Pennsylvania Trail Resources

 

Pennsylvania Agencies

 

ExplorePAtrails.com is a quick and easy way to find water and land trails in Pennsylvania and provides a community resource for searching, mapping and sharing trails information statewide

Pennsylvania Greenways and Trails Program: www.dcnr.state.pa.us/brc/conservation/greenways/index.htm

Pennsylvania State Parks is located at: www.dcnr.state.pa.us/stateparks/

Pennsylvania State Forest recreation opportunities: www.dcnr.state.pa.us/forestry/recreation/index.htm

National Wildlife Refuge System, managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, provides trails as well as hunting, fishing, wildlife observation; see refuges in Pennsylvania: www.fws.gov/refuges/refugeLocatorMaps/Pennsylvania.html

National Park Service units in Pennsylvania: http://data2.itc.nps.gov/parksearch/state.cfm?st=pa

 

 

Pennsylvania National Recreation Trails

• Browse all National Recreation Trails in Pennsylvania: There are 2396.88 miles of NRTs in Pennsylvania and 66 trails!

Visit Pennsylvania's "Featured" National Recreational Trails for the most recently designated trail(s)

Visit the National Recreation Trails website to learn more about the NRT program and access over 1,200 NRTs from across the country

 

 

Pennsylvania Bicycling and Mountain Biking

 

Mountain bike trails with detailed maps and descriptions from Pennsylvania mountain biking books at Trails.com:

• Mountain Biking Trails in Pennsylvania

Bike rides on Pennsylvania roads and paved pathways from road biking books at Trails.com:

• Road Bike Rides in Pennsylvania

Delaware Valley Mountain Bike Patrol covers the Wissahickon Valley section of Philadelphia's Fairmount Park: www.webmountainbike.com/imnatmounbik.html

East Coast Greenway is a project to link seabord states with bikeways and on-road routes through ME, NH, MA, RI, CT, NY, NJ, PA, DE, MD, DC, VA, NC, SC, GA, and FL: www.greenway.org/pa.php

Mountain Bike Pennsylvania has a trail guide, photos, and events: www.mountainbikepa.com/

Mountain Biking in Eastern Pennsylvania has a Trail Guide feature with trail descriptions and links: http://gnebs1.tripod.com/index.html

Mountain Biking in York PA has trail maps and descriptions: www.epgsoft.com/MBYork/

Pittsburgh Trail is a circular 50 mile cycling itinerary within the city exploring its rich natural geography, urban setting, and architectural features: http://pittsburghtrail.blogspot.com/

Pennsylvania Turnpike Bicycle Trail runs on a stretch of former road including tunnels; see Pike 2 Bike and PA Turnpike Bicycle Trail

Allegrippis Trails at Raystown Lake is a premier single-track trail system designed by mountain bikers, managed by US Army Corps of Engineers, and maintained by the Friends of Raystown Lake; see more local tourism information

Raystown Mountain Biking Association provides information on volunteering, events, and local business: http://allegrippistrails.com/

FreeWheeling Easy in Western Pennsylvania presents sections of a guidebook to easy traffic-free bicycling and walking trails in Pennsylvania west of US219: http://shaw-weil.com/

Valley Mountain Bikers in the Lehigh Valley area: http://bikevmb.com

Find Pittsburgh Area Bicycling information on the Western Pennsylvania Wheelmen site: www.wpwbikeclub.org/

Centre Region Bike Coalition, based in State College, PA, promotes bicyling as recreation and transportation in the Centre County region: http://centrebike.org/index.html

 

Pennsylvania Equestrian Trails

 

A portion of the Great Allegheny Passage, (about 8 miles) from Rockwood to Garrett has been opened for horse traffic. Much of that portion of the trail has an added path for the horses

Pennsylvania Equine Council supports horse issues and trail stewardship: www.pennsylvaniaequinecouncil.com/

 

 

Pennsylvania Greenways and Community Trails

 

Abington Trails Project is working toward a system of trails in Abington to provide a safe place, close to home, for a variety of trail activities: www.abingtontrails.org/

Crawford and Venango Counties Council on Greenways & Trails: www.ficda.org/greenways/

Delaware River Greenway Partnership works to promote and protect a continuous corridor of natural and cultural resources along the Delaware: www.delrivgreenway.org

Lancaster County Parks Department offers information on hiking, biking, and horseback riding in the area: www.co.lancaster.pa.us/

Friends of the Wissahickon help preserve and protect Fairmont Park in Philadelphia, including 50 miles of National Recreation Trails: http://www.fow.org/

Three Rivers Heritage Trail is a major greenway project in Pittsburgh: www.friendsoftheriverfront.org/files/heritage_trail.html

Pennsylvania Hiking Trails

 

Hiking trail maps, hike descriptions, and Pennsylvania topographic maps at Trails.com:

• Hiking Trails in Pennsylvania

Appalachian Mountain Club, Delaware Valley Chapter, has a variety of News & Activities for Pennsylvania, Middle & Southern NJ, and Northern Delaware: www.amcdv.org/

Alpine Club of Williamsport maintains the Loyalsock Trail which runs 60 miles thru the Tiadaghton and Wyoming State Forests: www.lycoming.org/alpine/

American Volkssport Association year-round walking and hiking events: http://www.ava.org/ava_search.asp

Great Eastern Trail plans to link existing trails alongthe Appalachian Mountains from Alabama to the Finger Lakes Trail in New York: www.greateasterntrail.net/

Keystone Trails Association promotes hiking opportunities in Pennsylvania and neighboring states: www.kta-hike.org/

MidAtlanticHikes.com has maps and trail descriptions for hikes in MD, PA, VA and WV

Potomac Appalachian Trail Club is dedicated to the upkeep and improvement of 970 miles of trails, 30 shelters, and 23 cabins in VA, MD, WV, PA, and DC: http://www.patc.net/

 

Pennsylvania Long-Distance Trails

 

Hiking trails along the Appalachian Trail (AT) in Pennsylvania at Trails.com:

• Appalachian Trail Hiking in Pennsylvania

Appalachian Trail in PA runs 229 miles from ridges of mountains east of the Alleghenies to the Susquehanna River, and crosses the Great Valley of the Appalachians to the Blue Ridge

Erie-to-Pittsburgh Trail Alliance works to establish a continuous trail from the Erie Bayfront to Point State Park in Pittsburgh: www.eriepittsburghtrail.org/

Great Allegheny Passage is the main line of a trail system running from the C&O Canal Towpath at Cumberland, Maryland, to the Forks of the Ohio River at Pittsburgh on a near-level rail-trail through the Allegheny Mountains: http://atatrail.org/

Great Eastern Trail plans to link existing trails alongthe Appalachian Mountains from Alabama to the Finger Lakes Trail in New York: www.greateasterntrail.net/

North Country Trail is being developed with a goal of 4,400 miles from New York to North Dakota; for information on the trail in Pennsylvania: http://northcountrytrail.org/trail/states/pennsylvania/

Pennsylvania Off-Highway Vehicle Trails

 

Pennsylvania Off Highway Vehicle Association: www.PAOHV.org

PaAtving.com covers All-Terrain Vehicles for Pennsylvania: http://paatving.com/

Blue Mountain Jeep Alliance, based in south-eastern Pennsylvania, is for trail riding Jeep enthusiasts: www.bmja.org/

Lehigh Valley ATV Association has events, photos, and contacts: www.lvatv.org/

ATV trails within Pennsylvania's State Forests: www.dcnr.state.pa.us/forestry/recreation/atv/index.htm

Pennsylvania Rail Trails and Canal Trails

 

Pennsylvania rail-trails including maps, access points, and history from rails-to-trails books at Trails.com:

• Rail-Trails in Pennsylvania

Allegheny Trail Alliance is working on the Great Allegheny Passage, a 152 mile bicycle and walking trail from Pittsburgh, PA to Cumberland, MD, where the trail will join the C&O Canal Towpath Trail to Washington, DC: www.atatrail.org/

Allegheny Valley Trails Association has title to 55 miles of abandoned railway and constructed the Allegheny River Trail and Sandy Creek Trail: www.avta-trails.org/

Armstrong Trail, opened in 1992, includes 30 miles of maintained trail from the Ford City area in Armstrong County to the East Brady Area in Clarion County: http://www.armstrongtrail.org/

Penn State is leading a community partnership to develop a 1.3 mile section of the former Bellefonte Central railroad right-of-way into a multi-use recreational trail: www.arboretum.psu.edu/planning/rail.html

Butler-Freeport Community Trail is a 20-mile abandoned railroad corridor owned by Buffalo, Winfield, and Jefferson Townships north of Pittsburgh, in Butler County: www.butlerfreeporttrail.org/

Friends of Chester Creek are building a Hiking. Walking, Riding, Rail Trail in Delaware County, PA: http://members.tripod.com/~ctrail/index.htm

Friends of Cynwyd Heritage Trail support the 2-mile link through residential areas between two large cemeteries and over a historic Schuylkill River bridge into the Manayunk section of Philadelphia: www.cynwydtrail.org/

Five Star Trail will traverse Westmoreland County

Ghost Town Trail runs 36 miles from Ebensburg in Cambria County to Black Lick in Indiana County, where it connects to the Hoodlebug Trail: http://www.indianacountyparks.org/trails/gtt/gtt.html

Hoodlebug Trail is a ten-mile recreation and commuter trail located in the central portion of Indiana County: http://www.indianacountyparks.org/trails/ht/ht.html

Lebanon Valley Rail Trail will run 15 miles from the Lancaster/Lebanon County line to the City of Lebanon: www.lvrailtrail.com/

MA & PA Heritage Trail is a walking, running and bicycle trail located on portions of the former Maryland & Pennsylvania Railroad corridor in Bel Air and Forest Hill: www.mapatrail.org/index.html

Montour Trail Council works to convert the abandoned Montour Railroad in Allegheny and Washington Counties, Pennsylvania, into a 54-mile trail: www.montourtrail.org/

Steel Heritage Trail is a rail trail project that will run along the Monongahela River through Pittsburgh and south through Glassport to Clairton: www.steelvalleytrail.org/

Youghiogheny River Trail runs 43-miles between McKeesport and Connellsville: www.YoughRiverTrail.com/

York County Heritage Rail Trail map, mileage, and trail access points: www.yorkcountytrails.org

 

Pennsylvania Snow Trails

 

Snowmobile Trails by County from PA Dept. of Conservation and Natural Resources

Snowmobile riding opportunities on State Forest lands: www.dcnr.state.pa.us/forestry/recreation/snowmobile/index.htm

Northeast Pennsylvania's Sno Trail Association: www.nepsnotrails.org/

Pennsylvania State Snowmobile Association: www.pasnow.org/

Pennsylvania Waterway and Boating Trails

 

Pennsylvania whitewater kayaking and rafting, with maps and launch points at Trails.com:

• Whitewater Kayaking and Rafting in Pennsylvania

PA Fish & Boat Commission registry of water trails statewide has maps and trail guides: www.fish.state.pa.us/watertrails/trailindex.htm

Water trails in the Chesapeake Bay Gateways Network offer a wide variety of paddling opportunities: www.baygateways.net/paddling.cfm

Schuylkill River Water Trail is a National Recreation Trail: www.schuylkillriver.org/

Swatara Creek Water Trail is a 42-mile segment of Swatara Creek from Jonestown to Middletown: www.fish.state.pa.us/watertrails/swatara/trailguide.htm

Upper Mon Water Trail is a 65-mile section of the Monongahela River from Fairmont, WV north to Rice's Landing, PA: www.uppermon.org/

Pennsylvania Statewide Advocacy and Resources

 

PA Greenways Clearinghouse is an initiative of Pennsylvania's Greenways Program, a partnership of government, non-profit organizations: www.pagreenways.org/

 

Pennsylvania State Trails Program

 

Recreational Trails Program: Providing funding to all 50 states for grants programs and program management

State Trails Program contacts in all 50 states

Pennsylvania Outdoor Recreation

 

Fishing reports, maps, photos, and videos for every fishing spot in the USA: www.hookandbullet.com/s/fishing-pennsylvania/