Duncannon: Where Two Rivers and a Trail Meet
Near Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
Duncannon is a small Perry County borough perched at the confluence of the Susquehanna and Juniata Rivers, and it wears that geography proudly. The town was originally laid out in seventeen ninety-two and called Petersburg; its current name comes from Duncan's Island, the river island in the Susquehanna just across the water. The Appalachian Trail runs right through the middle of town, making Duncannon one of the few places in America where thru-hikers walk through a working downtown rather than around it.
The Doyle Hotel, a historic building that has hosted generations of trail walkers, is probably the most beloved dive hotel in American hiking culture. Above town, Hawk Rock overlooks the Susquehanna River valley and the town below.
