Find the top rated cross country skiing trails in Altoona, whether you're looking for an easy short cross country skiing trail or a long cross country skiing trail, you'll find what you're looking for. Click on a cross country skiing trail below to find trail descriptions, trail maps, photos, and reviews.
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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 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 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...
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 Bells Gap Rail-Trail is really two trails in one-a smooth 2.1-mile southern section with crushed limestone surface, and a rougher, more difficult northern section of 4.2 miles that is best-suited...
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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....
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...
Serene year-round, the Bellefonte Central Rail Trail (BCRT) in central Pennsylvania runs along 1.3 miles of the old Buffalo Run, Bellefonte and Bald Eagle Railroad corridor. The original 19-mile line...
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 12.6 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...
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 12.6 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...
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...
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The Iron Horse Trail follows two abandoned rail beds: the Path Valley Railroad and the Perry Lumber Company Railroad. Originally, the Path Valley Railroad was going to be an extension for the Newport...
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 Bells Gap Rail-Trail is really two trails in one-a smooth 2.1-mile southern section with crushed limestone surface, and a rougher, more difficult northern section of 4.2 miles that is best-suited...
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...
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...
Located in one of Pennsylvanias most popular State Parks, the Beaver Dam Trail follows old railroad grades at Parker Dam State Park in Clearfield County. The trail runs past streams, beaver dams,...
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...
Serene year-round, the Bellefonte Central Rail Trail (BCRT) in central Pennsylvania runs along 1.3 miles of the old Buffalo Run, Bellefonte and Bald Eagle Railroad corridor. The original 19-mile line...
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...
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...
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....
The Lower Trail ranks high on the list of many Central Pennsylvania residents when they’re searching for a remote path with a woodsy feel. The Lower (rhymes with flower, and named in memory of trail...
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...
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....
The Lower Trail ranks high on the list of many Central Pennsylvania residents when they’re searching for a remote path with a woodsy feel. The Lower (rhymes with flower, and named in memory of trail...
Serene year-round, the Bellefonte Central Rail Trail (BCRT) in central Pennsylvania runs along 1.3 miles of the old Buffalo Run, Bellefonte and Bald Eagle Railroad corridor. The original 19-mile line...
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...
Located in one of Pennsylvanias most popular State Parks, the Beaver Dam Trail follows old railroad grades at Parker Dam State Park in Clearfield County. The trail runs past streams, beaver dams,...
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...
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 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...
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 Iron Horse Trail follows two abandoned rail beds: the Path Valley Railroad and the Perry Lumber Company Railroad. Originally, the Path Valley Railroad was going to be an extension for the Newport...
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...
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...
Stretching 12.6 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...
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...
The Bells Gap Rail-Trail is really two trails in one-a smooth 2.1-mile southern section with crushed limestone surface, and a rougher, more difficult northern section of 4.2 miles that is best-suited...
August 11 -- arrived at Saylor Park as a morning rain subsided and the humidity rose with temps in the 80s F. The trailhead to Dilltown, near the vault toilet, was not immediately obvious. Be careful not to take the Hoodlebug trail by mistake. Spotting a large black snake was the highlight of our day. Saylor Park has a nice picnic pavilion where we ate lunch after our easy, somewhat downhill return ride from Dilltown. Rain started soon after lunch.
Considering the amount of rain in the days prior to and the morning of our ride, the trail was in excellent condition, even for our road bikes. No serious washouts or mud. Kudos to the trail crews who maintain this section!! A lot of shade made this a great trail to ride on hot summer days.
August 13 -- more rain last night and another day in the 80s F. A moment of confusion when we tried to find trailhead parking at Vintondale/Eliza Station. Trailhead parking is down the street and around the corner from the Eliza Furnace site. Again we were impressed by the excellent trail conditions (more kudos to the trail crews). The Hwy 422 underpass at MM4 (the confluence of the north branch of Blacklick Creek and Elk Creek) is the only tricky portion of the trail. Pay attention to the "Slow Down" signs or you could end up in the creek. The almost 26-mile return ride was our longest so far this year. Our legs were relieved to have a mostly downhill return ride back to Vintondale. There was plenty of shade, great creek views and lots of late summer flowers to add to the joy of riding.
After riding this trail I'm not sure why it has so many 5 star ratings. I did ride it just after Hurricane Ida and there were some washouts but that did not affect my rating as I suspect those will be quickly repaired. We started from Tatesville and the section to the bridge over the Raystown Branch Juanita River was decent. It had a fairly good trail bed and was in the woods. No outstanding scenery until the bridge which was very nice. Not too far after the bridge the trail becomes a shared use gravel roadway for 2.3 miles. This is easy enough to ride and the river (flooded when we were there) is alongside all the time at this point. However, it is a gravel road. At the end of the road you ride some paved roads through Hopewell for a bit then back on to a decent portion of trail until Riddlesburg where you ride pavement again for a bit before turning back onto the trail which is a coarser gravel at this point - certainly rideable but not as much fun. (This section is actually beyond where the TrailLink map indicates that the trail stops). The trail dead ends at Red Cut with a gate. As a positive there were numerous benches along the way and some picnic tables. I did not see any tire pump or repair stations as mentioned by another poster though there may have been one in Riddlesburg where we pulled away from the trail just a bit. Amenities were basically non-existent. There was a small gas station in Riddlesburg which might have something and the post office advertised food but appeared closed. Hopewell may also have had a small business but it wasn't along the trail.
I would not drive any distance to ride this trail and will likely never ride it again. There is just nothing outstanding to warrant it and the gravel road ride probably sealed the deal on this review. In short, there are much better trails - and some worse.
Nice trail. At Punxsutawney the trail is marked closed in the down town area. We found the trail signs and found the trail again. Other than that , it is a very nice shady trail for a warm summer day.
Nicely maintained. It has bike repair and pump stations . Pretty trail
Took my 5 year old to this trail for the first time and he absolutely loved it. Has just enough hills to make it a workout for beginners and to help build stamina.
We looked for a bike trail that also had geocaching. This was it! Plus an earthcache was a bonus. Would recommend. Kudos to all who maintain this jewel!!
I drove 75 miles to try the trail and it was a good experience and worth the drive. I parked in Tatesville and rode to the end in Riddlesburg and back to Tatesville. There are a few miles of trail before Hopewell that is a public roadway. It is some kind of camping and recreational area. This stretch of trail is like driving in an alley or gravel driveway which is why it is best to have a mountain bike. Skinnier tires could easily get a flat tire in this area. I heard of this in advance so I took my mountain bike with me for the ride. The trail winds through the streets of Hopewell before becoming a trail again. There is also some street riding in Riddlesburg before coming to the end of the trail. I hope someday the trail can continue past Riddlesburg. I would return to this trail, but I would never ride through the recreational area again. Park in Tatesville and ride out about 6 miles to where the recreational area begins and then back to Tatesville for a 12 mile ride. Or park in Hopewell or Riddlesburg and just ride between Hopewell and Riddlesburg.
Did an out and back for 34 miles on this beautiful, peaceful trail. It was a Tuesday and there were very few other folks. The scenery is beautiful, the trail is very smooth (crushed stone and asphalt), and there are plenty of restrooms (every trail head). Highly recommend this trail if you want to ride a well maintained trail with great scenery. There are also a number of shelters and benches along the way with more bird houses than you can imagine.
Good basic trail. It has lots of other options branching off of it to make your way around the area.
Reminds me of local roads when they pave with oil and chips and not asphalt. Rolling hills, various towns it goes through so your just not in woods like the connecting Ghost Town trail. A loud traffic ride while riding along PA 119 in sections.
I enjoyed this 36 mile RT ride and recommend exploring this spur. I found it even more enjoyable than the very pleasant Dilltown to Vintondale segment of the trail that immediately preceded it. The first 4 miles of the spur were great, with some surprises at the end of that segment, i.e. scenic rapids and a section that allowed me to ride just inches from the water, which was high from recent rains. The next four miles (Snitty's Way) were an uphill grade and very sunny with too little shade for my taste on a hot day. The last 4 miles were pleasant and shady again. The ride back down the spur to Vintondale was easy and fast, mostly a slight downhill grade. All in all, a good day on the trail.
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