⏵ Course guide · PA Wilds, Rocksylvania Series
Wilds Mountain Fest, also branded Call of the Wilds, climbs over 5,000 feet on the 25K through Little Pine State Park at peak fall foliage, headlined by the infamous Torbert Trail. I will walk you through the course first, then give you a pacing and fueling plan built for one of PA Trail Dogs\' toughest single-day climbs. There are free calculators along the way to dial in your own numbers.
These facts come from the official PA Trail Dogs event page. Check the current year details, cutoffs, and aid stations before you commit. Race logistics change year to year.
The 25K links the Mid State, Spiked Buck, Tiadaghton, Pesto, and Panther Run trails through Little Pine State Park, with the steep Torbert Trail as the course\'s defining test.
After Torbert, the course sends runners down one of the nicest downhill runs on the trail system to the finish on Panther Run. It is a real payoff after the climb, and PA Trail Dogs calls this 25K the twin of the Hyner Challenge for difficulty.
The newer 10K option has one big climb followed by a nice downhill that links back onto Panther Run to join the 25K finish. At about 1,000 feet of gain, it is a meaningfully shorter and gentler way to experience the same trail system.
The event is held in mid-October, right at the peak of fall foliage in the PA Wilds, so the climbing comes with genuine mountain scenery, part of what has made Wilds Mountain Fest, in the words of one Altra Running elite team member, "the most beautiful part of PA."
Over 5,000 feet of vertical across the 25K, gated by three mile-based checkpoints rather than one overall clock, means your early pacing decisions carry extra weight.
With this course billed as the Hyner Challenge's twin, treat the climbing with the same respect: a grade-adjusted pace target for Torbert Trail and the other named climbs gives you an honest number, rather than a flat-ground guess that will fall apart on the steepest sections.
The mile 5.5 checkpoint at 11:30 AM is your first real test. A vert-aware finish prediction, built off the over-5,000-foot 25K profile, is a better guide than a flat-course time here, and checking it against all three mile-based cutoffs, not just the finish, keeps you honest about your real pace on Torbert Trail.
⏵ Free tools to pace this course
A 9:00 AM start in mid-October at peak fall foliage means cool conditions, but over 5,000 feet of vertical on the 25K still demands serious fueling regardless of the temperature.
Aim for roughly 60 to 90 grams of carbohydrate per hour. The steep, sustained climbing on Torbert Trail and the other named sections burns through glycogen fast, cool weather or not, so do not let the crisp October air tempt you into under-fueling.
Sodium in the 300 to 500 mg per liter range is a reasonable starting point for a cool mid-October day at elevation. Adjust upward only if the day runs unusually warm for the season.
⏵ Build your fueling plan
Get a carb, sodium, fluid, and caffeine plan per hour built for your weight, your goal time, and a cool PA Wilds foliage-season day with the free ultra fueling calculator. Browse the rest of the free running tools at the tools hub.
⏵ Train for it with Summit Line
Get a race-day plan built around YOUR fitness, this exact 5,000-foot Torbert Trail profile, and your projected splits. Summit Line reads your real training, builds a plan for steep, sustained PA Wilds climbing, and rehearses your fueling so race day is something you execute, not guess at.
PA Trail Dogs is blunt about it: "these are NOT entry level courses," and the 25K carries over 5,000 feet of vertical, described as "the Hyner Challenge's twin" for difficulty, headlined by the infamous Torbert Trail. Combined with mile-based cutoffs built to force a daylight finish, this is one of the toughest single-day trail races on the PA Trail Dogs calendar.
The 25K carries over 5,000 feet of vertical gain, and the 10K about 1,000 feet. The 25K route uses the Mid State, Spiked Buck, Tiadaghton, Pesto, and Panther Run trails, along with the infamous Torbert Trail, before a reward descent down Panther Run to the finish. The new 10K has one big climb followed by a downhill that links back onto Panther Run to join the 25K finish.
With over 5,000 feet of climbing on the 25K and mid-October conditions that can range from crisp to cold at elevation, plan for real fueling despite the cooler weather. Aim for roughly 60 to 90 grams of carbohydrate per hour, and sodium in the 300 to 500 mg per liter range given the cool fall temperatures at peak foliage season. Build your numbers with the free ultra fueling calculator before race day.
The 25K carries three mile-based cutoffs: mile 5.5 by 11:30 AM, mile 11 by 2:00 PM, and mile 13 by 3:30 PM, all built around ensuring a daylight finish rather than a single overall time limit. That structure means you need to bank real time on the early miles, since a slow start toward the mile 5.5 checkpoint eats directly into your later buffer.
The 25K climbs through Little Pine State Park on the Mid State, Spiked Buck, Tiadaghton, Pesto, and Panther Run trails, headlined by the infamous Torbert Trail, one of the signature steep climbs in the PA Trail Dogs Rocksylvania Trail Series. The race runs at the peak of fall foliage in mid-October, so the reward for the climbing is genuine mountain scenery on the way down Panther Run to the finish.
No. PA Trail Dogs states directly that these "are NOT entry level courses," and over 5,000 feet of vertical on the 25K, compared to a race like the Hyner Challenge in difficulty, makes this one for experienced trail runners who have trained specifically for steep, technical climbing. The 10K, at about 1,000 feet, is a far more approachable way to sample the same trail system if the full 25K is too much for a first outing.
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<a href="https://runsummitline.com/guides/wilds-mountain-fest">The Wilds Mountain Fest course guide</a>This guide is independent and for planning only. The course details, dates, cutoffs, and aid stations come from public sources and can change year to year, so confirm the current specifics with the official race before you register or run. The fueling and pacing advice is general and not medical advice.