Explore the best rated trails in Mount Union, PA, whether you're looking for an easy walking trail or a bike trail like the Ghost Town Trail and Bells Gap Rail Trail . With more than 25 trails covering 4152 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.
Day 2 of our ride to complete all 16.5 miles (and back). We parked at Flowing Spring Road/Trailhead and biked to Williamsburg and back. Another great day on the trail. This trail is crushed limestone with the exception of the Williamsburg area, which is asphalt paved. We enjoyed the historic Grannis Station, mile 13 on the trail.
Having traveled over 3 hours, we split this trail up over 2 days and made an overnighter out of it. So much history along this trail, old foundations, and locks & canals, with many interesting sights. We also stopped at Mt. Etna old furnace, near the trail. Day 1 cycled from mile 0 in Alfarata to Williamsburg, mile 11. Trail surface is crushed stone except the Williamsburg section is paved. We stayed in nearby Altoona which offers several hotels and many restaurants.
I rode this for a second time recently. The trail is in great shape. I will they would add the path through the tunnel. Extending the trail over the three bridges would make this the best in the area. Not sure if that is a plan. Hancock is a great town. Very remote in little orleans
This trail has been upgraded around tofftrees…
This is my favorite paved trail. All the bumps and roots are gone since the repaving project was completed in fall 2024. Hancock is the town at about the middle mileage. The western end is quiet through the woods. There are very few road crossings and it's pretty flat grade. Berkeley Springs WV is only 6 miles south of Hancock MD and that's a cute tourist town to visit. There's also a good bike store in Hancock.
Ok section, kind of dull. Agriculture & cows. Found a bit of shade by a grain elevator for lunch. Several washouts filled with tumbleweeds as you get closer to Lind.
While in the area, at Little Buffalo State Park, we visited this trail. Trailhead and parking below the dam. There is a covered bridge and old mill there. Trail is flat and goes approx 1 mile. Surface is gravel. Interesting stop to see the historical items. We were there the end of December and the trail was decorated for a Christmas Holiday walking tour. In the state park there are picnic areas and a swimming pool up above the lake.
It was a foggy damp day. Very light traffic on the trail except in Shippensburg. Very, very well maintained! Some of the gravel is deeper in areas than others, which when wet causes substantial drag on the tires. Total of 26 1/2 miles from end to end as out and back.
It's a nice walking trail, or if you're taking it to get to the MTB trails. But, if you have a road bike you should just take the road. It's a shame they couldn't have used crushed gravel so roadies could bypass the section of road past the Elks. As it is, it's worthless for road bikes.
Ran the Trail today in a light rain. Enjoyable and easy run through farmland and woods.
I biked from Pittsburgh to DC (GAP and C&O trails combined) 9/8 thru 9/14/24. This review is for the C&O only. Weather – excellent. Scenery- beautiful. Accommodations – very good. Trail surfaces –highly variable from narrow dirt paths laced with muddy holes to relatively smooth, hardpacked dirt to loose gravel (better for a pickup truck than a bicycle!). From 10 miles south of Great Falls into DC the trail/road was especially rough. I was riding an Off-road bike with 40 MM wide tires and momentarily lost front tire stability in MANY spots due to loose gravel (especially on the sloped paths leading into & out of lock areas). My biggest safety concern were the numerous concrete bridges over creeks & culverts that had ZERO guard rails, warning signs or even yellow paint. The bridge widths were narrower than the trail requiring the biker to NOTICE and move more to the center for safety. If a biker went off the side of any of these bridges, I’d expect serious injuries or worse. The worst safety hazard was at Lock 38. Approaching the lock from the southwest side, the (main) trail leads right across the top of the lock wall- that is 3 to 4 ft wide with only an outer rail – very dangerous. The drop off to the grassy floor below was about 7-9 feet straight down. I was in a group of riders that suddenly saw this “tightrope” situation and jammed on their brakes. (Nobody realized we should have diverted onto a narrow, unmarked path that led downward through the lock.) Fortunately, everyone stopped safely; walked their bikes down a slope and on to the safe path through the bottom of the lock. A simple, cheap sign could prevent the near-miss accidents at this spot.
I’m really disappointed that this National Park hasn’t (at least) marked these safety hazards. Considering all the hazards and the rough gravel, I think this C&O Towpath trail merits 2 stars.
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