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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.
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.
In Pittsburgh, if you are cycling enthusiast, you must experience Bicycle Heaven - It is a nonprofit, private collection with over 5,000 complete bikes and even more bicycle parts that it is overwhelming. Some bikes date back to the late 1800s to the present.
Departing Pittsburgh’s concrete jungle, I highly recommend that you have the GAP route available on a GPS device as it is marked but you can miss the signs as you are focused on the traffic. Once on the gravel portion, it is an easy navigation exercise!
At the trailheads, there were plenty of new bicycle repair/air pump stations.
The illuminated 3,000’+ Savage Tunnel was an amazing experience as was experiencing the Mason Dixon Line.
Also, confirm (call) your dining options along the trail as even if sites on the internet say they will be open during your visit, you may be disappointed and going hungry due to staffing issues.
We started at the trail head just outside Vintondale where the C&I Spur splits off. It was a beautiful sunny day. The first 4-5 miles of the C&I spur is in great shape and a very nice ride along the creek. At Vic Miller Road there is a short on-road segment to what looks like a very new or refurbished section of the C&I extension. This section is very nice. It travels over some bridges and forested lands. The trail is in perfect condition. There were a lot of other bikers, walkers, and ebikers on the trail. Very friendly.
After another 8 miles the trail dead ends on a residential street. (North St.). A little bit of on-road riding gets you to Expedite St and then Cardiff Rd. Cardiff Rd is all downhill into Nanty Glo. Cardiff Rd. has a bit more traffic. But going this way, it is all downhill and you are in Nanty Glo in 5-10 minutes. We had a beer and a very nice meal in town, then took the the mainline trail back to Vintondale. This is a great trail. I hope to return and ride into Ebensburg.
Parked at the new parking area at the Monroe Road trailhead. Buffalo Creek Nature preserve. Picnic area and restrooms when open. Biked down to Freeport (downhill) then back up and continued North the Dittmer Road and back down. Nice ride. Pedaling uphill was a workout but the return trip very nice downhill!
Great walk today along the water near the mill. leaves falling, smell of fresh pine and nuts. great time!
Started in Hawthorn at Gabriel’s Restaurant and north 6 miles then return. Nice trail next to river, saw several Deer with Forrest views.
My buddy and I rode the entire lower section of the Armstrong Trail this past weekend from Rosston to East Brady and back and were well pleased with the trail. We started at the parking area at/near the Rosston Marina and headed south over the decked Crooked Creek bridge to a dead end .2 miles from the parking area and then turned around. Just a short ways up the trail you hit Ford City and the trail is paved. I liked this area. The pavement was pretty good with practically no heaves but there were some little ruts across the trail which were not bad at all. There is an old factory you ride by but it isn't trashy. The trail then turns back to crushed gravel/limestone sand for a ways before hitting Kittanning. Pavement again and there were some areas with root heaves but really not that bad - just stand up off the seat for a few moments. This area was pleasant also. After Kittanning the pavement ends and you're basically in the woods and alongside the river the rest of the way. You do go through the small town of Templeton but that's it till East Brady. In East Brady you pick up pavement again starting with Shady Shores Drive and then an actual trail by the park which dead ends at the intersection of 6th St and Purdum St. This is the last point I saw an actual "Armstrong Trail" sign but there were green and white signs with a bike image and the words "Bike Path" along the streets. We followed those out Purdum St to 3rd St to Kellys Way out to the Old Bank Deli and saw that they continued. This brings me to a gripe about the Armstrong Trail. Traillink and the trail's website list this section of the trail as 31 miles long so we thought we could squeeze in a metric century ride (62.13 miles) with just a little extra riding. However, I believe that the 31 miles includes this road riding because the trail signs along the way show the trail going through East Brady and continuing to follow Rt 68 across the Allegheny River and then turning north, probably onto Seybertown Rd. Our round trip mileage to this point with a detour to the park was 60.75 miles. Anyway, we grabbed some pastries at the Deli then rode back through town and down to the Riverside Park which was very nice. Paved trails, picnic tables and a very nice shelter with benches facing the river. We enjoyed our lunch there and then did the long ride back.
Pros of the trail - the surface where it wasn't paved was GAP level smooth. About as good as it gets. There were well spaced benches for resting. Plenty of historical interest with lots of signs with titles big enough to read without stopping if you wanted to. The Allegheny River is right beside you almost the entire time and it is a nice, clean river to look at. The Riverside Park in East Brady is a nice touch and a great place to stop. There are a lot of summer campsites along the river and they were very clean and well kept - a pleasure to look at.
Cons - beside the aforementioned root heaves in Kittanning there were a few short gravelly sections that could be fixed up and the smaller bridges with wooden decking were rough - they really need redecked. The biggest con in my opinion was the lack of trailside amenities. There were almost none. I saw nothing in Ford City or Kittanning. To be honest those towns were near the beginning or end of our ride so I went back to Google Drive through there (which doesn't cover a lot of the area) and there is a pizza place in Kittanning but that looks to be it right on the trail. There are places to be sure in Kittanning but they are off the trail a ways. After that there is nothing until East Brady and the pickings are slim there. Of course, you have to ride into town which wasn't bad and there is the Old Bank Deli with pastries, ice cream, coffee, etc. I also saw a pizza place and there was a gas station/food mart. That was about it. If you're doing the entire thing like we did bring your own lunch. We did and I'm glad.
Overall this was a nice trail and I suspect if/when the Erie to Pittsburgh connection is complete and through riders start using this that more trailside amenities may open. Until then, go knowing you might want to pack your own food (or ride off the trail a bit) and enjoy. Outside of the two larger towns we saw almost no one. On a sunny, pleasant Saturday over 60+ miles we saw less than a dozen bikers (some twice) and maybe one jogger. I was amazed by that. The middle section of the trail is quite isolated and even though there apparently was a trailhead at Rimer we didn't realize it since no one was there.
Go, enjoy the trail and maybe if enough people use it a few more establishments will pop up.
Our group did 2 different sections of the trail. Great ride, a lot of shade and great views. Will definitely come back for another ride.
Parked at mile marker 16.5 at Bonniebrook. Biked to mile 8.5 and back then down towards Butler. High point on the trail is Cabot. Trail is somewhat shady and there are many open areas through fields as well. Always a great ride on this trail.
Surface is crushed stone. Some sections of the trail were very wide at 10-12 feet and other sections barely a few feet wide.
This is not an Equestrian horse trail.
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