Explore the best rated trails in Johnstown, PA. Whether you're looking for an easy walking trail or a bike trail like the Bells Gap Rail Trail and Lower Trail. With more than 38 trails covering 4410 miles you’re bound to find a perfect trail for you. Click on any trail below to find trail descriptions, trail maps, photos, and reviews.
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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...
If Punxsutawney Phil sees his shadow on Groundhog Day, Mahoning Shadow Trail users expect six more weeks of winter before spring arrives. The 15-mile Central Pennsylvania trail passes through the...
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 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...
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The David S. Ammerman Trail rolls through Pennsylvania coal country for nearly 11 miles between Clearfield and Grampian, skirting the West Branch of the Susquehanna River and two of its tributaries....
Built in 1871 to transport the region’s high-quality limestone to support Pittsburgh’s growing steel industry, the Butler Branch of the Pennsylvania Railroad was the first railroad in Butler County....
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...
Stretching 10.6 miles through south-central Pennsylvania, this rail-trail follows the route of the former Huntingdon and Broad Top Mountain Railroad, a standard--gauge railroad founded in 1852 to...
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...
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...
The stars in the Big Dipper and Little Dipper help navigators locate the North Star. Following the five stars in the Five Star Trail—the municipalities of Hempfield Township, Youngwood, South...
The first 0.5 mile of the Ligonier Valley Trail and Bikeway is now complete, linking the town's popular attractions: Fort Ligonier from the days of George Washington and the French and Indian War, the...
The waterway implied in the name of the Jim Mayer Riverswalk is the beautiful Stonycreek River. The trail, also named for a local conservationist, hugs its eastern bank, providing a natural retreat in...
The Great American Rail-Trail highlights some of the country’s most iconic landmarks, well-known geography and storied history across a 3,700-miles-plus route between Washington and Washington....
The Shuster Way Heritage Trail (formerly known as the Bedford Heritage Trail) provides a safe and picturesque connection between a topnotch resort and a nationally recognized downtown. From the Omni...
The Armstrong Trail connects riverfront towns along the east bank of the Allegheny River as it winds through the lush Allegheny Plateau. The flat trail, currently 35.5 miles, follows the river...
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...
Following the Potomac River, the C&O Canal Towpath traverses the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park for 184.5 miles between Georgetown in Washington, D.C., and Cumberland, Maryland. For...
The 17.8-mile Westmoreland Heritage Trail, a family-friendly multiuse rail-trail, offers opportunities for recreation and connections to nature along its two separated segments between Saltsburg and...
The Great Allegheny Passage (GAP) is an iconic rail-trail that runs 150 miles from Cumberland, Maryland, to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and was built in partnership between state agencies and many local...
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 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 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 Armstrong Trail connects riverfront towns along the east bank of the Allegheny River as it winds through the lush Allegheny Plateau. The flat trail, currently 35.5 miles, follows the river...
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 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...
The first 0.5 mile of the Ligonier Valley Trail and Bikeway is now complete, linking the town's popular attractions: Fort Ligonier from the days of George Washington and the French and Indian War, the...
The Sheepskin Rail-Trail is a developing pathway located in rural Fayette County, Pennsylvania. As of 2018, the trail is open in three disconnected segments, totaling nearly 6 miles. Eventually, the...
Following the Potomac River, the C&O Canal Towpath traverses the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park for 184.5 miles between Georgetown in Washington, D.C., and Cumberland, Maryland. For...
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...
If you have a tendency to tootle along when you walk or bicycle, then consider taking the Hoodlebug Trail. You’ll find many diversions in and around the college campus in the borough of Indiana and...
Part of a larger system in Western Pennsylvania known as the Trans Allegheny Trails, the Ghost Town Trail was named for the long-abandoned towns strung along the tracks of the Ebensburg & Black Lick...
If Punxsutawney Phil sees his shadow on Groundhog Day, Mahoning Shadow Trail users expect six more weeks of winter before spring arrives. The 15-mile Central Pennsylvania trail passes through the...
The Great American Rail-Trail highlights some of the country’s most iconic landmarks, well-known geography and storied history across a 3,700-miles-plus route between Washington and Washington....
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...
Spurred by the success of New York’s revolutionary Erie Canal, Pennsylvania started constructing its own canal system in 1826 to link Pittsburgh and Philadelphia. But the Allegheny Mountains...
The stars in the Big Dipper and Little Dipper help navigators locate the North Star. Following the five stars in the Five Star Trail—the municipalities of Hempfield Township, Youngwood, South...
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...
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...
Stretching 10.6 miles through south-central Pennsylvania, this rail-trail follows the route of the former Huntingdon and Broad Top Mountain Railroad, a standard--gauge railroad founded in 1852 to...
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 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...
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 Great Allegheny Passage (GAP) is an iconic rail-trail that runs 150 miles from Cumberland, Maryland, to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and was built in partnership between state agencies and many local...
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 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...
Evidence of the Roaring Run Trail’s past lives are readily visible all along the 4.8-mile corridor in western Pennsylvania. Stone remains in the Kiskiminetas River (Kiski for short) mark the site of a...
The Sheepskin Rail-Trail is a developing pathway located in rural Fayette County, Pennsylvania. As of 2018, the trail is open in three disconnected segments, totaling nearly 6 miles. Eventually, the...
The first 0.5 mile of the Ligonier Valley Trail and Bikeway is now complete, linking the town's popular attractions: Fort Ligonier from the days of George Washington and the French and Indian War, the...
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...
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...
The 17.8-mile Westmoreland Heritage Trail, a family-friendly multiuse rail-trail, offers opportunities for recreation and connections to nature along its two separated segments between Saltsburg and...
If you have a tendency to tootle along when you walk or bicycle, then consider taking the Hoodlebug Trail. You’ll find many diversions in and around the college campus in the borough of Indiana and...
The Armstrong Trail connects riverfront towns along the east bank of the Allegheny River as it winds through the lush Allegheny Plateau. The flat trail, currently 35.5 miles, follows the river...
Following the Potomac River, the C&O Canal Towpath traverses the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park for 184.5 miles between Georgetown in Washington, D.C., and Cumberland, Maryland. For...
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...
Spurred by the success of New York’s revolutionary Erie Canal, Pennsylvania started constructing its own canal system in 1826 to link Pittsburgh and Philadelphia. But the Allegheny Mountains...
If Punxsutawney Phil sees his shadow on Groundhog Day, Mahoning Shadow Trail users expect six more weeks of winter before spring arrives. The 15-mile Central Pennsylvania trail passes through the...
The Loop Trail provides an alternate route to the Great Allegheny Passage between Boston and McKeesport. The route separates from the Great Allegheny Passage at Boston, crosses the Boston Bridge over...
The Path of the Flood Trail might be unique among rail-trails for being named after a tragedy, the Johnstown Flood of 1889, considered the nation’s worst catastrophe of the 19th century. Some 2,200...
We split it into two days. Pretty easy ride. A bit uphill until the ECD but not too bad being that it’s very gradual. Big time downhill into Cumberland after The Divide. Take time to stop in Ohiopyle, it’s worth the time and the Yough river is awesome there. They have a couple decent outfitters there and a good place to grab a bite to refuel. Continued on to DC after, four days total. Trail can be pretty “rooty” in places after meeting up with the Towpath.
Absolutely beautiful ride anytime of the year! Make sure to stop in Saltsburg, cutest little town on the tail. Grab a sandwich and something to drink at GG’s bakery for the rest of your ride. You won’t be sorry.
October 2019
30 miles plus another walk up the hill to Frostburg. The trail to Frostburg is all uphill! Be aware. Great views. Had lunch in Frostburg at the Creamery - very good.
Camped 5 nice weather days in Ohiopyle State Park last week of Sept 2019. I rode alone, 1st day Steve (Wilderness Voyageurs) gave me very historically
informative shuttle to Meyersdale RT visitor center. Beautiful 41 mile 6hr slight downhill woodland bike back to Ohiopyle. 2nd day, drove my car and bike to West Newton RT visitor center, leaving car there overnight. Very slight uphill 42 mile wonderful bike trip back, leaving bike overnight at Wilderness Voyageurs, then 3/4 mile hike up steep trail to park campsite.
3rd day hiked trail down to get Wilderness Voyageurs shuttle to Point State Park in Pittsburg and 35 mile interesting bike back to my car in West Newton and drive back to campsite. 4th day I drove to Cumberland for Get Out&Play Outfitters' Tom's informative shuttle to Meyersdale. Then 32 downhill miles
of historic sites and tunnels. Was best RT bike trip of many I've done. Most
of the trail is beautiful woodland with constant river views and lots of historic signage. The small villages with RT visitor centers make for enjoyable rest stops; people are very pleasant and helpful. Would do the downhill Meyersdale to Cumberland (best part) on last day. You could do
the slight downhill from Meyersdale to Pittsburg first or just start in Pittsburg. The trail through McKeesport needs work. Had to ask in Pittsburg
where in Point State Park the GAP starts, not signed well. Also had to ask
which of the many Pittsburg bridges was the "Hot Metal Bridge" GAP crossing. You can't ride a bike from Ohiopyle State Park campground to
the trail, the car road is too narrow, busy and way too steep. The hike trail
is also too steep but you could push and pull your bike up and down it if you're young and very strong. There are a few campsites along the trail.
There are many nice B&Bs in the towns along the trail.
My overall feeling about the Great Allegheny Passage is, if you like rail trails,
you must do this one !
Excellent trail in fantastic shape and everything is well-maintained. Scenery varies nicely so that you have many different backdrops along the ride. We went north from Tatesville to the end and back and clocked 24+ miles. Excellent parking at the trail head!
This trail fairly close to State College, so thought we would try it out. Yes, there are some scenic sections but also numerous crossings. The grade from Curwensville to Grampian just took the fun out of it for me, but I was determined to reach the end.
Rode this trail Friday October 4 took canal towpath west until the second bridge connection and continued until the pave trail ended. Towpath was nice and dry but rough ( should have worn gloves ) Went back on paved Western Maryland Rail Trail. There were 2 gigantic parking lots which had no cars not sure if they are necessary but nice. The trail has grown longer since the last time I was here.
rode cumberland to pittsburgh rain on day one heavy fog day 2.
camped in connellsville day 1 then finnished at the point in pittsburgh,great ride. 6hrs on thursday 4hrs friday. 1st time on trail will not be the last.
flew in from arizona . cant wait for the next time,pittsburgh to dc.
Rode this trail last week, 10 miles round trip. An utter waste of time, totally neglected trail. Do yourself a favor and avoid this trail and drive down to the GAP trail.
Love the trail, but surface could use a little TLC though, many gravely spots for folks with three wheels on the ground.
Started at trailhead in Clearfield behind Family Dollar. Rode the 10.5 miles to the end at Grampian. The scenery is mostly wooded areas and 1 farm. You will ride beside mountain stream the last 5 miles. The trail is crushed limestone and wide enough to ride side by side. There are port a johns at mile marker 1.9 and 8.1. If you are going to ride the entire trail, start at Clearfield. The last 4.5 miles are all up hill. When you turn around at Grampian, the first mile is easy peddling and the next 3.5 miles you will coast. The last six are not to hard either. The only problem is at Curwensville is you have to cross 2 roads at a traffic light. I had to look for the trail. Not well marked here. Go straight across the road then turn 90 degrees right across the next road. The best scenery is the last 5 miles up the mountain.
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