I assume these logging roads are closed to motor vehicles, let me ask how are they closed? With a forest service gate or are they "permanently" closed?, like with a big rock or big hump of dirt?

Looking at your first picture, that's a nice road. I'd think that the forest service would try to keep it open, somewhat maintained, in case of an emergency of some sort.

I like the looks of your first location, a nice blind set. But. . . Are there many deer in the area? Do you expect much people traffic? Some places like that, I'd set between the tire tracks.

Very seldom do I make a single set in one area, I'd move out 20 feet or so, and make another set. Maybe a post set?

I'm going to look over this place on Google earth, see what I can see.

Yes, except for one stripped railroad bed I didn't post pictures of, all these logging roads were blocked w/ forest service gates. On the gates were signs that said "no motorized vehicles, foot traffic welcome"

I could be wrong but I think they are logging roads only opened up for a year or so. Permits can me purchased to cut wood within a certain distance of the road, and then it's closed w/ a gate for good.
I believe they're all dead ends as well.

Deer populations I would say are kinda low. Doe tags for non residents are typically not available. Foot traffic is probably pretty low to non-existent.

Why would having them spaced 20 yards apart be beneficial? Im not being argumentative, just trying to understand. I was thinking I should spread them out a hundred yards or so on features that seemed to either stick out like a sore thumb or spots that funneled the road down. I didn't see many heavy trails like I do around here, so I pictured them cruising down the Rd, darting into the woods for prey, then entering again further down the road. So in that scenario having sets clumped together wasn't good.

I'm a firm believer in 2 sets per location. We've never really talked about it before, I'm not sure what the "ideal" distance between sets would be? Sometimes I'll set, one on each side of a road. Maybe 10 feet apart, most times it'll be off 5 or 6 steps. Depends.

Kind of what I was thinking, about the forest service gates, the roads are closed to you and I, but the forest service and DNR have keys to those gates. And, more than likely they "patrol" those roads from time to time. Just to keep them open in case of an emergency. It'd be a shame to have $100 worth of traps set in the tire tracks, on the day of their routine patrol.

I looked the area over on Google Earth. I thought that was a railroad track, east of the main road, twisty, curvy and steep line.

I guess the fire tower you Mike were talking about is the one, about 2 miles from the prison complex. There are 5 or 6 more fire towers, a little farther north.

Short on time, but one area that I don't understand is about a mile due North of the prison. The pond is due North, this area is just to the west of the pond. There is an area where the timber appears to have been just "dropped", all helter/skelter. Maybe an area for firewood cutting or just an area for "habitat improvement". Not sure?

And I see ice on "beaver marsh lake", the image is dated, April, 2014.

Here's a picture of the clear cut I mentioned above, give or take it'd be 5 acres. This is just west of the pond, notice how the timber was cut. It's a tangled up mess. But if it's been there for 3 years, I figure it'd be good for small game.

You guys that are familiar with the area, what are those trees? Maybe beech? They are tall and straight.

Hard to tell from a picture, but to me it looks like a tornado quick touch down in a Jack-pine plantation. Would be pretty dangerous to fell trees like that. Just a guess.

Frank.

There is a camp about half a mile from us right in the center of the forest that owns quite a bit of acreage. They were going through some financial problems do to members passing away. They got a grant from somebody to improve the land for grouse, turkey, and such. It looked like that, but with a few young bushy cherry and beech trees scattered around the mess...
There arent any buildings anywhere close to that spot you've got though. Predominantly the hardwoods are cherry, beech, and red maple. Ive found a few pockets of red oak. Im not good at identifying evergreens yet

The National Forest boundary isn't marked on Google earth, I see lots of areas that I'm sure that are privately owned, with houses and such. Otherwise, there are lots of trails, old roads, about everywhere.

I'm not sure what county/township you're going to be in? I looked at the Allegheny National Forest web page this morning. Looks like they have trails open to bikes and ATV's, with hunting seasons coming in, it's hard to say what kind of people population you may bump into.

Since you've never trapped the area, you'll just need to feel things out.

I don't know what the laws are up there, but I trap a lot of big timber USFS land in Southeastern Kentucky and I try to set intersections, saddles that narrows a road down, and edges - where a pine thicket meets hardwoods, clear cut meets timber, swampy area, etc.

I appreciate all the responses. Unfortunately the four days I had scheduled to be up in the Forrest called for massive amounts of rain, wind, and then snow. I decided to not give the PA game commission a donation this year.