.
The AT can be accessed between Ashfield and Lehigh Furnace via Ashfield Road. The road is steep, windy and narrow. There is no winter maintenance, 4 wheel drive only in the winter.
Directions from the south side of mountain: from Route 248 West shortly after Route 145 merging, turn left onto Route 873 West towards Slatington for 0.3 miles, crossing the Lehigh River Bridge and bearing right onto Mountain Road. In approximately 5.5 miles, Reservoir Road goes right. This is initially paved but becomes a good gravel road and somewhere becomes Ashfield Road. It is approximately over 2 miles to the trail crossing at the transmission tower. There is parking for about 6 cars at the AT crossing and at the small parking area by the transmission tower.
From the north side of mountain: from Route 248 north of Palmerton, take the Bowmanstown exit, to Route 895 West for about 3 miles. At the village of Ashfield turn left onto Blue Mountain Road at the store with the "cow sign". Head up the mountain; the road becomes Ashfield Road.
The Appalachian Trail going south starts to the right of the transmission tower. The hike in the winter can be difficult with snow and ice on the rocky trail. After heading into the woods from Ashfield Road you climb up a very rocky power line right-of-way. There are great views to the north. It is 2.4 miles to the Bake Oven Knob Shelter, then 0.6 miles to Bake Oven Knob at 1,560 feet, site of a former air beacon. The last 0.1 miles to Bake Oven Knob is a very rocky and steep climb. There are awesome views though to the north and the south. It is 3 miles back to Ashfield Road. Bake Oven Knob can also be reached from a State Game Lands parking area on Bake Oven Road which is about 0.4 miles south from the Knob on the AT.
The Appalachian Trail north is a good winter hike. It is fairly level with pretty scenery through woods, rhododendron patches and rock outcroppings which offer some good views to the south. It is a 2.7 mile hike to where the AT crosses over the Northeast Extension of the PA Turnpike which goes through the mountain below. 2.3 miles further is Lehigh Furnace Gap at PA Route 873, two miles south of Palmerton. Along the way are views to the north of Palmerton and the Lehigh River Valley below. It is 5 miles back to Ashfield Road. Part of Blue Mountain north of Lehigh Gap is in the Palmerton EPA Superfund Site caused by the zinc smelters that used to operate near Palmerton. The US Public Health Service has advised that hiking this portion of the AT does not present a public threat. A future article will discuss in more detail the Palmerton Superfund Site.
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