State of the Trail Report
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General
The beautiful mountains of western Pennsylvania were once a great barrier to travel and commerce — until railroads and railroaders overcame them to complete a modern commercial connection between the Atlantic and the Ohio River valley. Today bicyclists and hikers travel between Cumberland, MD, and the Pittsburgh, PA, area through the places where trains once traveled: Steel industry rail lines have been converted into a system of trails, recently named the "Great Allegheny Passage," through extensive wooded areas complemented by historic towns and amenities for trail users.
With substantial support from local and state agencies, the Allegheny Trail Alliance (ATA) is the motivating force behind efforts to construct, maintain and promote a multi-use, non-motorized trail system. Sixty miles of the Great Allegheny Passage lie within the authorized PHNST corridor, connecting to the 70-mile Laurel Highlands Hiking Trail (LHHT) at Ohiopyle, PA; the LHHT was recognized in 1986 as a National Recreation Trail and segment of the PHNST. The Great Allegheny Passage is nearing completion, with 100 continuous miles completed between Meyersdale and McKeesport, including 42 miles within the PHNST corridor (connecting to the LHHT). Linking the northern section of the Potomac River with the base of the Allegheny Plateau, the C&O Canal Towpath connects with the Allegheny Highlands Trail (Maryland segment) of the Great Allegheny Passage in Cumberland. The Great Allegheny Passage was designated a National Recreation Trail in 2001, providing hikers, bicyclists, cross-country skiers and people with disabilities the opportunity to discover scenic river gorges, mountain vistas and historic districts.
In 1998 the ATA initiated a study, conducted by the University of Pittsburgh and the Pennsylvania Economy League, to determine the economic impacts of the trail system; the results provided the ATA with an extremely valuable tool for advocacy and fundraising. A second economic impact study will refine the range of benefits identified in the first study to assess what economic benefits the completed portions of the trail having communities and tourism within the region. Funding sources for Great Allegheny Passage have come from federal, state, county and private sources. Total funding for the project, received between 1990 and the present, is $41,944,244.
In 2002 the first of four completed interpretive wayside exhibits was been installed along the Allegheny Highlands Trail (Pennsylvania segment). With support from the Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail Office, National Park Service, additional planned exhibits will document the region's place in history, ranging from George Washington's role in the British and French struggle to control the frontier to the coal, steel and transportation industries that made the United States the world's greatest power.
Contacts
Allegheny Trail Alliance
419 College Ave
Greensburg PA 15601
(724) 853-BIKE (853-2453)
(888) ATA-BIKE (282-2453)
ATAmail@ATAtrail.org
Laurel Ridge State Park
Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Recreation
R.D. #3, Box 246
Rockwood, PA 15557
Bob Huffman, Superintendent
(412) 455-3744
Somerset County / Allegheny Trail Alliance
Brett Hollern
Trails and Greenways Development Coordinator
300 North Center Avenue
Suite 540
Somerset PA 15501
(814) 445-1544
Email: hollernb@co.somerset.pa.us
Youghiogheny River Trail-North
Bob McKinley, Trail Manager
Regional Trail Corporation
P.O. Box 95
West Newton, PA 15089
(724) 872-5586
Email: yrt@westol.com
Youghiogheny River Trail-South
Ohiopyle State Park,
Doug Hoehn, Park Superintendent
P.O. Box 105
Ohiopyle, PA 15470-0105
(724) 329-8591
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