Explore the best rated trails in State College, PA, whether you're looking for an easy walking trail or a bike trail like the Buffalo Flat Trail and Bells Gap Rail Trail . With more than 25 trails covering 298 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.
Did the entire trail with e-bike. Great ride in lowest pedal assist mode! Few areas washed out by recent rains but able to navigate.
I'm rating this trail for its future potential more than its current condition.
The two segments that currently exist are nice enough, and the trailhead in Castanea is great. The existing trail segments are well-maintained with decent scenery as they follow close to Bald Eagle Creek and the West Branch of the Susquehanna. They can also easily be connected by traveling a couple of miles on quiet roads in between.
When complete, this trail will effectively become a roughly 10-mile extension of the spectacular Pine Creek Trail, creating a continuous path from Lock Haven nearly to Wellsboro.
I spent a few days bikepacking to, from, and on the Pine Creek Trail in early October 2023, and I attempted to use the existing parts of the Bald Eagle Valley Trail since they were more or less along my route. On my way to Pine Creek I took the existing trail segment east from Castanea and then took the roads to the beginning of the second trail segment. I then rode the second trail segment and crossed the (fantastic) bridge over the West Branch of the Susquehanna. After studying maps and satellite images, I thought that it might be possible to exit the trail from the eastern end and continue on a local road toward Jersey Shore. However, the improved trail ends abruptly after crossing the bridge over the West Branch, and I found that there was definitely no way to access any road from this point (especially with a loaded touring bike). The banks on either side of the trail fell away steeply and were thick with brush, and the adjacent land was posted private property. The old rail bed obviously continued east from this point, but it was too overgrown with weeds to ride. I had to backtrack the second trail segment to the bridge on McElhattan Drive in order to cross the West Branch and continue on my way.
I really look forward to the day when I can hop on this trail in Castanea or Lock Haven (or maybe someday even further south?) and travel all the way to the beginning of the Pine Creek Trail in Jersey Shore...
Constructed through the rural farmlands of western Cumberland County, the 13 mile long Cumberland Valley Rail Trail is one of Central PA's premier multi-use greenways.
The trail follows a portion of the main line of the former Cumberland Valley RR, which connected Harrisburg with VA's Shenandoah Valley and operated from 1837 to 1919, when it was acquired by the Pennsylvania RR. During this time, the RR was notable for running the first passenger sleeper car in the US in 1839 and for transporting troops, weapons and other supplies to the front lines during the Civil War. The line remained active under the ownership of the Pennsylvania RR and its successor, the Penn Central, before passing to Conrail in 1976.
Conrail took the section of line between Carlisle and Shippensburg out of service in 1981 and formally abandoned it in 1995, donating the corridor to the Cumberland Valley Rails to Trails Council. The council developed a multi-use rail trail suited for cycling and foot traffic over the course of the three decades, the most recent being the section through the village of Greason, which opened in early 2023. Most of the trail is paved with crushed stone, though sections in Shippensburg and Newville are asphalt. A parallel dirt path exists for horseback riders.
As of 2023, three disconnected segments of the trail have been constructed (four if you count the 1 mile long Chambersburg Rail Trail, which Franklin County and Chambersburg borough officials eventually plan to incorporate into a planned southern extension).
A little over 11 miles long, the southern section extends from Fort Street in Shippensburg northeast to Green Hill Road just east of Newville. The first mile of this section passes through the campus of Shippensburg University and gets heavy use from students and faculty. An old Penn Central RR car situated immediately north of the southern terminus of the trail has been converted into a small museum and a restored RR signal both serve as tributes to the history of the line. The numerous sculptures and other works of art that line the greenway between Fort Street and Shippensburg Twp. Park, as well as the smooth, asphalt surface and comfort stations with running water and flush toilets, give the first mile more of a suburban vibe than the rural atmosphere prevalent on the rest.
The bustle of Shippensburg and the adjacent college campus quickly gives way to bucolic countryside and the asphalt yields to crushed stone northeast of Shippensburg Twp. Park. A linear woodland of trees and other lush vegetation lines most of the trail from here to Newville, providing cool shade in summer and helping reduce the strong winds that often whip through the valley in winter and peeks of picturesque, rolling farmland and small villages can be seen through the gaps and at several road crossings. Observant trail users will also take note of numerous small rock cuts along this section of the trail.
The trail enters open farmlands on the final 2 miles of the southern section located east of Newville, treating trail users to panoramic views of the surrounding countryside. Similar vistas can be found on the short, 1-mile long middle segment of the trail that extends from Springview Road east through the village of Greason before dead ending just west of McAllister Church Road. Also take note of the old RR freight depot just west of Greason Road. These features offset the fact that these parts of the trail are more exposed to the elements.
Another short segment of the trail, the 2 mile long northern section, begins at Shearer Road in the warehouse district on the west end of Carlisle. This section crosses a wetland to Route 465, following the east side of that road for a half mile, before turning west onto the old rail line just south of Route 641. It follows the old RR to a dead end about a mile west of here. Despite crossing primarily through industrial properties, this segment of the trail is still a pleasant experience, though trail users need to be careful crossing busy Route 465.
The Cumberland Valley Rail Trail's gorgeous scenery and rich history, along with its role in helping to connect Shippensburg University with the adjacent town make it one of Central PA's great greenways. Unfortunately, the gaps that separate the different segments of the trail do not have easy detours and the dead ends on the middle and northern sections require users to backtrack, limiting their popularity. Hopefully, they can eventually be closed and the goal of linking Shippensburg and Dickenson universities will finally be realized.
Anyone who rides Rails to Trails and have been on this trail loved it like we have. The trail is well maintained and there is plenty to see like the history, the fauna and the wildlife. We have not completed MM 18 to Ebensburg yet but we plan to. We don't mark a trail as completed until we ride both ways because the view is so different. And this trail is no exception to that rule. We have done MM 1 to 15, then 15 to 18 to the CI extension to MM 9, to Duman Lake which for a 1/4 mile or so is a pretty nice single track. We plan on coming back in the spring when the rhododendron are blooming. Can't wait!
A few months ago we were camping in the Raystown Lake area and drove to the the trail head at Saylor park in Black Lick. We rode the whole trail to Ebensburg which was about 32 miles. It was slightly uphill that direction. We turned around and rode back to the truck the same day and it was slightly downhill and went much faster. It totaled about 64 miles for the day. So glad we took the time to finally do this ride It was wonderful. Great trail, great condition.
Wasn’t impressed not much scenery and trail just ended.
New to this app, but walked this complete trail in late July from shippensburg to newville, it’s well maintained along with beautiful scenery along the way.
I rode from Jersey Shore to outside of Wellsboro and back over two days. The trail is well maintained and number of spots you want to stop at and just watch world go by.
Some things to note:
Bring a physical map since cell phones don't work. The trail is well marked concerning the distance between location but without a map, you don't know where you are exactly. And there are no maps on the trail.
Wear sunscreen. If it's a sunny day, it can be brutal with the sun beating down on you.
Bring extra water. Aside from a few stores (Slate Run and Cedar Run) on the trail, there is no sources of drinkable water on the trail that I could find.
No shelters aside from comfort locations. If a storm rolls in, you’re out of luck.
Overall the trail is a wonderful and one I hope to visit again.
This trail is well maintained! And it's beautiful ¿¿ one of my favorites!
We started at west end of trail at Saylor Park in Blacklick. The parking area beside the baseball field was much to our liking (clean, paved, open and well used). We felt comfortable leaving our camping equipment in the back of the truck. According to the garmin (and our legs), the trail climbed approximately 40 feet per mile up the Heshbon, about 6 1/2 miles from our starting point. From Heshbon to where route 56 crosses over the trail, our turn around point, the trail eased to around 20 feet per mile of climb. Although taxing on the way up, the 10 mile trek back down the hill was well worth the effort expended on the outward half of the ride.
Trail attributes:
The surface consisted mainly of hard packed dirt with fine gravel making for fairly fast and stable riding conditions.
More shade than sun which probably saved us as the conditions were sunny with temperatures in the 90s.
Plenty of views of Blacklick Creek.
Only one road crossing.
Baseline:
Our home trails are Pine Creek and Buffalo Valley.
Our favorite trail is the Northwest Lancaster.
This has it all...well maintained and signed trail, multiple rest rooms and camping options along the way, some great towns you'll bike through to grab a bite to eat...you could even combine it with a backpacking or canoe trip.
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