Trail was nice to walk our dogs; areas of full sun and shade.

Perfect for a winter walk

Rode the trail from Pittsburg to Cumberland. had a great time and the views were amazing. My wife and I are planning to hike a portion of the trail. If anyone has done this please let me know what part you hiked. we want to hike from Rockwood to Cumberland. Any advise or tips would be greatly appreciated.

We appreciate the trail year round. A suggestion from us who like to x-country ski. Either avoid plowing or make a more narrow plowed path so we can enjoy the trail longer. Thank you.

My brother had submitted his review of the ART when we rode it in November. Just wanted to add that it was a lot of fun and I will be posting some pictures. We started at the trailhead that was right where the Rockland tunnel is. It was not the easiest to find as it is located at the bottom of hill. The road is gravel and bends a bit and is narrow as well. Actually, I told my brother when we were going back up it, don't veer off to the right, we are done as there are steep drops :). We enjoyed the 2 tunnels a lot (Rockland and Kennerdell) and you definitely need lights. The Rockland tunnel was completed in 1916. It is the shorter of the 2 and has a small bend in it. Both tunnels are just amazing to see and ride through just in the construction and length. The town of Emlenton is where we rode to on the one side of our trip and then to Brandon on the other side. Our entire trip ran along the Allegheny River and the late Fall colors made it still very beautiful to take in. A lot of fun and I would do it again. There are some cottages on the way to Kennerdell that would be fun to rent as the trail is right there and the evening night by the river would add to the enjoyment.

On this overcast, brisk (50F) Nov. 1st Monday morning we probably should not have opted to start riding from the John Rangos trailhead (on Athena Drive Ext) to Saltsburg. In trying to stay warm and watch for tree debris on the leaf-covered trail, we chose to brake on the easy ride from Slickville to Saltsburg, rather than take full advantage of the downhill grade. (Brrr, we didn't stop at the Slickville Deli for ice cream.) Where the trail ended we continued across Water St. to look at the eastbound section of the West Penn Trail along the Conemaugh River. That ride would have to wait. It was lunch time.
We turned around and rode west on the West Penn Trail into Saltsburg, looking for GG's Gourmet Cafe -- one of the few open for lunch on Mondays -- 2 blocks east of the trail on Salt St. Was it the made-fresh grilled chicken pesto sandwich, the friendly conversation with the owner, or the self-serve coffee (in real mugs) that made the lunch break so satisfying? All that and still cheaper than a Panera's lunch!
Saltsburg itself, at the confluence of the Kiskiminetas and Conemaugh Rivers, is a historic gem. The museum is only open on Wednesdays, but the outdoor informational signs along the West Penn Trail share details about the canal, railroad, salt mills and buildings of Saltsburg's past. There is a clean public restroom and picnic spot near the salt mill (now a kayak rental shop).
After our ride through history we returned to the Westmoreland Heritage Trail. The uphill section back to Slickville, with sunshine, magically transformed our return ride into a continuous tapestry of sights -- bridges, tunnels, rock cliffs -- all painted in late Autumn colours. In the boggy area where the Loyalhanna Creek makes an oxbow turn, we were free to read the historic information and leisurely snap photos without the pesky summer mosquitoes. Our favourite section of the ride was where the trail crossed the south end of Beaver Run Reservoir. Too bad we didn't bring binoculars to look for birds in the wetlands there.
Our ride was not as scenic as that of the Ohiopyle-Connellsville section of the GAP (to which we compare every ride) and the uphill return was slightly more challenging. Extra points for the interesting historic sights. The leaf and branch debris was a little rough on our road bikes (can't be avoided this time of the year) but the trail is wide enough and good overall. Available potty stops at the trailhead and in Saltsburg are much appreciated. For only 9 miles of biking, it would not be our everyday choice, since our drive time from home is 1 hour. (Travelling by canal from Pittsburgh to Saltsburg would have taken about 20 hours.) We would probably bike this trail again with the addition of a portion of the West Penn Trail and look forward to a longer ride if/when that trail joins the Hoodlebug Trail.

Took advantage of the near 70 degree temps and biked from Franklin to Indian God Rock and back. Also biked on the connecting Samuel Justus Trail from Franklin to Oil City and back. Todays trip, 30 miles total. There were still some pretty trees of foliage. Saw 1 snake. Was on this trail end of October and the Allegheny River was mighty high but the waters have receded. Always a great ride on this Trail.

this was our first ride on the ART. we had heard many good reviews regarding a lot of the Western PA bike trails and made it a point to do some this year. My brother and I had done both the Panhandle and a portion of the Montour; so this was our third trek to PA. we chose a destination about halfway between the two tunnels (Rockland and Kennerdell) and it was very remote with not a lot of signage directing us. However, we did find it and began our trek. the trail does follow the Allegheny River for the entire trip. It was a chilly 28 degrees when we started; but by noon, it was full sun, no wind and quite beautiful. we did 29.07 miles and enjoyed every bit of the towns of Emlenton, St. George, Kennerdell and Brandon. one of the bonus finds were the trail side cottages along the river. we took a brochure and did some research in hopes of returning next summer (2022) and possibly staying a couple of days in order to bike the trails north (Samuel Justus, Sandy Creek and Oil City Trail). we had a blast going thru the tunnels with our headlamps (A MUST) and just gazing/photographing the many gorgeous sites. What a jewel of a trail.

Rode the Lower Trail on a weekday in September from Alexandria trailhead to Williamsburg and back. Saw 5 other riders and one trout fisherman. Crushed gravel trail surface was good; the several miles of pavement near Williamsburg were rougher. The trail was clear of branches and shaded. Frequent birdhouses and benches along the trail. Unfortunately the Lower Creamery in Williamsburg was closed until next summer.