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Print Friendly MapThe 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. Its highest point, at Phipps Cemetery near Elmo, is 1,472 feet above sea level.
About the Route
The trail corridor itself varies from 40 to 200 feet wide. All non-motorized uses are permitted on the eastern five miles of trail, while horseback riding is prohibited on the western mile of trail.
The western segment of the trail doubles as a gas/oil access road and disabled hunter access route and has a hard pack gravel surface between 322 and Kline Road. The trail has been diverted off of the abandoned railroad right of way due to private property issues between Kline Road and Camp Coffman Road. Please note that to bridge this gap, it is necessary to bike along roads that don't have dedicated bike lanes or sidewalks.
To use the on-road detour: Heading northwest to southeast on the trail, follow Kline Road south to US-322. Take then US-322 southwest for about 0.6 miles to Camp Coffman Road and then head north on Camp Coffman Road to get back on the off-road trail. Please note that this on-road detour has steep descents. This may be the easies route when heading west
Alternately, head north on Kline Road and then east on Camp Coffman Road. Follow Camp Coffman Road as it curves south to rejoin the off-road trail. This is the easiest east-bound route.
The off-road trail between Camp Coffman Road and Station Road has a gravel, dirt, and rough crushed stone surface. The railroad sub-based of sand and/or limestone is exposed in some places. After rain, the section between Fern Road and Station Road may have lots of puddles. Between Fern Road and Walt Kahle Road, the old railbed is located in a partially flooded cut, and the access from Fern Road is a rutted, muddy track. A short detour on adjacent 322 is possible. At the road crossings where railroad bridges once existed (Kaber Rd, Pine City Rd, Knight Town Rd, and Station Rd), the trail has a rough rocky surface and descends steeply down to the road level. At these crossings, the railbed has been graded back to a dangerous 2:1 slope, so care must be taken going up and down. At Phipps Cemetery, the railbed has been filled in where an overhead bridge was removed. Mountain or gravel bikes may more easily navigate the eastern sections.
The off-road trail between Station Road and David Lane has a mostly grass surface. While the cut grass is maintained, it may be difficult to bike after rain.
Trail History
The rail-trail runs along an abandoned corridor that was used by several different railways, including Lake Erie, Franklin and Clarion (LEF&C), Penn Central, and New York Central.
Parking is available at several locations along the trail, including:
Visit the TrailLink map for all options and detailed directions.
We started in Franklin and used the Samuel Justus and Sandy Creek Trails to reach the western terminous of the Clarion Highlands Trail. The segment between 322 and Kline Rd is essentially a vehicle access road, but is quiet and heavily wooded. I would recommend the northern detour from Kline to Camp Hoffman Roads going east and the southern detour going west. Kline has a 185-ft elevation change up to 322, best traveled downhill to the trail! The trail between Fern Rd and Walt Kahle Rd is in a sunken, poorly-drained cut that is badly flooded, and the access from Fern Rd is a muddy mess. We did a short detour on 322. The eastern segment of the trail is mostly double-track with crushed stone, some puddles, mud, and sections of exposed railroad sub-base, that consist of transversely places slabs of rock. On our visit the grassy segment east of Station Rd was overgrown. If you like varied gravel surfaces, you will enjoy this trail (if not the detours). Wider tires with lower pressures are advised. We continued to the Rail 66 Trail using the shoulders on US-322, but there were some big hills and fast traffic involved.
Parked at Kline Road, though no designated parking area, there was enough space off to the side of the road to park one vehicle without blocking the gate and lane. Headed West approx 2 miles and turned around. Trail is flat, sits high up almost as high as the next ridge over, and looking way down is Sandy Creek. Surface was dirt, cinder and gravel. Very wide in some areas, almost like a 2 lane back road. Doable on a gravel bike or mountain bike and possibly a hybrid with wider tires such as 700x45's.
Not a very easy trail, rail 66 is only a few miles away. Recommend a mountain bike.
Attempted to use the Clarion Highlands trail earlier this month. We parked at the parking area at the edge of the Game Lands on Station Road. The trail was so overgrown with waist-high grass that the only indication there was even a trail there was the gap in the trees. There is a trailhead listed further up Station Road, however this was marked off with numerous No Trespassing and Private Property signs. We pressed on further still up the road to where the trail crosses Station Road hoping to access it there, only to find the trail was simply a washed out muddy path. Tired of driving around, at this point we just gave up and drove 15 minutes to access the wonderfully maintained Rail 66 Country Trail.
We parked on side of the trail in Van. We got on the trail along Route 322. You can see where the trail would go across the road in connect (through the woods) to the Sandy Creek trail.
There isn't a designated parking lot, just pull off of the trail. The trail is in PA State Game Lands #45. We went along the trail from Van towards Shippenville.
Trail is mostly flat except a slight grade uphill from Van towards Shippenville. Surface is mostly gravel with some dirt.
It is bikeable on a mountain bike but wouldn't advise on a street bike. A wheelchair would be challenging but is doable.
I tried getting on this reported trail at the eastern-most access from the Sandy Creek Trail. However, this was blocked by a private owner with signs saying "Stay Out, Private Property". I then went across Rt. 322, hoping to find access, to no avail (again, private lane to a business is located where the trail should be). I then went about 3 miles east and was finally able to access it from Kline Road. There was no parking area and no signs. I literally had to figure it out that the trail must be there! Then, when I parked my car on a dirt road slope off of Kline Road, I saw a small paper sign that acknowledged you are on the Clarion Highlands Trail. It noted that the trail to the west of here is private property, but from here east was open for bike riders. I then rode my bike over the two-tracks of packed old cinders and dirt. It was relatively smooth with some old railroad gravel rocks. Than, about 5 miles east the trail starts getting worse and worse. Finally, when entering State Game Lands 63, the trail becomes knee-high grass and weeds. The old railroad bed is still there but the biking becomes not doable at this point (Davis Lane). It is good for hiking, but not bike riding. I then took Station Road to get back on the trail and head west again to my car at Kline Road. It is a little challenging and not for bike riders who want smooth surfaces with no debris, etc. But good nature and scenery and I look forward to when it is done.
Small grassy parking area at sharp bend on Station Road, about 2 miles from Black Road just west of Shippenville. You will see steep banks where the former trestle was. Going west at the top is the unimproved former rail bed. Large rocks, ties, and rails are gone now leaving a crushed coal and gravel surface. No tar-and-chip or paved paths. Two wide tracks are good for walking, jogging, or biking with a hybrid or mountain bike (not good for road bikes.) Little to no road noise, secluded, bordered mostly by trees and some fields, very flat except at former trestle.
Rode the majority of this trail on 8/22/11 first riding the Sandycreek trail from east to west. The western entrance of the Clarion Highlands trail has no markings. The entrance is about 200 yards up the hill and across the road from the marked western entrance to the Sandyceek trail. My hope was to ride both trails out and back starting at the eastern entrance of the Sandycreek trail. The two trails could not be more different. The Sandycreek trail is paved with beautiful bridges over the creek. The Clarion river trail is no more than a fire road with two "ruts" I assume from maintenance vehicles. The trail is very remote no signs or mile markers. There were multiple times where the trail meets a road that it was necessary to leave the trail then find the entrance on the other side. Near the western end there seemed to be some trail development going on but the surface was obviously not complete and was very soft especially since that day there was significant rain. This trail is more a mountain bike ride than a trail ride at this point. Not suitable for any tire less than 1 inch.
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