The Coal & Coke Trail is a neat little biking and hiking trail in Westmoreland County connecting…read moreMount Pleasant with Scottdale. A mere 5 miles in length, it's one of the few Rails-to-Trails I hadn't covered yet. Really, I couldn't justify the time or gas money to do a 10 mile round trip bike ride. A 10 mile hike is of course another story! And that's just what I did as part of my employer's wellness program. I planned the whole thing and of course headed up the hardy group of hikers able to complete the entire 10 mile round trip. The trail begins and ends in city parks at both ends. We began at Willows Park in Mount Pleasant. The address I gave you above is the parking lot and it's based on information from www.traillink.com Drinking water and restrooms are available in the park, but the restrooms appear to be closed in winter. We began by working our way southbound. The trail was built on the roadbed of a Pennsylvania RR branch. As ts name implies, the railroad hauled coke ad coal over the line. The railroad was abandoned for many years, however after 8 years of planning, the trail opened in 2007. Upon leaving town, we hiked through some scenic wooded areas to the town of Bridgeport. At one point we noticed the trail paralleling an active rail line. The forest here is old growth and we crossed one of a few small streams. Beyond the town of Bridgeport, we again entered the woodlands while paralleling Jacobs Creek. Curving to the west as we approached Scottdale, we arrived at the scenic high point of the day. The sewage treatment plant. Yep! The trail even goes through plant's parking lot and is routed onto Sewage Treatment Lane! Well no worries--we crossed Old US 119 and then ducked under the new highway before entering our last stretch of woodlands. Part of the trail is incomplete at Scottdale, so we had to walk down Mildred Street , Bessemer Street, and Mt. Pleasant Road (they're actually all the same street) before reaching Kendi Park. The trail resumes briefly here but this was our rest stop and turnaround point. So this is a pleasant and relatively easy trail to hike or bike. Just remember, there aren't any places to obtain food or water along the path, so be sure to bring adequate supplies of each.

Great place to walk. You can choose to challenge yourself or take it easy. Got lots of great pics…read moreas well

By far the best! The service, atmosphere, the food! You get that small town hospitality that it's…read moreknown for. It's the only ice cream place in Williamsburg and they get a good many people from different areas (furthest I met lived in Ebensburg!) just for their tasty food! The owners are so down to earth and take their time with each and every customer. They don't rush you or look overwhelmed. They employ a good many high schoolers, personally I never had a problem with any of them they are just like the owners. A few years ago they put a car port with tables up which is nice! There's also another seating facing the river, a pravillion, and many other shady seating. The trail is right beside them it's my favorite part of Williamsburg. The river sound and shade can make you lose track of time peaceful and certain areas have beaches to picnic or swim. A hot summer day here will make the life stresses leave. With lower trail you'll never stop going it's worth it all.

This is a well maintained trail winding through the woods along the Frankstown Branch of the…read moreJuniata River and made over an old railroad bed so it's nice and flat for the most part. It goes from Alexandria, PA to Williamsburg, PA and a bit beyond. It's great for biking, horseback riding or just walking. You can park at the Alfarata Station in Alexandria or at the Water Street Flea Market, or at the Flowing Spring Station if you're coming from the other direction. There are four other stations along the way.

A friend and I rode the Great Allegheny Trail from Myersdale, PA down to Cumberland, MD. It was a…read more33 mile ride overall, but we really enjoyed it. Now, neither of us are Lance Armstrong wanna-bes. We're old farts riding plain bikes. From Myersdale, the first 9 miles is uphill, but since it's an old railroad, it's a very gentle uphill slope. The highlight of this part of the trip was riding across the Keystone Viaduct. On our uphill leg, our average speed was 8.0 mph (from my GPS). At the end of the 9 miles uphill, we arrived at the Eastern Continental Divide. From there, it's ALL downhill all the way to Cumberland. We overheard someone else on the trail say that on the downhill side, "you don't need pedals, all you need are brakes." My GPS said our average speed during the downhill leg was 13 mph. There are a few spots along the way you could get on the trail and just do the downhill portion. We saw some families with kids doing the downhill portion, too. As an alternative, you can ride the Western Maryland Scenic Railroad from Cumberland up to Frostburg, then ride your bikes from Frostburg 16 miles back down the hill to Cumberland. Lesson learned: We had planned to stop and have lunch in Frostburg, MD. When we arrived in Frostburg, we found there was a nice rest area for bicyclists along the side of the trail with maps of the town, park benches, bicycle racks, and port-a-potties. Unfortunately, the path goes by at the BOTTOM of the side of the hill that Frostburg is on. In order to go into town for lunch, we would have had to either bike or hike half a mile UP a steep hill. We decided not to do that. We just ate snacks that we had packed in our backpacks and continued onward to Cumberland. The scenery was beautiful. There were three long tunnels to go through. Each tunnel was either short enough it didn't need to be lit up because you could see light from either side, or had installed lighting (the Big Savage Tunnel was really long but well-lit inside). The trail is well marked with mile markers along the way so you can tell how far you are from Cumberland, MD. The trail ends right in downtown Cumberland next to the Western Maryland Scenic Railroad train station and right where the C&O Canal Towpath begins. We had a great time and I would love to come back here and do the downhill portion with my kids sometime. I think we might try the Western Maryland Scenic Railroad 1-way trip up to Frostburg then ride our bikes down the hill. Side note: Why do I give it 4 stars instead of 5? Only because I try to reserve my 5 star ratings for restaurants that are truly spectacular, and I don't want to inflate my average grade with a rating for a bike trail. :-)

We did it! My husband Rick & I biked the 130+ miles of the Great Allegheny Passage Trail between…read moreCumberland, MD & McKeesport, PA! I'm sore now! We'd been planning this trip for years as we are avid bike trail riders, and it's been our goal to bike the entire extant length of the trail. For those of you who are unfamiliar with the Great Allegheny Passage, it's the ultimate in rails-to-trails conversions. It occupies the roadbeds of several abandoned rail lines including the Western Maryland, the B&O, and the P&LE. It connects with the C&O Towpath in Cumberland, and it's planned to connect with the present South Side/Three Rivers Heritage Trail in Pittsburgh. Thus a bike ride all the way from Pittsburgh (Station Square) to Washington, DC will be possible. So my brother Paul drove us down from Pittsburgh to the Canal Heritage Center, a former railway station in Cumberland. This also doubles as the train station for the Western Maryland Scenic Railway. And yes, because my husband's a railfan, I've ridden their trains. We arrived in Cumberland in the afternoon and from the Canal Heritage Center, we set out for the initial 17 miles to Frostburg. Because we had to carry overnight bags and our food supplies (I'm a type-1 diabetic) we borrowed some kiddie trailers from a friend. Rick carried the overnight bags and I carried the coolers. The initial ride from Cumberland to Frostburg is also the steepest. The Great Allegheny Passage rises from an elevation of about 500 feet in Cumberland to about 1600 feet in Frostburg. But the climb isn't that bad as the right-of-way remains an active rail line at this point. It's not like you're climbing Sycamore Street in Pittsburgh or Lombard Street in San Francisco. Here the line follows the Western Maryland Scenic Railway. The State of Maryland had considered forcing the rail line to discontinue so they could build the trail. But then they realized how much money visitors bring into Cumberland and Frostburg because of the train line. The scenic highpoint here is Helmstetter's Curve, where the trail and rail line arc around the Helmstetter farm in a "U" pattern. It's a smaller version of Horseshoe Curve in Altoona. Just beyond that the train line and the trail share Brush Tunnel. The tunnel is lighted, but trail riders are warned not to enter when a train is approaching. The WMSR runs both diesel and steam locomotives. Guess which one we saw? I'll give you a hint--Railfan Rick was slightly disappointed. We arrived in Frostburg and spent the night at the Trail Inn. We set out again the next day and just north of Frostburg, we hit the Borden Tunnel. This tunnel is NOT lighted. You MUST dismount your bike and walk it through. This tunnel is over 900 feet long, so headlights or a working flashlight are recommended. Around milepost 20, we came up to the Mason-Dixon Line, the boundary between MD and PA and the boundary between North and South (read your American history). A 1900 foot bridge connects the two sides. We turned to the north and went thru Big Savage Tunnel. This tunnel is 3,294 feet long, the longest on the GAP. It is lighted, but please take note. The Big Savage Tunnel is CLOSED between late November and early April and there is NO DETOUR route around it. So plan carefully if you intend to bike or hike in the area between those dates. Not long after leaving the Big Savage Tunnel, we came to the highest point on the Great Allegheny Passage at 2392 feet. We'd climbed 1892 feet since leaving Cumberland! A few miles later we hit Deal and from that point, it's all downgrade to McKeesport. Deal has restrooms, if you need to make a pit stop. Continuing northbound we made our way to Sand Patch, PA. Here we crossed the Eastern Continental Divide, marked by a short tunnel, which demarcates two watersheds of the Atlantic Ocean: the Gulf of Mexico watershed and the Atlantic Seaboard watershed. Much of the Great Allegheny Passage parallels the Amtrak Capitol Limited route and I've seen signs marking the divide while riding the train. We'd been following Flaugherty Creek and north of Sand Patch, we crossed the 909 foot long Keystone Viaduct. We made our way into Meyersdale, PA and as this is the largest town en route, we stopped at Food Lion for some supplies including steaks for our dinner tonight. We also made a rest stop here as we've been pedaling for about 20 miles with another 45 to go. Besides, I needed a snack for my blood sugars. Meyersdale was first settled by the Monongahela Indians and has hosted the PA Maple Syrup Festival for the past 60 years. --Continued in Part Two below--

This was a pretty and easy hike with a very cool water hole. We went with our kids and friends and…read moretheir kids.

Lovely dog friendly trail with easy access to pristine water. The Rock Furnace trail provides…read moreaccess to a clean stream which flows into a larger river with a lot of kayaking activity.

The Allegheny Portage Railroad National Historic Site is not only a collection of industrial…read moreartifacts, it's also got a great hiking trail, the 6 to 10 Trail System. The 6 to 10 Trail System is the only way you can see many of the attractions here. But for serious hikers, it's also a great trail for just plain ol' hiking. In fact, the NPS website encourages use of the trail, stating that not only is it good for your health, but also for the health of the national parks. The 6 to 10 Trail System is so named because it connects Engine House #6 and the site of Engine House #10. It's not a circular trail, so it's same-way-out/same-way-back walk. Mountain biking is allowed on east end of the trail only, from Muleshoe Bridge to Engine House #10. But before hiking, I warn you--there are some steep slopes along the way and you should have some experienced hikers in your group. In our foursome, the experienced hikers were the females (Susan and Cindy). Rick and Bob, not so much--but in all fairness to my guy, he's quite the cyclist. Comfortable clothing and sturdy hiking shoes are a must. The 6 to 10 Trail Systems follows the route of the old railroad, but it's not really a rails-to-trails. Not all sections are on the roadbed of the old railway. The construction of a portion of "New" US #22 saw to that! We began our hike upon leaving the Lemon House. We proceeded eastward, coming up on the site of Incline #6, a portion of which has been reconstructed. From Incline #6, we go down the slope and pass under the westbound lanes of "Old" US 22. The next site we encountered was the Skew Arch Bridge. With the construction of the highway, it is actually located between the eastbound and westbound lanes. The bridge can be reached via the trail or the mowed incline. After the bridge, the trail briefly curves to the west before heading east again. There aren't many sites to see on this portion of the trail, but it is a beautiful hike in through here. The trail hugs the park boundary along here before curving to the north again. Ah, here begins the fun part of the trail. The slopes get really steep in through here and they'll test your hiking abilities. But hey, Cindy and I are veterans and if we can tackle the Firelane Trail and the Lower Riverview Trails in Frick Park, we can handle this. "C'mon boys, ya gotta keep up with us! We've barely begun the hike!" I shouldn't talk--I know I'm gonna have to test my sugars soon. We then pass an historic culvert and then come upon the ruins of Engine House #6 and Incline #6. The next site we saw was Muleshoe Bridge. This is a stone arch bridge over "Old" US 22 and is presently closed to hikers and cyclists. This was also built on the Alegheny Portage Railroad right of way, but is much newer. The Pennsylvania Railroad built a freight train bypass line here in 1904 and it remained in use until 1981. The Pennsylvania called it the New Portage Line and a portion of "New" US 22 was built on that too. There is a tunnel up in Gallitzin called New Portage Tunnel and it remains in use by freight and Amtrak trains today. New Portage Tunnel is the sole remaining railroad operating part of the New Portage Line. But back to the Muleshoe Bridge, here is where the bike trail begins. We then passed some more historic culverts and a shout out to my Yelp friend Mike O--no these aren't the "Culverts" where you can get yummy frozen custard. We also passed the Hollidaysburg Reservoir. The State Gamelands are located along here. During hunting season, it is recommended that you wear bright clothing, even though hunting is not allowed on the trail itself. Further east of here, the bike trail splits from the hiking trail. If you're on foot, you will want to remain on the hiking trail. The trail passes the site of Incline #9, although nothing remains. It's mostly a pleasant hike from here and about a mile from the trailhead, the hiking and biking trails rejoin. The Foot of Ten Trail veers off to the left just east of Historic Culvert #1692 and goes to the Engine House #10 ruins at Foot of Ten. The ruins was the end of the line for us too and we decided to take a snack and water break before heading back. Remember, there are no restroom facilities anywhere on the trail. There are no places anywhere on the trail or in the park to obtain food and beverage. Make sure you have an adequate supply before setting out. There are no trashcans along the trail. This is because the park doesn't want furry little creatures scavenging through them. So whatever you bring in, make sure you take out. Finally this is an out-n-back trail. So hike to your abilites. Remember, if you make it to the end, you're really only 1/2 way done because you have to hike back. Thanks to my husband Rick for help in writing this.

I am training to hike the grand canyon to the bottom and back in one day next month, so this trail…read moreis good prep for that because by starting at the lemon house, you go down first then up. Parts of the 6 to 10 are much steeper than what I will encounter in Arizona. I only did the hiking portion of the trail, as the rest is just flat. Well marked, with a couple exceptions, as I actually veered off the trail unknowingly once. This trail will test your hiking abilities, and will disappoint few serious hikers.

Its a nice bike trail but its worth noting its an uphill slope if youre going from Freeport to…read moreButler. Its barely noticable but coming back down is a much easier ride.

Beautiful green lush landscape surrounds trails through this area. Be careful in case you…read moreencounter ticks.

This is a gorgeous trail. It is very easy and you can walk as far as you want. The trail is well…read moremaintained (mostly crushed gravel) and a fun place to go for a walk, run, or bike ride. You will see beautiful forest areas along the way.

Well another biking milestone for yours truly and her husband Rick. We did the entire 60+ mile…read moreround trip between Black Lick and Ebensburg on the Ghost Town Trail! It took all day, I'm still saddle sore and my leg muscles ache a little, but it was totally worth it. Besides, we're building up our strengths so we can do the 120+ miles of the Great Allegheny Passage Trail between McKeesport and Cumberland, MD. There's not too much more I can write about the trail. Last year we rode the Black Lick to Nanty Glo segment of the trail and most points of interest are between those two towns. Still, the remaining segment between Nanty Glo and Ebensburg makes for a pleasant ride. I did find out a few other things about the trail since the last time we rode it. Just east of Black Lick, the trail passes a salvage yard of discarded rail cars. These almost seamlessly blend into the scenery and they're altogether appropriate because this is a rails-to-trails conversion. Between Dilltown and Vintondale the creek has a bright red color because of the acid drainage from the coal mines. At several points you will exit the cool green forested surroundings and experience an "ecological disaster area", a legacy of the mining era. You'll see the remains of some slag dumps, which have an eerie beauty to them. Keep an eye out for the AMD & Art Park (AMD stands for Acid Mine Damage). One other thing to consider. This trail goes through some state game lands. During hunting season, you should wear brightly colored clothing. Riding the Ghost Town Trail can be very rewarding. Plan to take the whole day and be sure to enjoy the sights along the way.

4.5 stars. The…read moreMahoning Sghadow Trail is a 15 mile rails-to-trails conversion that connects Valier, PA with the tiny hamlet of Winslow via the famous Punxsutawney, PA. It follows the right-of-way of the Pennsylvania and Northwestern Railroad Line, which served the coal industry in southern Jefferson County. The tracks west of Punxsutawney served the Eureka mines of the Berwind-White Coal Company. Along the way the hiker or cyclist will find a lot of hidden remains of the once flourishing coal and coke industries in the area, including several remnants of coke furnaces. A few of them have been restored with signs saying how and when they were used. My husband Rick and I did a full 30 mile round trip on the trail. We began our ride at the western trailhead in Valier, PA. The trailhead is located on County Road 3015, Fordham Road, about 3/10s of a mile in from County Road 3013. Most on line maps will recognize the address I gave you above. Google Maps is best because it shows bike trails. It's best to start at this end of the trail because there is ample parking available. This section of trail follows the beautiful Mahoning Creek. After following the creek for a little bit, we encountered a second trailhead with limited parking along County Highway 3008. We headed NNE then turned south, passing Saints Peter and Paul Cemetery. We curved away from the creek for a bit, going through a wooded area intermixed with some small fields and homes before re-joining it at Gresock Road. Coming in to Punxsutawney, we passed the Punxsutawney Water Treatment Plant and while that might not have been the historical or scenic highpoint, the remnants of 50 beehive coke ovens are located just west of here. We then crossed the creek on an old railroad bridge that has been re-decked for cyclists. Punxsutawney is the only major town on the trail, and as there are no restrooms or even water pumps or fountains along the way, it's an appropriate rest stop. There is a bit of a detour on city streets, however it's well marked. Leaving Punxsutawney we went through some beautiful woodlands along the creek. The eastern section runs along the tranquil Mahoning to the village of Cloe and from there strays from the waterway a bit. We noticed that the trail is interrupted in Cloe for about 1/4 mile or so. We had to use PA 236 tp pick up the trail again, however we noticed it is well marked. And while we thought the western half of the trail is pretty scenic, we really liked the eastern half. This half of the trail has some steep grades, especially for a former railway line. We climbed through the scenic highlands until we reached the small village of Hudson. There are some deep hemlock forests in through here too. We rode all the way to the eastern trailhead which is at County Raod 2001. The trail pretty much ends here with no parking available. Although it appears to cross the highway, it's a private driveway on the other side. So we did a good 30 mile round trip and although the Mahoning Shadow Trail isn't the longest of our rails-to-trails, it's very scenic and it makes for a good morning's or afternoon's cycling. In addition to my usual bike trips, just remember there are no facilities along the trail except in Punxsutawney.

If you're looking for one the best bike trails in SW Pennsylvania, you should check out the is a…read more17-mile long West Penn Trail between Saltsburg and the Westinghouse trailhead near Blairsville. My husband Rick and I are avid trail riders and we did just that this past weekend. We'd FINALLY gotten a decent day in an otherwise crummy spring to go riding. So we prepped ourselves. Trail snacks and sandwiches? Check! Tool kit? Check! Tire repair kit? Check! Pumps air and insulin (I'm a type-1 diabetic)? Check! Okay, let's roll! Please note the address I gave you is the approximate location of the trailhead in Saltsburg. I used Google Maps to come up with the approximate address. The Kiski Section of the trail extends about another two miles north of here, dead ending at Urban Road. Plus Rick and I didn't start our ride here. We began our trip on the connecting Westmoreland Heritage Trail. Oh but what a glorious ride we had! The trail is a rails-to-trails conversion which mostly follows the Conemaugh River. It was an active railroad line until the 1970s when the Penn-Central Railway Co. abandoned it. It's the trail for you if you love old dam sites and stone arch bridges. We made a crossing of four out of the five bridges. We picked up the trail in Saltsburg, making our wy east. One of the first thing we learned is that an old canal paralleled the railroad and river. We saw plenty of sites relating to the old canal including lock sites, tunnel sites, and culverts (a shout out to my Yelp friend Mike O--no not Culver's, the hamburger chain near you!). After White Station we saw a little bit of the canal bed with some standing water remaining. Then about a couple miles east of there, we made a sharp left, following Elder's Run. Here we saw two highlights on the initial segment of the trip, a remaining building from the Atlas Powder Works, and the Elder's Run Culvert which is a tunnel that we passed through. At this point the trail appears to follow the old canal bed. Continuing our way east, we come up to an area that I think was my favorite on the whole trip, the Conemaugh Dam. Here the trail makes a number of turns, loops, and switchbacks to get around the dam. You'll find a lot of sites here. Working your way to the south in rapid succession you'll find the 1864 Railroad Grade, the 1954 High Level Bridge, the Pennsylvania Canal Site, the 1936 flood marker, Tunnleton, and the West Portal of the Canal Tunnel. In this area you'll also find a State Recreation Area with two parking lots for the trail and two sets of restrooms if you need them. In picking up the route of the old railroad, we cross three of the stone arch bridges spanning the Conemaugh River. Some people consider these bridges the scenic highlight, so a photostop is necessary if you brought your camera. We wound up our trip at the Social Hall area. Here the sites include a water spring, an old highway abutment, and the old Social Hall RR Station site, now used as a picnic grove. That was fine by us. We stopped there and relaxed, lunching on our sandwiches we packed. Then it was time to head back. The West Penn Trail is a fantastic ride but there are a few things to consider. First of all, this is a difficult trail in places. While much of the trail is easy to moderate, be careful of the slope at the Conemaugh River Dam section. It's a few miles long and way more challenging than the rest of the trail. There are many changes in elevation and some pretty good extended climbs. You go down to the river and across a stone bridge then a fairly long climb up to the top. I recommend that you be in decent shape when taking this trail. Remember too, please listen to your body. If you start getting tired, remember that no matter where you are, you're really only halfway there 'cos you gotta turn around and go back. Make sure your bike is in tip-top mechanical condition too. I strongly recommend a mountain bike for this trail. Road/city bikes are not recommended. Also be sure to pack supplies. Snacks such as nuts and dried fruits are terrific. If you want fresh fruit, apples travel well. If you're packing a lunch, a peanut butter-n-jelly sandwich is always good. And don't be in a hurry when riding this trail. Stop and enjoy the sites. Rick and I did a 40+ mile round trip and it took us all day!

This is a really nice trail. It has a beautiful view when you ride over the Conemaugh Dam. There…read moreare some steep and challenging hills near the dam. The rest of the trail is only a slight grade. Also, the trail joins the Westmoreland Heritage Trail in Saltsburg. The Westmoreland Heritage Trail starts in Slickville and is 6 miles. It is a nice way to add a couple extra miles.

Beautiful area just a short walk to the falls. Easy access and walk. Additional trail, short,…read moreacross the parking lot. Take a rain coat!! Enjoy

We went in the midst of a 90 degree plus heat wave, the falls were more of a trickle…read more Reaching the falls requires a nice little walk through the woods on a paved path.