Explore the best rated trails in New Castle, PA. Whether you're looking for an easy walking trail or a bike trail like the Maple Highlands Trail and Western Reserve Greenway. With more than 45 trails covering 4383 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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It’s hard to believe that the world’s first oil boom occurred along the path of what’s now the Oil Creek State Park Trail. The park’s forests, beaver ponds, and trout streams were once the site of oil...
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...
Fifty years after the last trolley cars ran on the Penn-Ohio Electric System between Youngstown, Ohio, and New Castle, Pennsylvania, in 1932, travelers on foot, bikes, and skates began using the...
Starting in Meadville, known as the home of the zipper, the 7.2-mile Ernst Trail closes the gap between the city and surrounding forests and farms for visitors. The trail is named for Calvin Ernst,...
As it winds along Oil Creek, McClintock Trail connects Oil Creek State Park with Oil City. Note that much of the route is on-road. Just south of the park, a 1.8-mile section on Waitz Road, a dirt...
The Western Reserve Greenway travels 43 miles through a scenic, mostly rural area, cutting a north–south course from Ashtabula to Warren in northeastern Ohio. The route follows much of the...
The Niles Greenway is a paved, multi-use path running northsouth between the county line on the south and the town of Niles. The pleasant trail passes through a mix of wooded areas, scattered light...
The Clarion Highlands Trail is one of the highest rail-trails in the Commonwealth. It traverses the Allegheny Plateau, passing over the divide between the Clarion and Allegheny Rivers, and follows the...
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...
Keep your eyes open for wildlife when you visit the Allegheny River Trail. This segment of the Allegheny River—once a canoe route for local tribes and French trappers—was designated a national wild...
Situated in downtown Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania, the asphalt trail runs through a park setting on the former Pittsburgh and Lake Erie Railroad close to the Beaver River and ending near the rugby...
The Oil City Trail connects the Samuel Justus Recreation Trail and the McClintock Trail through the center of Oil City, Pennsylvania. The 2-mile walking and biking pathway runs along the Allegheny...
You’ll want to pack water, food, and flashlights to travel the Sandy Creek Trail, as it crosses 12 miles of remote, but scenic, countryside in Northwestern Pennsylvania. Named for separate Sandy...
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 Airport Connector is a spur off the impressive Montour Trail that circles the western outskirts of Pittsburgh. The paved pathway begins just off the extended-term parking lot on the western end of...
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...
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The Iron Horse Trail runs along the corridor of a railroad that originally connected Alliance and Minerva. The north section runs from State St, across from the University of Mount Union, to the...
The bucolic Headwaters Trail is a pleasant 8-mile journey through the rural landscape between Mantua and Garrettsville. The path has a crushed-stone surface and is mostly shaded. It follows the route...
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 Portage Hike and Bike Trail stretches nearly 10 miles between Kent and Ravenna, about 40 miles southeast of Cleveland and the southern shores of Lake Erie. As of December 2015, its entire length...
The Airport Connector is a spur off the impressive Montour Trail that circles the western outskirts of Pittsburgh. The paved pathway begins just off the extended-term parking lot on the western end of...
The Niles Greenway is a paved, multi-use path running northsouth between the county line on the south and the town of Niles. The pleasant trail passes through a mix of wooded areas, scattered light...
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 Berlin Lake Trail lies mid-way between Cleveland and Pittsburgh in Deerfield Township of Portage County. The 2-mile crushed limestone rail-trail crosses Berlin Lake, traveling through wooded areas...
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...
One of Pennsylvania's rail-with-trails, where trains and trail users share a corridor, the Arboretum Trail is a lovely landscaped trail through downtown Oakmont. The rail corridor has a dramatic...
Fifty years after the last trolley cars ran on the Penn-Ohio Electric System between Youngstown, Ohio, and New Castle, Pennsylvania, in 1932, travelers on foot, bikes, and skates began using the...
The 61.5-mile Montour Trail follows most of the former Montour Railroad’s main line west and south of Pittsburgh. This little short line was incorporated during the late 19th century and, despite its...
The Western Reserve Greenway travels 43 miles through a scenic, mostly rural area, cutting a north–south course from Ashtabula to Warren in northeastern Ohio. The route follows much of the...
The Clarion Highlands Trail is one of the highest rail-trails in the Commonwealth. It traverses the Allegheny Plateau, passing over the divide between the Clarion and Allegheny Rivers, and follows the...
A short, but sweet, unassuming trail which runs on former trolley right-of-way while flanked by Clearview Avenue above and Crafton Boulevard below. Provides a traffic-free alternative to busy Crafton...
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....
Moraine State Park features a nearly seven mile bike trail, which follows the north shore of Lake Arthur. Along the way, you'll enjoy beautiful scenery, especially during the fall as trees line the...
Oil flows through the veins of the Samuel Justus Recreation Trail. Its northern departure point is Oil City, which was founded during the 1860s oil boom and became the headquarters for several...
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 Harmony Trail in the North Hills is a work in progress, managed by volunteers with the Rachel Carson Trails Conservancy. As of August 2011, about 1 mile of a proposed 4.3 miles of abandoned rail...
You’ll want to pack water, food, and flashlights to travel the Sandy Creek Trail, as it crosses 12 miles of remote, but scenic, countryside in Northwestern Pennsylvania. Named for separate Sandy...
The Vestal Trail is 0.5-mile connection through town of McCandless that joins the Oakridge neighborhood to the playing fields at its eastern end. The trail is maintained by volunteers of the Rachel...
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 bucolic Headwaters Trail is a pleasant 8-mile journey through the rural landscape between Mantua and Garrettsville. The path has a crushed-stone surface and is mostly shaded. It follows the route...
Oil flows through the veins of the Samuel Justus Recreation Trail. Its northern departure point is Oil City, which was founded during the 1860s oil boom and became the headquarters for several...
One of Pennsylvania's rail-with-trails, where trains and trail users share a corridor, the Arboretum Trail is a lovely landscaped trail through downtown Oakmont. The rail corridor has a dramatic...
Fifty years after the last trolley cars ran on the Penn-Ohio Electric System between Youngstown, Ohio, and New Castle, Pennsylvania, in 1932, travelers on foot, bikes, and skates began using the...
The Harmony Trail in the North Hills is a work in progress, managed by volunteers with the Rachel Carson Trails Conservancy. As of August 2011, about 1 mile of a proposed 4.3 miles of abandoned rail...
A short, but sweet, unassuming trail which runs on former trolley right-of-way while flanked by Clearview Avenue above and Crafton Boulevard below. Provides a traffic-free alternative to busy Crafton...
Starting in Meadville, known as the home of the zipper, the 7.2-mile Ernst Trail closes the gap between the city and surrounding forests and farms for visitors. The trail is named for Calvin Ernst,...
Washington's Landing, a 42-acre island in the Allegheny River, is now home to a thriving mixed-use community after a successful brownfield reclamation. The Washington's Landing Trail forms almost a...
It’s hard to believe that the world’s first oil boom occurred along the path of what’s now the Oil Creek State Park Trail. The park’s forests, beaver ponds, and trout streams were once the site of oil...
As it winds along Oil Creek, McClintock Trail connects Oil Creek State Park with Oil City. Note that much of the route is on-road. Just south of the park, a 1.8-mile section on Waitz Road, a dirt...
The Panhandle Trail offers the most direct and scenic route for self-propelled travel between the Pittsburgh suburbs and West Virginia. Although the trail follows an old railroad grade through the...
The Iron Horse Trail runs along the corridor of a railroad that originally connected Alliance and Minerva. The north section runs from State St, across from the University of Mount Union, to the...
The 11.7-mile John C. Oliver Multi-Purpose Loop Trail is a centerpiece of Maurice K. Goddard State Park, which spans 2,856 acres in northwestern Pennsylvania. The mostly shaded, paved, off-road trail...
The Western Reserve Greenway travels 43 miles through a scenic, mostly rural area, cutting a north–south course from Ashtabula to Warren in northeastern Ohio. The route follows much of 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....
The Berlin Lake Trail lies mid-way between Cleveland and Pittsburgh in Deerfield Township of Portage County. The 2-mile crushed limestone rail-trail crosses Berlin Lake, traveling through wooded areas...
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 Vestal Trail is 0.5-mile connection through town of McCandless that joins the Oakridge neighborhood to the playing fields at its eastern end. The trail is maintained by volunteers of the Rachel...
The Newton Falls Trail, built on a former railroad bed, follows the Mahoning River as it winds its way downtown. The route provides pleasant neighborhood views of the quaint township that was...
Moraine State Park features a nearly seven mile bike trail, which follows the north shore of Lake Arthur. Along the way, you'll enjoy beautiful scenery, especially during the fall as trees line the...
The nearly 11-mile MetroParks Bikeway provides a scenic and well-designed link to communities and natural sites in this northeast region of Ohio. The rail-trail follows a corridor between Canfield and...
This trail is actually closer to 8 miles long, point to point running from kidds mill bridge to big bend. It's a great trail for all levels of hiking or trail running, with great views of the river and wildlife along the whole length of the trail, and is the only primitive hiking trail in the area. A great group of volunteers and the Shenango River Watchers put in alot of work getting the trail cleared up and bringing it back to life. When its wet out, it can be muddy in spots, and when its warm out, there are bugs, because well you are in the great outdoors! 😁
1/8/2020 Decided to take a little hike on Kidds Mill trail intending to scout out a proposed loop trail and then hike on to the Shenango Trail. Scouted past eroded bluff and rejoined Kidds Mill trail. 25° degrees and sunny, fresh trackless snow. About a half hour in, a dense snow squall dumped another inch of snow on the previous blanket. Snowed hard enough to limit visibility to 50 yards. Wildlife was absent during the height of the squall which lasted 30 minutes. After the band moved through, spotted three doe and a perched bald eagle. Hiked total 5 miles out and back. Great day, quiet, no fellow hikers.
Beautiful trail along the Shenango River. A suspension bridge near North Bend Rd is a bonus. Horses and bikes welcome. Follow the white blazes - the towpath has a blue dot on the white blaze. Relatively flat. North bend to Kidd’s mill bridge was 9.2 miles for me.
New Years' Day hike on the Shenango Trail. 35° and sunny. Spotted three bald eagles; two juveniles and one mature bird. Several hawks sighted by river. Lots of deer sign and evidence of beaver work. Hiked two miles, out and back from Big Bend. Shared the trail with a family of three from Hermitage, PA.
Had a brisk winter hike on the Kidds Mill/Shenango Trails. Sunny, but only 25°at 2 PM. Began at Kidds Mill bridge; no hiker tracks but lots of squirrel, rabbit, dear and coyote sign. Spotted a mature bald eagle as the trail neared the river; screeched and took off flying from the riverbank. Canada geese along the river surface. Trail surface frozen in most spots; some muddy breakthroughs on creek crossings. Skirted around the beaver pond/bog area at the end of Kidds Mill trail and picked up Shenango Trail at mile 1. Hiked an additional 1.5 miles to the beaver pond near Spook Hollow road. Pond frozen, therefore no waterfowl or beaver activities. Met up with a SRW member on the way out. Both trails are clear of obstructions and dry/frozen. The bypass skirting the pond at the end of Kidds Mill allows you to extend the hike another 2 plus miles one way.
Walked the entire trail from New Hamburg to Big Bend on Dec. 16, 2019. Trail is completely open; free of tree obstructions and brush. Recently completed swinging bridge bypass is open and passable; although 'muck' boots are needed to cross the first stream. Boots are helpful the entire length of trail this time of year due to high stream volumes. Trail muddy in spots: PLEASE do not go off trail to avoid mud; it only makes the problem worse. Lots of evidence of deer traffic on the trail. Lots of squirrels sited and beaver work on riverbank; look for freshly gnawed saplings on your right going south. Work being performed throughout trail to mitigate water and mud concerns. All bridges are passable. Small reroute on Towpath Trail clearly marked. A small reroute is also pink flagged north of bridge no. 1 near Camp Nazareth to avoid water on trail.
The trail north of New Hamburg is completely open to Kidds Mill trail but is for the adventurous and well equipped. Muck boots are definitely needed for a small section just north of New Hamburg and for crossing atop of a large beaver dam at mile 1 north. Beaver are active at dusk each day and can be observed from either end of the dam. Best viewed from the northern end. Waterfowl are also abundant in the pond. At about 1.5 miles north of New Hamburg there is a blazed reroute away from private property and a cow pasture; also signage directing trail traffic. The connection with Kidds Mill trail at 2.8 miles north New Hamburg continues to be a water problem. The beaver have expanded their pond and flooded the existing puncheon bridges. The area can be bypassed by going to the right, skirting the flooded area and rejoining the Kidds Mill trail after a short off trail walk.
The Shenango Trail is a hidden gem for those who want a semi-primitive adventure. Don't be scared off by the challenge of the trail. Be prepared for all conditions and to observe lots of wildlife.
Sunday afternoon ride in December on a day it reached 40 degrees. Quite a few people out enjoying the afternoon. As always a great ride on a great trail.
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.
Grin & Bear It race held annually in November to benefit the trail. 300 participants in 3 different races....half-marathon, 10k and 5k. Started at the Leetonia trailhead.
Weather conditions were terrible. Cold and damp since it rained all night. Then add in some wind. But this year was a record breaking attendance to benefit the trail.
New parking lot added which is called the Franklin Square Parking area. The trail was newly paved the first few miles at the Leetonia end. It was much needed!
We hiked from New Hamburg to Big Bend, approx 4 miles on Sunday, November 17, 2019. Group hike was organized by Shenango River Watchers, who maintains the trail. They've done some clean up a few weeks prior. Trail was passable but muddy.
Parking in New Hamburg for about 10 cars. Parking in Big Bend for about 20 cars.
The swinging bridge was open and operational and all slats were intact.
I have only hiked this trail in the Spring and Fall but heard it's very thick over the summer months.
Nice local trail.
rode this route as a RR passenger when I was a kid..[from Burgettstown to Pittsburgh]..memories around every bend!....
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