Find the top rated trails in Johnstown, whether you're looking an easy walking path or a long bike trail, you'll find what you're looking for. Click on a trail below to find trail descriptions, trail maps, photos, and reviews.
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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...
Less than an hour from Pittsburgh, the Little Crabtree Creek travels for just over a mile in Unity Township, east of Greensburg. This first phase of the trail opened in July 2014; a future phase will...
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 Butler County. After a two-day...
To the residents of Lastrobe, the Lincoln Avenue Rails to Trails Greenway is more than a simple off-road path: it also a social asset, a place where community members of all ages and walks of life can...
The Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park (a.k.a. C&O Canal Towpath) follows the route of the Potomac River for 184.5 miles between Georgetown in Washington, D.C., and Cumberland, Maryland....
Despite its eerie name, there's nothing scary about the Ghost Town Trail. It is actually named for the numerous towns that were served by the Ebensburg & Blacklick Railroad, as well as the Cambria &...
Open since 1989, the creek-side Indian Creek Valley Trail traces the route of the Indian Creek Valley Railraod (ICVRR). Just north of Indian Head, you will come to a cluster of acid mine drainage...
The Honan Avenue Trail is a 3.5 mile long community pathway in Johnstown, Pennsylvania. The trail begins at the River Walk Trail in Cambria City, Johnstown, then heads north for three miles along...
The Blairsville Riverfront Trail is a scenic woodland trail located along the Conemaugh River. The property the trail was built on is owned by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, who maintain a...
The Westmoreland Heritage Trail is an excellent example of a family-friendly multi-use rail-trail. This crushed-limestone trail features reclaimed railroad bridges over the Conemaugh River and...
The Sheepskin Trail is a lovely rural trail located in Fayette County, Pennsylvania. The trail currently connects the town of Dunbar with the popular Great Allegheny Passage, just south of...
The waterway implied in the name of the Jim Mayer Riverwalk is the beautiful Stonycreek River. The trail, also named for a local conservationist, hugs its eastern bank, providing a natural retreat in...
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The Huntingdon and Broad Top Rail Trail follows a former rail corridor stretching just over 10 miles from Riddlesburg to Tatesville in southern Pennsylvania. The trail's name comes from the Huntingdon...
Clymer Trail offers a short, but pleasant route along a wooded hillside on Clymer Borough's west end. The rail-trail follows the former Sample Run Mine Branch of the Cherry Tree & Dixonville Railroad....
The Tredway Trail's full name is the Wynn and Clara Tredway River Trail, a 2.5-mile run on the eastern side of the Allegheny River just north of New Kensington. The trail is included in an initiative...
The short but scenic Cowanshannock Trail is a great pathway for hikers, walkers, and bikers to use to link to the larger Armstrong Trail. The Cowanshannock is 1.27 miles long, and plans are to extend...
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...
The Bedford Heritage Trail provides a safe and picturesque connection between a topnotch resort and a nationally recognized downtown. From the Omni Bedford Springs Resort and Spa, the trail snakes...
The out-and-back Roaring Run is the third incarnation of this pathway. First to occupy the waterfront site was the Pennsylvania Main Line Canal towpath, which operated between 1825 and 1850. The...
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...
To the residents of Lastrobe, the Lincoln Avenue Rails to Trails Greenway is more than a simple off-road path: it also a social asset, a place where community members of all ages and walks of life can...
Now the longest rail-trail east of the Mississippi River, the 150-mile Great Allegheny Passage (GAP) spans two states in its course along great rivers and across mountain passes. Running from...
Open since 1989, the creek-side Indian Creek Valley Trail traces the route of the Indian Creek Valley Railraod (ICVRR). Just north of Indian Head, you will come to a cluster of acid mine drainage...
The Mahoning Shadow Trail has a flat surface that is easy for biking, running and walking. There is little signage on the trail, but each trailhead and access point is well marked. Begin at the...
The out-and-back Roaring Run is the third incarnation of this pathway. First to occupy the waterfront site was the Pennsylvania Main Line Canal towpath, which operated between 1825 and 1850. The...
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...
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...
Any trail with a name like "Hoodlebug" deserves a visit. The 10-mile trail follows the path of the 1856-era Indiana Branch of the Pennsylvania Railroad, which ran from Blairsville north to the town of...
The 1.5-mile Rock Furnace Trail is a scenic path in Roaring Run Recreation Area. The trail follows Roaring Run Creek from its confluence at the Kiski River to a small parking area off Brownstown Road....
The Tredway Trail's full name is the Wynn and Clara Tredway River Trail, a 2.5-mile run on the eastern side of the Allegheny River just north of New Kensington. The trail is included in an initiative...
The Bedford Heritage Trail provides a safe and picturesque connection between a topnotch resort and a nationally recognized downtown. From the Omni Bedford Springs Resort and Spa, the trail snakes...
The Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park (a.k.a. C&O Canal Towpath) follows the route of the Potomac River for 184.5 miles between Georgetown in Washington, D.C., and Cumberland, Maryland....
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...
The Blairsville Riverfront Trail is a scenic woodland trail located along the Conemaugh River. The property the trail was built on is owned by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, who maintain a...
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...
The Carpendale Trail straddles the North Branch of the Potomac River between Carpendale in West Virginia and Cumberland in Maryland. The wooden bridge spanning 386 feet across the river is a...
Despite its eerie name, there's nothing scary about the Ghost Town Trail. It is actually named for the numerous towns that were served by the Ebensburg & Blacklick Railroad, as well as the Cambria &...
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...
The Sheepskin Trail is a lovely rural trail located in Fayette County, Pennsylvania. The trail currently connects the town of Dunbar with the popular Great Allegheny Passage, just south of...
Apollo's Kiski Riverfront Trail, built on the former M-Line Railroad bed, begins in downtown Apollo and follows the scenic Kiskiminetas River (called "Kiski" locally) to North Apollo. The nearly level...
In western Pennsylvania, the Armstrong Trail offers 30 miles of improved trail with several short on-road sections between Rosston and East Brady in Armstrong and Clarion Counties. North of East...
Apollo's Kiski Riverfront Trail, built on the former M-Line Railroad bed, begins in downtown Apollo and follows the scenic Kiskiminetas River (called "Kiski" locally) to North Apollo. The nearly level...
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...
The Carpendale Trail straddles the North Branch of the Potomac River between Carpendale in West Virginia and Cumberland in Maryland. The wooden bridge spanning 386 feet across the river is a...
Less than an hour from Pittsburgh, the Little Crabtree Creek travels for just over a mile in Unity Township, east of Greensburg. This first phase of the trail opened in July 2014; a future phase will...
Though it memorializes a sad occasion, the Path of the Flood Trail is a beautiful, tranquil trail. In the Johnstown Flood of 1889, the South Fork Dam failed and more than 2,200 townspeople lost their...
The Sheepskin Trail is a lovely rural trail located in Fayette County, Pennsylvania. The trail currently connects the town of Dunbar with the popular Great Allegheny Passage, just south of...
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...
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...
The out-and-back Roaring Run is the third incarnation of this pathway. First to occupy the waterfront site was the Pennsylvania Main Line Canal towpath, which operated between 1825 and 1850. The...
Clymer Trail offers a short, but pleasant route along a wooded hillside on Clymer Borough's west end. The rail-trail follows the former Sample Run Mine Branch of the Cherry Tree & Dixonville Railroad....
The short but scenic Cowanshannock Trail is a great pathway for hikers, walkers, and bikers to use to link to the larger Armstrong Trail. The Cowanshannock is 1.27 miles long, and plans are to extend...
The Mahoning Shadow Trail has a flat surface that is easy for biking, running and walking. There is little signage on the trail, but each trailhead and access point is well marked. Begin at the...
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Following the corridor of a mountain-crossing railroad that operated 1834-1854, this trail has two segments approximately 15 miles apart. The southern, crushed stone segment, about 2.3 miles long,...
The Honan Avenue Trail is a 3.5 mile long community pathway in Johnstown, Pennsylvania. The trail begins at the River Walk Trail in Cambria City, Johnstown, then heads north for three miles along...
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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...
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...
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 Butler County. After a two-day...
Open since 1989, the creek-side Indian Creek Valley Trail traces the route of the Indian Creek Valley Railraod (ICVRR). Just north of Indian Head, you will come to a cluster of acid mine drainage...
Despite its eerie name, there's nothing scary about the Ghost Town Trail. It is actually named for the numerous towns that were served by the Ebensburg & Blacklick Railroad, as well as the Cambria &...
We parked in Cloe, and headed into Punxsy, then turned around went back to Cloe and headed to the Winslow trail head. You have to briefly ride on the road to reconnect to the trail, just past the Cloe Lumber yard. The ride to Winslow is mostly up hill and was a great work out. Crews had obviously been out to do trail maintainence with the heavy rain the area has received this summer. Saw only a few others when we were on the trail. The trail is very secluded, with only a few benches. Seeing hunting tree stands right next to the trail is a bit unnerving, but I just won't ride this trail come Fall.
We took some time out to do this trail on a drive from Philadelphia to Ohio. We stayed at the Hampton Inn in Bedford, so the drive to Hopewell was about 30 minutes. The drive there was beautiful on this mid-summer morning. With a little bit of effort and following the bike path signs, we made our way to the old Hopewell train station and parked. As we were getting our tandem bike ready, some local ladies stopped by and were able to point us in the correct direction to Tatesville.
When leaving Hopewell, you are on the main road just long enough to cross a small bridge, then you are on the gravel trail. It starts out as a shared road, but we only encountered one slow moving car. The gravel in this section is larger, and there are areas with potholes, so you need to watch were you ride. Here the trail is partially shaded and there are nice views of the river, meadows and the rising hills.
After passing through a camping area, the trail no longer allowed cars, and the gravel got much smaller and the potholes went away. But the gravel was not hard packed and in some places bogs down your tires. We saw mostly local riders on hybrids and a pair on fat bikes, as well as some walkers.
Near Cypher there is a beautiful bridge/river crossing followed by a narrow gorge. Pause here for some time to take in the view. From there the trail starts a long slow steady incline. This, combined with the thick, small grained gravel, can be challenging. There are a couple of outhouse/restrooms along the trail between Hopewell and Tatesville.
This is a beautiful trail. Hats off to local organizations and government who helped create it. I would only suggest, if possible, to pack down the small gravel, and maybe add some directional signs (like in Hopewell) and maybe some mile markers noting the distances to the next landmarks.
We will be back again to ride the length of this trail and get to parts we missed, though we will probably come back with wider knobby tires.
I rode the Hoodlebug Trail on July 2 starting in Saylor Park near the town of Black Lick. The trail winds through a managed forest area for a mile or so before joining with an interstate highway. I blitzed the two mile section running parallel to the noisy highway before arriving in the town of Homer City. There is a circuitous route through town and a rest area with the local history placards and a bench or two. The trail continues on through a wooded section and then some farmland. There are several bridges and streams along the route where people stop to look and take pictures. You will see a lot of the IUP crowd running and biking along the route as you approach Indiana. I like this trail because it is well maintained and there are several historical sights along the way detailing industry from the 1900's. They tell you what a "hoodlebug" is, too.
We rode to Clearfield from Grampian. Enjoyed the 12 mph coast for about 3 1/2 miles leaving Grampion. The return up hill was about 5 mph. Emjoyef the river and creek an run views. Trail is hard packed cinder. No problem with comfort style bikes
This was our first long bike adventure ever. I've been retired several years and my wife retired last summer '16 from teaching. She had been a complete academic and never was interested in sports except when our kids were involved. Now, she loves exercising and gym workouts. We've done single day bike excursions, but nothing like this. We started in Homewood (Pittsburgh area) and rode far (52 miles) for rookies on the first day, to Connellsville. Unbelievably beautiful natural environment surrounded us every stroke of the pedal. First night we stayed at the Connellsville B&B and were very impressed with immaculate cleanliness, delicious breakfast, and pleasant owner, Lucille. After our 52-mile day, I was worried about my wife's physical well being, but by the next morning she felt much better and we were glad we had planned a much shorter ride (28 miles) Day 2 to Confluence. There, we stayed overnight at Parker House, also a pleasant stay, though no breakfast is included. We purchased simple breakfast food items at the local grocery store. The third day was our longest ride (62 miles), planned knowing the last 24 miles into Cumberland are downhill. Our daughter, husband, and granddaughters were waiting at Mile Zero with flowers and cheers. Just a beautiful, enjoyable, and educational trip. And you meet the kind, helpful, friendly people on the trail that help make this world a better place. Outstanding scenery, cool shade on hot days thanks to beautiful vegetation, historical passageway with awesome bridges and tunnels, well-maintained trails. We can't wait to do it again!
Can't say more been riding the YRT trail for years!!
This was the ugliest trail I've ever seen. First of all, didn't even look like a trail. We had a hard time even finding it. All gravelly, rutted and too rough. More like a four wheeler trail. And the black flies were horrible. Looks abandoned and creepy. Should be taken off this link. Waste of a Saturday
I did this trail as a little side trip off the C&O. I think its name is actually Knobley Tunnel Trail. Unmarked from the Maryland side, but it's right beside the remnants of a railroad trestle. My first tunnel on a bicycle - quite the experience! Incredibly humid!
We rode from Saltsburg to Delmont and back on the advice of other reviewers. The trail is a little narrow in parts but not too bad. Even though it was 4th of July it wasn't too crowded. There is definitely a grade going to Delmont but there is also some uphill on the way back as well. Challenging for beginners I'm sure but a well maintained trail. Ran out of water on the way back and Slickville Grocery has a back entrance off the trail that was convenient.
Nice view, good for walking and running! Not made for bikes being made of crushed stone and having tree branches here and there and no way is it ok for a wheelchair! If this was paved it would get 5 stars!
I absolutely love this trail. Plenty of hills and turns makes it really fun to bike on. The cable bridge has a ramp on each end and is kinda narrow making it fun to bike across. There are short off road trails that run parallel to the main trail with rocks, roots and trees to practice mountain biking skills on. I really wish this trail was longer, but it does connect to the Roaring Run Trail which has some good mountain biking trails branching off of it. There's a lot of good riding for all different skill levels in this area.
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