Explore the best rated trails in Altoona, PA, whether you're looking for an easy walking trail or a bike trail like the Bells Gap Rail Trail and Lower Trail . With more than 28 trails covering 267 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 ride my bike on this trail everyday except when it's pouring rain or there is snow on the ground. It was just about perfect until Sunday, November 5th, 2023. One of those ride on leaf blowers started down by Dry Run Road and went to the top near Mullshoe. It blew off most of the pea gravel that was on the trail and exposed the big loose stones and the dirt. After just a little rain last night the trail was a muddy mess. I had to take off my sweat shirt before getting into my car because it was covered in mud on the back of it. By spring the trail will be a disaster.
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.
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.
E bike with pedal assist/no throttle. I had to shift into low gear to get exercise. The trail and Wolf Creek were very beautiful. The trail is mostly shaded in the summer
Nice short, scenic paved trail right in town. Way more walkers than bikes and when you ring your bell and give a shot “passing on your left” the majority of them are startled, and don’t know what to do. It’s not a good place for bikes in my opinion.
My E bike is pedal assist / no throttle. Needed to see what the bike could do, and what I could do. Started in Grampian, and rode to the outskirts of Clearfield. Quite the downhill into Curwensville. Went about 10 miles and turned around. The last 5 miles was a major uphill climb that I never could’ve done on my regular bike. The E bike and I made it up with no problem. The trail was very diversified and beautiful and I got lots of exercise. Great ride. P.S. I’m 70 years young in case it matters.
Great trail. One of the best in Pennsylvania. Very remote. Nice and shady. Easy grade as it mainly river grade. Paved in sections. And in Williamsburg if you park there you can finish at an excellent ice cream shop.
From ebensburg to Nanty glo it is a smooth down hill descent that is incredible. Once passed Nanty glo it sort of loses its grade and becomes flat or slightly up hill at intervals but at a slow descent, if that makes sense. From Nanty glo to dill town it tested us but was a very nice ride! FYI we are not everyday riders. Just started riding with the kids this year and is our 6th trail. Brings lots of water! I hope one day we can go to the end in blacklick.
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