Round Head and Showers 500 Steps (difficult)

The Appalachian Trail has been rerouted many, many times since its first completion in the 1930s. Locally, BMECC member and avid hiker Lloyd Showers of Bethel, PA advocated in the 1920s for an AT alignment over Rund Kopf (Round Head), an edifice of crumbling white quartzite boulders which offered fine views of the Berks County countryside and the ridge-and-valley Appalachians marching off to the west. When the trail was cut it ultimately did not take in Lloyd Showers' beloved Round Head. And so he built himself his own trail from the valley bottom to the top of the mountain. Showers 500 Steps as it would be called was maintained by the BMECC until 1978, when the AT was rerouted over Round Head and incorporated parts of Showers' trails. Today the steps themselves are more of a boulder scramble than a proper set of steps, but they make for an adventurous climb up the talus fields below Round Head.

This will be a more difficult, 7 mile out and back hike. We will hike the 3 miles from Route 501 to the point of Round Head, descend the mountain and return up the boulder field. The climb will be strenuous and requires scrambling over large rocks and boulders. There is an elevation gain of 500 feet over around 0.4 miles. Wear appropriate footwear with good traction. As always bring water and extra calories for the day. When we complete the climb we will take a break at Round Head before returning to Route 501.

Meet up will be at the AT parking along Route 501 on the top of Blue Mountain. Make sure to arrive on time. Once we start hiking I will not check for late comers and will not be able to check my phone.

Link below for the AllTrails map and trail description. You can also copy directions to the trailhead from there.

https://www.alltrails.com/explore/trail/us/pennsylvania/round-head-via-appalachian-trail

Note this is not the exact route we will follow.

Hike will cancel from severe weather.