Find the top rated trails in Oil City, 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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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...
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...
With a wide, paved pathway and adjacent equestrian trail running through lush woodland and riverside terrain, the Allegheny River Trail (ART) has something to offer every trail enthusiast. Following a...
This 3-mile trail within the city limits of Titusville extends from the Jersey Bridge parking lot, adjacent to the Drake Well Museum, to South Martin Street in Titusville. A section of the trail at...
The Oil City Trail connects the Samuel Justus Recreation Trail and the McClintock Trail through the center of Oil City, Pennsylvania. The 3-mile walking and biking pathway runs along the Allegheny...
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...
Rail 66 Country Trail is a rustic trail paralleling Route 66, that begins in Paint Township near the Clarion Junction (SR 322/SR 66) and extends north to the Clarion/Forest County line. The trail is...
The Bayfront Connector Trail, also known as the Bayfront Bikeway, offers a paved route across the city of Erie in northwestern Pennsylvania. At its east end is the Penn State Behrend campus; from...
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...
Located on the western side of the Allegheny National Forest, this trail extends north to south, parallel to the Allegheny River from the town of Tidioute to Grove Run. The trail retains much of the...
Along its 6-mile path, this paved rail-trail crosses through a rich array of natural habitats, from creek bottomlands to meadow, marsh and forest. The trail is named for Calvin Ernst, who owned the...
Constructed in 1983 with the help of donations from the Stavich Family and local individuals, the Stavich Trail is unusual in several ways. First, unlike most rail-trails, it was built on an...
The Trout Island Trail is planned to be a 13-mile rail-trail along the former Erie and Pittsburgh Railroad. Currently, 2.4 miles are open and fully paved in Sharpsville, following the Shenango River...
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...
Connecting Oil City and Franklin, the Samuel Justus Trail is a 6-mile segment of a 30-mile trail that follows the former Allegheny Valley Railroad. The A.V. was completed to Oil City in 1868 and...
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...
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 Titusville and Petroleum Center Railroad had one major purpose when it was built in 1863: to transport oil. Oil was discovered in Oil Creek Valley in 1859 by Colonel Edward Drake and William...
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...
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The Pennsylvania Railroad originally built the Chautauqua Line as part of a network of rail lines that linked Corry, Titusville, Oil City, Franklin and Meadville during the boom days of the oil...
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...
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...
The Shenango River Trail once served as a towpath along the Erie Canal Extension. During the mid-1800s, mules pulled boats along the canal, linking goods from the Great Lakes to Pittsburgh and beyond....
Located on the western side of the Allegheny National Forest, this trail extends north to south, parallel to the Allegheny River from the town of Tidioute to Grove Run. The trail retains much of the...
This picturesque trail meanders along the Wild and Scenic Clarion River and Little Toby Creek through Elk and Jefferson counties between the charming small towns of Ridgway and Brockway. Tree cover...
This 3-mile trail within the city limits of Titusville extends from the Jersey Bridge parking lot, adjacent to the Drake Well Museum, to South Martin Street in Titusville. A section of the trail at...
The Pennsylvania Railroad originally built the Chautauqua Line as part of a network of rail lines that linked Corry, Titusville, Oil City, Franklin and Meadville during the boom days of the oil...
This trail is not groomed. The three loops are suitable for beginners. The trail is marked with blue diamonds. Check out the short 1.2 mile Hearts Content Interpretive Trail which offers a scenic hike...
With a wide, paved pathway and adjacent equestrian trail running through lush woodland and riverside terrain, the Allegheny River Trail (ART) has something to offer every trail enthusiast. Following a...
This moderately difficult trail features great views of Minister Creek and passes by several outstanding rock outcropings, the latter about 1 mile from the trailhead parking lot. This heavily used...
Connecting Oil City and Franklin, the Samuel Justus Trail is a 6-mile segment of a 30-mile trail that follows the former Allegheny Valley Railroad. The A.V. was completed to Oil City in 1868 and...
Rail 66 Country Trail is a rustic trail paralleling Route 66, that begins in Paint Township near the Clarion Junction (SR 322/SR 66) and extends north to the Clarion/Forest County line. The trail is...
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...
Crossing the state line into New York near Erie, Pennsylvania, the 7.5-mile trail runs through the beautiful Brokenstraw Valley, passing small streams, a tamarack swamp, deciduous woods and...
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 Sandy Creek Trail carves its way through some of the most remote and spectacular countryside in northwestern Pennsylvania. This 12-mile paved trail has some impressive features, including tunnels...
The Five Bridges Trail in northwestern Pennsylvania uses a portion of the former Pittsburgh and Shawmut Railroad corridor, which ran from Brockway to Brookville. Begin at the western end of the...
The John C. Oliver Multi-Purpose Loop Trail is a centerpiece of Maurice K. Goddard State Park, which spans more than 2,000 acres in northwestern Pennsylvania. The paved, off-road trail traces the...
Along its 6-mile path, this paved rail-trail crosses through a rich array of natural habitats, from creek bottomlands to meadow, marsh and forest. The trail is named for Calvin Ernst, who owned the...
The Titusville and Petroleum Center Railroad had one major purpose when it was built in 1863: to transport oil. Oil was discovered in Oil Creek Valley in 1859 by Colonel Edward Drake and William...
This trail passes through a variety of pleasing landscapes. The area near Crane Run is especially scenic. The trail is marked with white diamonds. The skill level of this trail is rated more...
Along its 6-mile path, this paved rail-trail crosses through a rich array of natural habitats, from creek bottomlands to meadow, marsh and forest. The trail is named for Calvin Ernst, who owned the...
The Marienville Bike Trail is part of a system of roads and trails in the Allegheny National Forest. The trails are open to mountain bikes, trail bikes, and ATVs and are rated as difficult because of...
The John C. Oliver Multi-Purpose Loop Trail is a centerpiece of Maurice K. Goddard State Park, which spans more than 2,000 acres in northwestern Pennsylvania. The paved, off-road trail traces the...
Crossing the state line into New York near Erie, Pennsylvania, the 7.5-mile trail runs through the beautiful Brokenstraw Valley, passing small streams, a tamarack swamp, deciduous woods and...
Connecting Oil City and Franklin, the Samuel Justus Trail is a 6-mile segment of a 30-mile trail that follows the former Allegheny Valley Railroad. The A.V. was completed to Oil City in 1868 and...
This picturesque trail meanders along the Wild and Scenic Clarion River and Little Toby Creek through Elk and Jefferson counties between the charming small towns of Ridgway and Brockway. Tree cover...
Rail 66 Country Trail is a rustic trail paralleling Route 66, that begins in Paint Township near the Clarion Junction (SR 322/SR 66) and extends north to the Clarion/Forest County line. The trail is...
The Shenango River Trail once served as a towpath along the Erie Canal Extension. During the mid-1800s, mules pulled boats along the canal, linking goods from the Great Lakes to Pittsburgh and beyond....
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...
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 route is primitive and unimproved. The trail crosses several streams that are not bridged. The trail follows the scenic Tionesta Creek with lots of great scenery and fishing.
The Five Bridges Trail in northwestern Pennsylvania uses a portion of the former Pittsburgh and Shawmut Railroad corridor, which ran from Brockway to Brookville. Begin at the western end of the...
This trail is not groomed. The three loops are suitable for beginners. The trail is marked with blue diamonds. Check out the short 1.2 mile Hearts Content Interpretive Trail which offers a scenic hike...
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...
This trail is not groomed. The trail is a combination of logging roads, railroad grades and pipelines that offer challenges to a wide range of skill levels. Trail is marked with blue diamonds.
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...
The Pennsylvania Railroad originally built the Chautauqua Line as part of a network of rail lines that linked Corry, Titusville, Oil City, Franklin and Meadville during the boom days of the oil...
The Bayfront Connector Trail, also known as the Bayfront Bikeway, offers a paved route across the city of Erie in northwestern Pennsylvania. At its east end is the Penn State Behrend campus; from...
This 3-mile trail within the city limits of Titusville extends from the Jersey Bridge parking lot, adjacent to the Drake Well Museum, to South Martin Street in Titusville. A section of the trail at...
The trail is nice, but I would not send my wife out there alone. This would be a perfect trail for a predator to prey on a woman out alone. And to agree with the previous review.....an unexpecting unarmed woman. The sign stating no armed weapons is great for the law abiding people that respect the actual sign. However, not sure the people who are wanting to commit a crime would do so. The state allows my wife to carry, the county allows my wife to carry, the city allows my wife to carry. The state parks allow my wife to carry (ie...Woodcock). I think anyone who frequents Woodcock St Park have seen the creepy guys in the woods. We enjoy the trail and the nice scenery, but I give my advice to anyone wanting to protect themselves to find another area to bike where you can defend yourself properly. Unarmed people are weak to the criminals who are armed. It is just a matter of time -
As far as the trail itself, it is a great place to bike and hike.....and a nice facility.
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.
Trail is a bit over grown with weeds un spots. Had to ride in wheel ruts. Dense woods. Not much to see. Saw several deer. Bring bug spray. Nrockway has several pizza places and grills. Same in Ridgeway. Not many prople on trail.
We started on the little section of trail in Parker, thinking it would be easy to hop over from Foxburg to Emlenton on the roads - I would not recommend doing this. The short little Parker trail was idyllic, but the few miles from that trail's end to the next trail head in Emlenton was harrowing (riding on a main road - 268 I believe?- with heavy truck traffic was one of very few options). However, the rest of the ride to Oil City was quite enjoyable even though it rained through most of Day 1. As others have noted, there is a section of trail blocked by a landowner, and the detour around it is tricky (kids and inexperienced riders might have some trouble on the rockier sections, especially if it is wet as it was during our ride). The tunnels were fun, and we were glad to have our headlights along for them as they are quite dark. We stayed over night in an eclectic AirBNB in Oil City (look for "Deep River Guest House" on AirBNB) that met all of our bicycling needs (easy access from the trail, porch to lock up the bikes on, a quick walk or ride to restaurants, etc.), then journeyed back to Parker the next day. On the way back, we tried a different route from Emlenton to Foxburg, which was a different kind of challenge (a "roller coaster" township road with lots of loose, chunky gravel), which I would also not recommend doing. However, we rewarded ourselves with some samples at the Foxburg winery and made it the rest of the way. Looking forward to doing the Emelenton-->Oil City (or perhaps farther) trip again!
Went bike riding on this trail with children and grandchild just yesterday. We had newbie riders and experienced ones. Everyone had a great time. The trail is beautiful and mostly flat.
We parked at the parking area just out of Corry and proceeded to ride our bikes north towards NY. The crushed stone in some places was deep which made it a bit challenging to pull trailers through it. This was only in a couple of areas and short distances. The newbie riders came to a stop upon hitting it and had to walk a little ways.
We rode middle of the day and there was plenty of shade to make it pleasant and avoid sunburns. There are a few benches and new picnic tables along the way.
Once we crossed into NY the trail wasn't as nicely maintained. Needed a good mowing. The overgrown grass was a bit much for the newbies and the trailers, so we turned back.
Definitely will ride this again and look forward to running it as well.
BTW no toilets at parking area.
Also, have to cross a few roads; one was fairly busy so be careful with children.
3.1 miles of the trail is completed and fully asphalt paved in very good condition. Flat and fast.....great for bicycles, rollerblading, strollers and walking.
There are 3 parking areas, 2 of those located on Route 89 and one on Main Street in Spartansburg at Clear Lake Park.
Trail runs 1.5 miles North of Spartansburg along side of Clear Lake.
Dirt section follows the trail which is used by Amish buggies.
In Spartansburg there is a large parking area with a picnic shelter and a portable restroom. On Main Street there is an ice-cream stand and a Dollar Store a few hundred yards off the trail.
Trail runs 1.5 South of Spartansburg.
The trail does continue where the asphalt pavement ends but it's nothing more than a dirt path. You could probably hoof it!
Trail in very good condition and well maintained.
Leisurely ride to Franklin. Overnight at Barnard House B&B (lovely) and back to Franklin the next day. Path was stellar. Smooth and level. The tunnels were an adventure. Bike headlights were enough, but it was still a surprise at how dark it is in the middle of the Kennerdell 3/4 mile. The detour at Sunny Slopes is a big disappointment and the road is not maintained well, so be prepared to dismount if you're on a road bike. Fortunately that detour is only 3/4 mile and most of can be ridden at this point, but at some point the state needs to exercise its domain rights and force the man who is blocking the improvement of the detour road to allow it. Ridiculous and mean-spirited. Lovely path, full of interesting sights and not crowded at all. Excellent.
Fortunately I had ridden through Oil City before and knew where to look for the signs to navigate downtown. I had even made it a mile or two onto the McClintock Trail before and found the smooth paved surfaces fun to ride. It is in need of some maintenance however and tall weeds are severely encroaching on the outside lane .
The surprise and disappointment comes after that once the "trail" turns into riding back roads that aren't in great shape, have no real berm and get the occasional Jeep or pickup driving by kicking dust into the air. Next time I remember to read these reviews BEFORE I decide where to ride.
The trail is a very nice trail but the reason for the one star rating is due to lawfully permitted citizens not being allowed to carry personal protection while using the trail. The sign posted at the trail parking lot indicates no loaded weapons permitted. This only leaves you defenseless, not safer. Other than that, enjoy the trail.
I parked in Franklin and rode the Justus and Allegheny River Trails to connect to the Sandy Creek Trail. The connection is made by a uphill connector which leads to the bottom of a steep set of steps with an adjoining ramp made from stair boards in order to roll your bike with you as you climb.
Two thirds of the way up, there is a tight fit as you also must avoid hitting your head on the bottom of the steel bridge above you. A couple turns before the top add to the challenge, but it is clearly doable. It was not hard to imagine, however that there have been some mishaps over the years. As an alternative, the paved connector changed to a dirt path beyond the stairs. I did not explore what it is like around the corner that I could see, but perhaps it finds its way to the Sandy Creek Trail. (I just didn't see and obvious connection point once up top however.
Once I made the climb I rode all 12 miles of the trail from end to end and found it to be fantastic. Its a scenic and unique as the other reviews indicate. Well worth it!
Stopped for a ride on my way to NYC. Got an airbnb about a mile from the trail head in Emlenton, PA. Road to the bottom of the trail and back. Took about 4 1/2 hours-ish. Lovely scenery with a lot of shade along the way. Was only 80 degrees when I came through and I was told by my bnb host I lucked out on the weather (not sure what it's normally like there).
One thing I'll say in warning is that there are two tunnels on this trail which are somewhere from .5 to .75 of a mile in length and they are curved, so about 40 feet in, it's pitch black. There are reflectors on the path, but if you don't have a light with you, don't proceed (bring a light!). Even with a light it was still a bit creepy. The lower tunnel was also quite chilly. The upper one was only a bit cooler then the outside, but was very wet. I will be returning as I believe this links up with several other trails. There are some resort-ish/cabins (right after a non-paved diversion) along the path with some people who are oblivious to biking traffic. I had to go slow around those places so as not to collide with the clueless, but they were mostly just kids having fun, so I didn't mind. The majority of the trail was largely human free. Hard to believe, with such a nice trail; on a holiday weekend even (7/2/2017).
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