Horseback Riding Trails in Pennsylvania

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  • Allegheny National Forest - Twin Lakes Trail

    Rail-Trail

    State: PA
    Length: 16.60 miles
    Surface: Dirt, Grass

    This trail passes through a variety of pleasing landscapes. The area near Crane Run is especially scenic. The trail is marked with white diamonds. The skill level of this trail is rated more difficult. The Twin Lakes Trail ends at the North ...

  • Allegheny River Trail

    Rail-Trail

    State: PA
    Length: 32 miles
    Surface: Asphalt

    With a wide, paved pathway and adjacent equestrian trail running through lush woodland and riverside terrain, the Allegheny River Trail (ART) has something to offer every trail enthusiast. Following a segment of the Allegheny River that is part ...

  • Armstrong Trail

    Rail-Trail

    State: PA
    Length: 34.80 miles
    Surface: Asphalt, Grass

    NOTE: Kiski-Junction Railroad is now constructing an active rail line between miles 30 and 38. This section is no longer open to the public. Tracing the course of the scenic Allegheny River, the Armstrong Trail varies between rough terrain ...

  • Bells Gap Rail Trail

    Rail-Trail

    State: PA
    Length: 6.30 miles
    Surface: Crushed Stone, Dirt, Grass

    The Bells Gap Rail-Trail is really two trails in one-a flat 2.1-mile southern section with smooth crushed limestone surface, and a rougher, more difficult northern section best-suited for mountain bike enthusiasts or hikers seeking a challenge. ...

  • Big Pocono Rail Trail

    Rail-Trail

    State: PA
    Length: 5.40 miles
    Surface: Ballast, Crushed Stone

    The Big Pocono Trail is located in Big Pocono State Park, mainly a mountaintop park, which means much of the 8.5 miles of trails here have steep grades. Along with hikers, mountain bikers and equestrians are permitted on the South Trail and ...

  • Blue Marsh Lake Multi-Use Trail

    State: PA
    Length: 29.70 miles
    Surface: Asphalt, Dirt, Grass, Gravel

    The Blue Marsh Lake Multi-Use Trail loops around a manmade reservoir just outside of Reading in southeastern Pennsylvania. The trail has a mixture of surfaces (hard-packed dirt, grass, gravel and abandoned roads) with some single-tracking and ...

  • Buckwha Creek Trail

    Rail-Trail

    State: PA
    Length: 4.50 miles
    Surface: Crushed Stone

    The Buckwha Creek Trail is a 4.5 mile rail-trail that is equally in Monroe Co. and Carbon Co. The eastern part of the trail, in Monroe Co. is owned by Eldred Township and is maintained by the Kunkletown Rod and Gun Club and is in fairly good ...

  • Buffalo Flat Trail

    Rail-Trail

    State: PA
    Length: 0.50 miles
    Surface: Dirt

  • Butler-Freeport Community Trail

    Rail-Trail

    State: PA
    Length: 19.50 miles
    Surface: Asphalt, Crushed Stone, Dirt

    Built in 1871 to transport the region's high-quality limestone to support Pittsburgh's growing steel industry, the Butler-Freeport line was the first railroad in the county. After a two-day celebration of the opening, the railroad conducted ...

  • Coal & Coke Trail

    Rail-Trail

    State: PA
    Length: 6 miles
    Surface: Crushed Stone

    The scenic Coal & Coke Trail connects the communities of Mount Pleasant and Scottdale in Westmoreland County and offers many glimpses of the picturesque nature and local communities of Westmoreland County. The 6-mile trail is built on the old ...

  • Conewago Recreation Trail

    Rail-Trail

    State: PA
    Length: 5.10 miles
    Surface: Crushed Stone

    The Conewago Recreation Trail in northwestern Lancaster County parallels Conewago Creek over most of its length, as it passes through farmland and forests. A unit of the Lancaster County Department of Parks and Recreation, the 5.1-mile trail ...

  • Corry Junction Greenway Trail

    Rail-Trail

    State: NY, PA
    Length: 5.10 miles
    Surface: Crushed Stone

    Crossing the state line into New York near Erie, Pennsylvania, the 7.5-mile trail runs through the beautiful Brokenstraw Valley, passing small streams, a tamarack swamp, deciduous woods and wildflowers. The construction of railroad tracks through ...

  • Cumberland Valley Rail Trail

    Rail-Trail

    State: PA
    Length: 10.90 miles
    Surface: Asphalt, Concrete, Crushed Stone, Grass

    The Cumberland Valley Rail Trail runs down the middle of its namesake: the Cumberland Valley of Pennsylvania, between the South Mountain and Blue Mountain ridges on the eastern flank of the Appalachians. Stretching from New York State to Alabama, ...

  • D & L Trail - Delaware Canal Towpath

    State: PA
    Length: 60 miles
    Surface: Crushed Stone, Dirt

    ATTENTION: Because of flood damage to the canal towpath, the section between Easton and Wy-Hit-Tuk Park is closed until further notice. Repairs are scheduled to begin in fall 2012 and continue through fall 2013. For updates check the park website ...

  • D&H Rail Trail

    Rail-Trail

    State: PA
    Length: 38 miles
    Surface: Ballast, Cinder, Crushed Stone, Dirt

    The Delaware & Hudson (D&H) Gravity Railroad conducted a 3-mile test of the first steam locomotive in the U.S. in August 1829, which ran from the towns of Honesdale to Seeleyville, Pennsylvania, and discovered that the train was too heavy for ...

  • David S. Ammerman Trail (formerly Clearfield to Grampian Trail)

    Rail-Trail

    State: PA
    Length: 10.50 miles
    Surface: Crushed Stone

    Once known as the Clearfield and Grampian Trail, in 2011, the name was changed to the David S. Ammerman Trail in memory of the man who championed turning the abandoned rail corridor into a recreational trail. Take in scenic views of water, ...

  • East Branch Trail (PA)

    Rail-Trail

    State: PA
    Length: 3.10 miles
    Surface: Ballast, Cinder

    The Pennsylvania Railroad originally built the Chautauqua Line as part of a network of rail lines that linked Corry, Titusville, Oil City, Franklin and Meadville during the boom days of the oil industry in Northwest Pennsylvania. Spartansburg, ...

  • Endless Mountain Riding Trail

    Rail-Trail

    State: PA
    Length: 14 miles
    Surface: Ballast, Dirt

    The local riding club enjoyed this former rail line, which was purchased in 1944 for a dollar from the Delaware, Lackawanna & Western Railroad, as a bridle trail for many years. It changed management over the years, and currently has no official ...

  • Ernst Bike Trail

    Rail-Trail

    State: PA
    Length: 5 miles
    Surface: Asphalt

    Along its 5-mile path, this paved rail-trail crosses through a rich array of natural habitats, from creek bottomlands to meadow, marsh and forest. The trail is named for Calvin Ernst, who owned the Meadville-Linesville Railroad corridor and ...

  • Five Star Trail

    Rail-Trail

    State: PA
    Length: 7.75 miles
    Surface: Crushed Stone

    Trail users on this inviting corridor follow the path of an old Southern Pennsylvania Railroad line, in some places traveling alongside unused tracks (not to be confused with the newer Southwest Pennsylvania Railroad, which operates along 66 ...

  • Forks Township Recreation Trail

    Rail-Trail

    State: PA
    Length: 2 miles
    Surface: Asphalt, Dirt

    The Forks Township Recreation Trail follows the an old right-of-way of the former Lehigh & New England Railroad. Starting at the trail's midpoint behind the Riverview Country Club in Easton, you'll find a smooth, paved section for 0.5 mile through ...

  • George B. Will Trail

    Rail-Trail

    State: PA
    Length: 5.60 miles
    Surface: Ballast, Grass

    The George B. Will Trail in Tiadaghton State Forest is named for an early 20th-century Pennsylvania forest ranger. The trail is popular with cross-country skiers and travels through a mixed-pine forest. The loop trail is wide and flat, perfect ...

  • Great Shamokin Path

    Rail-Trail

    State: PA
    Length: 3.50 miles
    Surface: Dirt, Grass, Gravel

    Tracing a section of the abandoned Rural Valley Railroad corridor the Great Shamokin Path parallels the Cowanshannock Creek for 3.5 miles. The eastern part of the trail, which is surfaced primarily with dirt and gravel, is most suitable for ...

  • Heritage Rail Trail County Park

    Rail-Trail

    State: PA
    Length: 21.10 miles
    Surface: Crushed Stone

    The Heritage Rail Trail County Park winds for 21 miles through urban and rural landscapes between the city of York and the Maryland state line. It connects Maryland's Torrey C. Brown Rail Trail with the historic district of York, PA. The trail ...

  • Hollow Creek Greenway

    State: PA
    Length: 1.70 miles
    Surface: Crushed Stone, Gravel

    The Hollow Creek Greenway follows its namesake waterway through scenic woodlands and valleys, offering a quiet oasis in the suburbs. The trail provides an important link between neighborhoods, schools and community parks from Springfield Township ...

  • Houtzdale Line Trail

    Rail-Trail

    State: PA
    Length: 10.50 miles
    Surface: Gravel

    The old railroad line known as the Moshannon, or the Mills Branch, crossed the Moshannon Valley during the mid- to late 1800s. The line was the foundation of the region's late 19th- and early 20th-century economy. The valley's vast reserves ...

  • Iron Horse Trail (PA)

    Rail-Trail

    State: PA
    Length: 10 miles
    Surface: Ballast, Crushed Stone, Dirt

    The Iron Horse Trail follows two abandoned rail beds: the Path Valley Railroad and the Perry Lumber Company Railroad. Originally, the Path Valley Railroad was going to be an extension for the Newport and Shermans Valley Railroad and would end ...

  • J. Manley Robbins Trail, aka Robbins Trail

    Rail-Trail

    State: PA
    Length: 2.80 miles
    Surface: Gravel

    J. Manley Robbins Trail is a short trail with a long history. Quite possibly it is the oldest documented rail-trail in the country. The trail leads through a beautiful deciduous forest high above the Mahoning Creek. It is barely 1 mile long ...

  • Lancaster Junction Trail

    Rail-Trail

    State: PA
    Length: 2.30 miles
    Surface: Gravel

    Originally the Reading & Columbia Railroad, this branch of the Reading Railroad was built to haul anthracite coal to Columbia where it was loaded into barges on the Susquehanna and Tidewater Canal for shipment to the port of Baltimore. The Reading ...

  • Lebanon Valley Rail-Trail

    Rail-Trail

    State: PA
    Length: 14.50 miles
    Surface: Crushed Stone

    The Lebanon Valley Rail-Trail takes you on a journey into Pennsylvania Dutch country. Running along the corridor of the old Cornwall-Lebanon Railroad, the 14.5-mile trail lets you experience the beauty of farmland and forest, visit landmarks ...

  • Lower Trail

    Rail-Trail

    State: PA
    Length: 16.50 miles
    Surface: Crushed Stone

    Grab your bike or your walking shoes, or saddle up your horse, and head for the cool breezes and dappled shade of the 17-mile Lower Trail. The name "Lower," which rhymes with "flower," refers to attorney T. Dean Lower, who provided the funds ...

  • Marienville Bike Trail

    Rail-Trail

    State: PA
    Length: 23.30 miles
    Surface: Crushed Stone, Dirt, Grass, Gravel

    The Marienville Bike Trail is part of a system of roads and trails in the Allegheny National Forest. The trails are open to mountain bikes, trail bikes, and ATVs and are rated as difficult because of the rocky, and sometimes steep, terrain. ...

  • Montour Trail

    Rail-Trail

    State: PA
    Length: 55.60 miles
    Surface: Asphalt, Crushed Stone

    The Montour Trail follows a portion of the old Montour Railroad, which was built between 1877 and 1914 to link the Pittsburgh and Lake Erie Railroad with the region's many coal mines. Forming a semi-circle around Pittsburgh, the Montour Railroad ...

  • North Link Trail

    Rail-Trail

    State: PA
    Length: 9.30 miles
    Surface: Dirt

    The North Link Trail is a 9 mile section of rail-trail which is just one part of an 85-mile loop that winds through the forested hills and valleys of this state forest. Known as the Susquehannock Trail System, it was created by joining together ...

  • Oil Creek State Park Trail

    Rail-Trail

    State: PA
    Length: 9.70 miles
    Surface: Asphalt

    The Titusville and Petroleum Center Railroad had one major purpose when it was built in 1863: to transport oil. Oil was discovered in Oil Creek Valley in 1859 by Colonel Edward Drake and William Smith. Almost overnight, towns such as Titusville, ...

  • Old Tram Trail

    Rail-Trail

    State: PA
    Length: 1.80 miles
    Surface: Crushed Stone, Dirt, Grass

    Lumber mills frequently set up tram cars running on a set of tracks to carry cut timbers from the steep hillsides. The Old Tram Trail is exactly that and has become a short bit of single track to challenge mountain bikers as well as hikers. ...

  • PWS Trail System

    Rail-Trail

    State: PA
    Length: 36 miles
    Surface: Asphalt

    Forbes State Forest and the adjacent state parks (Linn Run, Laurel Mountain, and Laurel Ridge) maintain the PWS Trail System, a network of snowmobile trails and forest service roads though the second-growth forest along Laurel Hill. Much of ...

  • Panhandle Trail

    Rail-Trail

    State: PA, WV
    Length: 26.20 miles
    Surface: Crushed Stone

    The Panhandle Trail is another jewel in the Pittsburgh metro area trail system. A Conrail line, known as the Panhandle Railroad, once connected Pittsburgh to Cincinnati, Chicago and St. Louis on this route. The rail corridor has been transformed ...

  • Penns Creek Path (Mid State Trail)

    Rail-Trail

    State: PA
    Length: 3.60 miles
    Surface: Ballast, Crushed Stone

    Though little-known compared to other popular rail-trails in Pennsylvania, the Penns Creek Path is worth the effort of visiting for a scenic bike ride or hike in the forest. Pretty in all seasons, it is especially picturesque in June when its ...

  • Pennypack Trail

    Rail-Trail

    State: PA
    Length: 12.40 miles
    Surface: Asphalt, Dirt

    The Pennypack Trail is a 2.4-mile rail-trail located mostly in Lorimer Park in Montgomery County and connected to Pennpack Park in Philadelphia County. Converted from the old Fox Chase-Newton Branch line, this trail runs from Rockledge Borough ...

  • Perkiomen Trail

    Rail-Trail

    State: PA
    Length: 19.50 miles
    Surface: Asphalt, Crushed Stone

    The history of Perkiomen Trail railroad corridor extends more than 140 years. Founded shortly after the Civil War, the Perkiomen Railway Company started running from Oaks to Pennsburg in 1868. New transportation spurred development along the ...

  • Pine Creek Rail Trail

    Rail-Trail

    State: PA
    Length: 61.20 miles
    Surface: Crushed Stone

    One of the premier rail-trails in the Northeast, the Pine Creek Trail in Pine Creek Gorge offers travelers a spectacular 62-mile journey through the area commonly referred to as the Grand Canyon of Pennsylvania. With numerous trailheads, comfort ...

  • Plainfield Township Trail

    Rail-Trail

    State: PA
    Length: 6.70 miles
    Surface: Crushed Stone, Dirt

    From 1880 until well into the 20th century, Bangor and Portland Railway steam locomotives plied this corridor and others in the region, providing essential transportation services for the nearby quarries. Conrail bought the Plainfield Township ...

  • Railroad Grade Trail (Ives Run )

    Rail-Trail

    State: PA
    Length: 2.60 miles
    Surface: Ballast, Cinder

    North of Mansfield lies the Railroad Grade Trail, know to locals as Ives Run. The 2.5-mile trail begins on the north end at the Ives Run Recreation area, near the boat launch parking lot. Travelers on the sometimes rough crushed stone surface ...

  • Samuel Justus Recreation Trail

    Rail-Trail

    State: PA
    Length: 6 miles
    Surface: Asphalt

    Connecting Oil City and Franklin, the Samuel Justus Trail is a 6-mile segment of a 30-mile trail that follows the former Allegheny Valley Railroad. The A.V. was completed to Oil City in 1868 and connected the oil fields with Pittsburgh. It operated ...

  • Sandy Creek Trail

    Rail-Trail

    State: PA
    Length: 12 miles
    Surface: Asphalt

    The Sandy Creek Trail carves its way through some of the most remote and spectacular countryside in northwestern Pennsylvania. This 12-mile paved trail has some impressive features, including tunnels and massive trestles like the Belmar Bridge, ...

  • Schuylkill River Trail - Thun Trail

    Rail-Trail

    State: PA
    Length: 18.30 miles
    Surface: Asphalt, Crushed Stone

    The Thun Trail (pronounced "tune") is part of the Schuylkill River Trail System. Large railroad bridges, built in 1918, provide impressive views of the Schuylkill River and the surrounding hills. Paralleling Routes 422 and 724, this section ...

  • Shenango River Trail

    Rail-Trail

    State: PA
    Length: 7 miles
    Surface: Dirt

    The Shenango River Trail once served as a towpath along the Erie Canal Extension. During the mid-1800s, mules pulled boats along the canal, linking goods from the Great Lakes to Pittsburgh and beyond. Recognizing the geographic significance ...

  • Stony Valley Railroad Grade

    Rail-Trail

    State: PA
    Length: 21.50 miles
    Surface: Dirt, Gravel

    Originally named St. Anthony's Wilderness by Moravian missionaries who arrived in the colony in 1742 to convert Native tribes, the Stony Creek Valley became the site of five bustling towns after discovery of coal in 1824. The Schuylkill & Susquehanna ...

  • Struble Trail

    Rail-Trail

    State: PA
    Length: 2.60 miles
    Surface: Asphalt

    The Chester County Parks & Recreation Department opened this trail in 1979 on part of a former Pennsylvania Railroad right-of-way. Today the 2.6-mile trail attracts more than 125,000 visitors each year. Named for the late Robert G. Struble, ...

  • Swatara Rail-Trail

    Rail-Trail

    State: PA
    Length: 10 miles
    Surface: Gravel

    The discovery of anthracite coal in the Tremont area of Pennsylvania shaped commerce and development well into the 1800s. The Union Canal was constructed in the 1820s to connect the Schuylkill and Susquehanna rivers and improve transport of ...

  • Warren to North Warren Bike Trail

    Rail-Trail

    State: PA
    Length: 3 miles
    Surface: Asphalt

    Located along the banks of Conewango Creek, the open 3-mile segment of this proposed 11-mile trail follows an old New York Central branch north from the city of Warren. Designed to serve primarily as a safe, off-road route for cyclists and commuters, ...

  • West Penn Trail

    Rail-Trail

    State: PA
    Length: 17 miles
    Surface: Asphalt, Crushed Stone, Dirt

    The West Penn Trail, a National Recreation Trail, runs largely along the corridor of the Portage Railroad line that operated from 1830 to 1864 between Pittsburgh and Harrisburg. The trail is steadily being extended. Before you visit, check the ...

  • Wissahickon Valley Park (Forbidden Drive)

    State: PA
    Length: 7 miles
    Surface: Asphalt, Gravel

    Wissahickon Valley Park Trail (Forbidden Drive) follows the creek of the same name through the entire length of the park. The ominous sounding Forbidden Drive was so named because in the 1920s cars were banned from it. Today, it's open to pedestrians, ...

  • Youghiogheny River Trail (North) - Great Allegheny Passage

    Rail-Trail

    State: PA
    Length: 43 miles
    Surface: Crushed Stone

    For up-to-date information on the Great Allegheny Passage, visit the Allegheny Trail Alliance Web site and to discover Trail Towns along the Great Allegheny Passage, visit the Trail Town Program Web site The YRT North Section is a 43-mile limestone ...

  • Youghiogheny River Trail (South) - Great Allegheny Passage

    Rail-Trail

    State: PA
    Length: 28 miles
    Surface: Crushed Stone

    For up-to-date information on the Great Allegheny Passage, visit the Allegheny Trail Alliance Web site and to discover Trail Towns along the Great Allegheny Passage, visit the Trail Town Program Web site This trail has been named as one of ...