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Introduction

R ail-Trails: Pennsylvania highlights 72 of the top rail-trails and other multiuse pathways across the state. These trails offer a broad range of experiences, from sweeping Appalachian views to narrow wooded ravines, from challenging hiking and biking adventures to relaxing riverside strolls, and from vibrant cities to small towns that thrived in Pennsylvania’s heyday in the 19th and 20th centuries as an industrial powerhouse.

Along the 15-mile Mahoning Shadow Trail, you can visit the hometown of Pennsylvania’s most famous furry critter—Punxsutawney Phil—who puts the shadow in the trail’s name. Or take a majestic trip through Presque Isle State Park on the 13.4-mile Karl Boyes Multi-Purpose National Recreation Trail, featuring majestic views of the Lake Erie shoreline and the Presque Isle Lighthouse.

History buffs may want to explore Greater Philadelphia’s Schuylkill River Trail, which currently covers nearly 72 miles and will one day stretch 120-plus miles throughout the Schuylkill River Greenways National Heritage Area. A 30-mile section passes by some of the region’s most popular destinations, including the Philadelphia Museum of Art, Valley Forge National Historical Park, and the 2,000-acre Fairmount Park. The trail also helps compose three larger, developing systems, including the 800-mile Circuit Trails network in Philadelphia and Camden, New Jersey; the 3,000-mile East Coast Greenway from Maine to Florida; and the 1,300-mile September 11th National Memorial Trail.

In Cambria and Indiana Counties, the Ghost Town Trail—part of the Trans Allegheny Trails System—allows users to glimpse relics from the region’s coal and railroad days, with iron furnaces, disused tipples (equipment that loaded coal onto railroad cars), and other artifacts still visible along its 44.5 miles.

To the west, the Three Rivers Heritage Trail, currently 21.2 miles, features the best of Pittsburgh along the path’s namesakes—the Allegheny, Ohio, and Monongahela—­with highlights such as Point State Park, Station Square, the Cultural District, the North Side, the 456-acre Schenley Park, and some of the city’s most famous bridges. The trail also serves as a hub for a 1,500-mile trail network in development by the Industrial Heartland Trails Coalition, and as a host for the 3,700-plus-mile Great American Rail-Trail.

And don’t forget one of the most iconic rail-trails in the United States: the 150-mile Great Allegheny Passage, which is also part of the Great American Rail-Trail and seamlessly connects to the Three Rivers Heritage Trail and the 180-plus-mile Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park (also known as the C&O Canal Towpath) to form a 334-mile off-road link to Washington, D.C.

No matter which routes in Rail-Trails: Pennsylvania you choose, you’ll experience the unique history, culture, and geography of each, as well as the communities that have built and embraced them.

What Is a Rail-Trail?

R ail-trails are multiuse public paths built along former railroad corridors. Most often flat or following a gentle grade, they are suited to walking, running, cycling, mountain biking, in-line skating, cross-country skiing, horseback riding, and wheelchair use. Since the 1960s, Americans have created more than 24,000 miles of rail-trails throughout the country.

These extremely popular recreation and transportation corridors traverse urban, suburban, and rural landscapes. Many preserve historical landmarks, while others serve as wildlife conservation corridors, linking isolated parks and establishing greenways in developed areas. Rail-trails also stimulate local economies by boosting tourism and promoting trailside businesses.

What Is a Rail-with-Trail?

A rail-with-trail is a public path that parallels a still-active rail line. Some run adjacent to high-speed, scheduled trains, often linking public transportation stations, while others follow tourist routes and slow-moving excursion trains. Many share an easement, separated from the rails by extensive fencing. At least 375 rails-with-trails exist in the United States.

What Is the Rail-Trail Hall of Fame?

In 2007 RTC began recognizing exemplary rail-trails around the country through its Rail-Trail Hall of Fame. Inductees are selected based on such merits as scenic value, high use, trail and trailside amenities, historical significance, excellence in management and maintenance of facility, community connections, and geographic distribution. These iconic rail-trails, which have been singled out from more than 2,000 in the United States, have earned RTC’s highest honor and represent tangible realizations of our vision to create a more walkable, bikeable, and healthier America. Hall of Fame rail-trails are indicated in this book with a special blue icon; for the full list of Hall of Fame rail-trails, visit railstotrails.org/halloffame.

What Is TrailNation™?

At RTC, we believe that communities are healthier and happier when trails are central to their design. Everything we love about trails gets better when we connect them, creating seamless trail networks that link neighborhoods, towns, cities, and entire regions together. That’s why we’re committed to connecting trails and building comprehensive trail systems that bring people together and get them where they want to go.

We’ve invested in eight TrailNation™ projects across the country—found in places that are diverse in their geography, culture, size, and scope—to prove what is possible when trail networks are central to our lives. Two of those TrailNation projects can be found in Pennsylvania—the Circuit Trails and the Industrial Heartland Trails Coalition, each with ambitious goals to create vibrant trail systems across the state and the region. Look for the TrailNation project logo throughout the book to find trails that are part of these networks. Learn more about RTC’s vision to connect the country by trail at trailnation.org.

ABOUT THE CIRCUIT TRAILS

Led by a coalition of dozens of nonprofit organizations, foundations, and agencies, the Circuit Trails are part of a vast trail network that will ultimately include 800 miles of multiuse trails across nine counties in the Greater Philadelphia–Camden, New Jersey, region. More than 350 miles of the network are already complete, and the coalition is working to have 500 miles built by 2025. Learn more at thecircuittrails.org.

ABOUT THE INDUSTRIAL HEARTLAND TRAILS COALITION

T he Industrial Heartland Trails Coalition is working to establish the region as a premier destination, offering a 1,500-plus-mile multiuse trail network. The network, which will stretch across 48 counties in four states—Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Ohio, and New York—is spearheaded by the Pennsylvania Environmental Council, the National Park Service, and RTC, along with more than 100 organizations across the area. Visit ihearttrails.org for more information.

What Is the Great American Rail-Trail™?

A signature project of RTC, the Great American Rail-Trail is the organization’s most ambitious trail project to date and will be the nation’s first cross-country multiuse trail, uniting millions of people over its 3,700-mile route between Washington, D.C., and Washington State. This unique journey through the District of Columbia and 12 states—Maryland, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska, Wyoming, Montana, Idaho, and Washington—will make it possible for travelers to explore some of the country’s most renowned geographic and cultural landmarks. Today, the Great American is more than 52% complete, but there are still more than 1,700 miles left to fill in. To get it done, RTC is providing the national leadership and on-the-ground support to bring together the people, plans, and partnerships necessary for completing the Great American Rail-Trail. Learn more at greatamericanrailtrail.org.