A nice trail as described by previous reviewers, but don't forget to visit the Bee Kind Winery approx. 3 miles from the Clearfield trail head. On the left hand side of the trail as you are heading towards Grampian, and just before the rail bridge, you will see a beautiful house with amazing gardens. Look for the little wooden foot bridge (I recommend walking your bike from here) and go around to the front of the house towards the main road. Joe, the owner, is especially welcoming and knowledgable of the area. So if you need more history of the trail, he could probably tell you.

I just got back from a nice late August ride with my three kids (ages 12, 9 and 9). We started at the Clearfield end on the trail, as suggested by someone else from a previous review. We parked near the "trailhead" behind what used to be the True Value Hardware store. There was ample parking near the trailhead, but no facilities.

As we departed Clearfield, we rode along the trail behind several local businesses and some residential properties. We had to cross over PA Route 879 at a well-marked intersection with pedestrian crossing signals. Since I had the kids, I made sure to dismount, press the button and walk across the intersection with the light.

Back on the trail, we rode parallel to the highway. We were well off the road on the nice, crushed-stone trail, but we did have quite a bit of road noise from the traffic. As we continued on, we had several road crossings (driveways mostly) to navigate, but each was well marked for both the cyclists on the trail and the cars on the road.

We passed the Winter Barn antique store at one road crossing. I make a point to remember to mention this place as a potential stop for anyone who likes antiques. It would be a good stop along the way for this ride as it is right off the trail.

From here, we entered a more rural part of the trail as it follows the banks of the river. The views are beautiful. We stopped at the picnic table around mile 2.5 for the lunch we brought along. We continued along the trail passing several other picnic tables - some under covered pavilions. There were several points along the way that fishermen had obviously used to find their way down to the river.

We passed a couple of farms and nice out-of-the-way private residences. One had some nice looking ponds and were well marked as "private property".

We continued on the trail passing over the river on a bridge. The view of the river from the bridge was gorgeous.

As we passed through Curwensville, the trail crosses an intersection of two roads. The trail itself is not easily visible, but there is a nice sign/map at each end that identifies the proper and safe way to cross the two roads. There are traffic lights with pedestrian buttons. We dismounted and crossed on foot. One set of pedestrian crossing buttons was broken, so we simply crossed with the lights. There were some minor road crossings in Curwensville, but very, very light traffic so it was no problem for us.

Once we left Curwensville and headed on to Grampian, we noticed that there was a much higher grade uphill. I remembered the other review that mentioned this. Well, the kids got tired around mile marker 6.5. We continued on to marker 7.5, so that we could make our round trip a solid 15. As we coasted downhill from 7.5 to 6, the ride made the wind blow and cool us off!

In all, our 15 mile trip took us 3.5 hours... but that also included our break for lunch and leisurely pace to ride with the younger kids.

My only "complaints" about this trail is a lack of restroom facilities at the trailheads and the slight confusion about the road crossing in Curwensville. However, these are only minor issues. The trail is relatively well maintained and in good repair. There are several trailheads where you can access the trail and all seemed to have a few places to park, etc.

In all, this was a great trip for a lazy Saturday afternoon. I'm looking forward to bringing a larger group on this trail in a couple of months. I'm sure the Fall leaves will make this trip picturesque.

In response to:

"This trail is particularly nice on the Curwensville - Grampian end - loaded with rhododendron. Uphill all the way, fairly steep for a railroad grade, but one can coast for most of the five miles back from Grampian to Curwensville. Clearfield to Curwensville is non-descript, mostly along the highway. We ride mostly during the week and there are NO facilities once one leaves Clearfield! Curwensville & Grampian are decidedly cylist-unfriendly, although there is a community park 1/2 mile north of Grampian on Rt.219 that may be open at times on weekends."


The trail from Curwensville to Clearfield is not mostly along a highway. There is a river between the trail and SR 879 for miles as you pass through farmland. The last mile and a half approaching Clearfield are near SR 879.

Having biked the trail many times over the years, as many people do, I have never noticed any unfriendliness whatsoever.

There are restroom facilities at the Clearfield trailhead, mid-trail at Aletta's Market and at the trailhead at Grampian.