1,000 steps at jacks mountain

Highly recommended. A coworker told me about this place after seeing it on TV. There is a decent swath of parking along Route 22 on the same side as the trailhead which can be found just beyond the guardrail to the right. You start ascending almost immediately, but don’t be fooled these aren’t “the steps” yet. Disheartening, I know… There is an informative sign telling all about the history of the area just before the REAL stair climbing begins. Each 100th step is marked, so you will know you are making progress. The first 300 you will be hating yourself. The next 250, you think you can do it. Then, from about 550-750 it gets brutal, the worst, narrow steep, hard. Keep going because there is a flat area around 800 that gives you plenty of recovery and that last 200 seems like a piece of cake. Almost to the top, 950 or so, you will find a couple dozen stairs always wet by a trickle of water. In winter, watch out, it will be an ice flow, but there is plenty of space bypass the icy steps in that area. There are plenty of little stops along the way, if you need to catch your breath or let people pass. Trust me, you will need to let people pass, especially kids. 8 year-olds fly up this thing, no problem laughing and shouting the whole way making you feel elderly and decrepit when you are only 29. I’ve seen plenty of 70+ year olds as well as toddlers climbing these stairs. Don’t take it lightly, it’s not a walk in the park. It’s challenging and the terrain is rocky, uneven, washed out, and, often, cliffside, but you and your kids can do it. Take it at your own pace and keep going! It takes avg 30-40min going up and a little less going down, up depends more on your cardio fitness and quads, down really depends on your knees. I can seriously never imaging doing this in the summer heat, though I’m sure many people do. I’m sweating at 32 degrees after 200 stairs. Wear layers, or better yet, carry layers and put them on at the top if you plan to hike around. Carry water, a lot of it if it’s warm. Trekking poles would not be out of place. The 1000steps are a good workout. You will feel accomplished when you reach the top, but don’t stop there. If you go right, a short trail leads to the Mount Union overlook. If you go left, the trail continues for many miles. I highly recommend continuing on toward the left and you will soon reach the remnants of the train depo. After ascending a few more stairs the trail will take you to the Mapleton Overlook in about .5miles. Definitely worth seeing! If time permits, I would suggest continuing on the trail, marked with orange blazes, for about another 3miles up to the top of Jack's Mountain. You are at over 2300ft elevation there, so the view is pretty spectacular. Just be advised, there are a boatload of switchbacks, so pay attention to the blazes, or you’ll find yourself off on some woodland tangent. ;) All in all, I highly recommend this trail. Although if solitude is what you’re after, 1000 Steps is not the place to find it. However, few stair climbers venture beyond the Mapleton Overlook, so it’s a much more quiet hike through the woods to the top of the mountain.

This is a very spectacular hike traversing more than the advertised 1,000 steps. It is challenging but very rewarding on a clear day, view was beautiful. These are steps built in 1936 by quarry workers who went up every day to work and returned at night, mind boggling! You need to take water and layer to remove as you warm up. Parking is very easy and one of the only places to hike through the evidence of the violent upheaval that occurred to form this part of the country, generally seen from driving through narrows and looking up, here you are walking in the midst of it. As impressive as most of the national park hikes we have experienced, given the history and geographic location. This should not be missed when in this area, or even worth a day trip on a beautiful fall or spring day.

1,000 steps is not a hike to be taken lightly. Those steps are steep and its quite a workout. Went in the fall and the leaves were beautiful. Ended up doing a 6 mile hike, with beautiful views!!!

It took us about 45 minutes to go up & a half hour to go back down - with stops to catch our breath & check the scenery. Every 100th step is marked on the "riser" (there are more than 1000). Cool history, good workout, beautiful surroundings. I'm glad we did it.

Really nice place some parts were hard to walk w. Young kids but really nice place to have a lunch n a stroll

This trail is a bit tricky to find, but it is worth the effort. There is a parking area, but the 1000 Steps sign is not very visible from the road. It is a bit of a climb to reach the top, but once you do, there are some wonderful views. My spouse and I (both fairly fit senior citizens) were able to do the walk to the top in about a half hour. Once you climb the stairs, there is a .3 mile walk to some great views. Highly recommend.

A moderately tough hike with major rewards in breath taking views. It's actually 1130 steps to one of the best views where you see a river, a railroad, a highway and the town of Mapleton. I am of average weight and fitness and climbed it in about an hour. I was with a group with less than fit people and we did fine once we got warmed up. I saw children as small as 5 years old climbing, it's all about taking small enough breaks to help but not too long or your muscles protest. The afore mentioned view is left and up past an old building then left again at the top, followed by about a half mile easy walking trail. There are lots of trails if you like exploring. Definitely worth stopping if your in the area and enjoy the outdoors!

I did the climb with my husky, it was fun and the views were good. It took 50 minutes to go up and down, just the steps. There were more trails available to walk/climb if you choose to. The top has a mailbox with a notebook to sign if you want to.

This is a fresh way to work out. The steps are marked every 100 steps so you can see how far along you are. Nice view at the top. Amazing to think workers back in the day climbed this daily for their work "commute".

The 1000 Steps lead to beautiful mountain scenery. The giant boulder stairs are like no other. The switchback trail at the mountain top is oz-like spooky. I do it every chance I get. There are locals that do the stairs daily!