KENNERDELL, Pa. - The Allegheny Gorge is a pretty place.

A seven-mile section of the 500-foot-deep valley lies in what's called the Kennerdell Tract of Clear Creek State Forest. The tract lies north of Kennerdell in Venango County.

It offers a little bit of everything: hemlock-lined ravines or runs; a network of short, interconnected trails for easy hiking; an old iron furnace that dates to the 1840s and a viewing deck that sits 480 feet above the Allegheny River. You may even find bits of long-abandoned oil field equipment.

The state purchased land in 1980 to create a new state park, but later financial concerns ended that scenario. The 3,200-acre Kennerdell Tract instead became part of what's now Clear Creek State Forest, which covers about 14,430 acres in Venango, Jefferson and Forest counties, flanking the Allegheny and Clarion rivers.

Don't confuse Clear Creek State Forest with Clear Creek State Park. The state park sits east of Cook Forest State Park on the Clarion River near Sigel in Jefferson County.

The Kennerdell Tract adjoins State Game Lands No. 39 that provides 10,687 additional acres of wildness. For information, call 814-432-3187 or see www.pgc.state.pa.us.

The Kennerdell Tract and a portion of the game lands cover the plateau on the west side of the Allegheny River east of state Route 8 and just north of Interstate 76 and south of Franklin. There are only four main access points into the tract, mostly off township roads, so it takes a little work to get into the interior.

It is a popular spot for hiking and backpacking. You can hike to the Dennison Point Overlook above the Allegheny River where a wooden viewing deck and information kiosk have been built. Unfortunately, trees block half of the view, but you can get a first-rate look at the gorge carved by the Allegheny River as you look north.

In all, the Kennerdell Tract contains 27 miles of trails. Some were designed and built years ago by students in the Grove City College Outing Club.

I began my hike at a large parking lot on the State Game Lands No. 39 property. I headed south on an old road for about a third of a mile. The trail then turned left into the woods. I passed a spot where bog iron was excavated for the old furnace.

I came across something a little out of the ordinary on an April hike on the Overlook Trail: a fence that was installed to keep out white-tailed deer. The trail continues through the 30-acre enclosure and hikers can proceed by passing through gates. I didn't see any deer, just one chunky porcupine.

After the gateway, the trail split three ways. One leg led to the overlook, sitting on land that was once owned by farmer John Hovis, whose father had emigrated from Russia.

It is about a 1.5-mile one-way hike to the overlook. But lots of options are available with the interconnecting trails. Kennerdell Tract trails are well signed and blazed, but a state forest trails map available online is very helpful.

You can access the River Trail on the Allegheny River's west bank just before you cross the bridge to Kennerdell. The trail runs 4.5 miles north to the primitive Danner Camping Area.

It gets tougher as it merges into the Fishermen's Cove Trail that runs to the tract's northern boundary.

You can also access the Dennison Run Trail off the River Trail. Its eastern terminus is about one mile north of the Kennerdell Bridge over the river. It's a steep uphill climb along the hemlock-lined ravine.