Ohio River Trail Council

1. Ohio River Trail - 41 miles

   Other Mapping

Introduction

The Ohio River Trail Council (ORTC) proposes a multi-use land trail, the Ohio River Trail (ORT), along the “La Belle Riviere” or the Ohio River and its tributaries from West Virginia and Ohio to Beaver and Allegheny County, Pa.

The ORTC initially proposes a multi-use trail, the Ohio River Trail (ORT) from the Little Beaver Creek Greenway Trail or the proposed Youngstown & Southern Trail, near East Liverpool, OH and Chester, WV to the Great Allegheny Passage (GAP) via the Montour Trail in Moon Township, Pa.  The ORTC also supports the development of Chartiers Creek Greenway in Allegheny and Washington Counties and the Beaver River Trail and Raccoon Creek Greenway in Beaver County, Pa.  

The Ohio River Trail Council manages trail development in fifty-one (51) communities located in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains.  The ORT is composed of thirty (30) southwestern Pennsylvania Communities. There are eleven (11) Ohio River North Shore Trail (ORNST) communities: Glasgow, Ohioville, Midland, Industry, Vanport, Beaver, Bridgewater, Fallston, New Brighton, Rochester, Rochester Township and there are thirteen (13) Ohio River South Shore Trail (ORSST) communities: Monaca, Center Township, Aliquippa, Hopewell Township, South Heights, Crescent Township, Moon Township and Coraopolis, Pa. Neville Township, Robinson Township, Kennedy Township, Stowe Township and McKees Rocks extends the ORT to the proposed Chartiers Creek Greenway.  In addition, the North Shore Extension Communities include the four (4) boroughs of Ambridge, Leetsdale, Edgeworth and Sewickley.  The Bradys Run Extension adds the two (2) Townships of Patterson and Brighton. The Chartiers Creek Greenway (CCG) is composed of twenty-one (21) communities: Mckees Rocks, Kennedy Twp, Robinson Twp, Thornburg, Crafton, City of Pittsburgh, Rossylyn Farms, Carnegie, Collier Twp, Oakdale, McDonald, Hankey Farms, Heidelberg, Scott Twp, Bridgeville, North Fayette, South Fayette, Upper St. Clair, Cecil Twp, Lawrence and Peters Twp.

The ORT is part of the Rivers of Steel National Heritage Area and is being considered for part of the U.S Bicycle Route 50 and part of the Underground Railroad, Pittsburgh spur. The ORT will serve as a key segment in the interconnection of existing land trails in the tri-state area such as the Great Ohio Lake-to-River Greenway, North Coast Inland Trail, North Bend Trail, American Discovery Trail, Brooke Pioneer Trail, Wheeling Heritage Trail, Beaver River Trail, North Country National Scenic Trail, Montour Trail, Chartiers Creek Greenway, Panhandle Trail, Three Rivers Heritage Trail, Great Allegheny Passage, Erie to Pittsburgh Trail, and Pittsburgh to Harrisburg Mainline Canal Greenway (Millennium Legacy Trail) thereby creating an interlinked mega-trail system. In addition, the ORT will link to the National Park Service RTCA assisted “Tri-State Trail Initiative” routes in Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia.

Whether you bicycle, walk, hike, jog, run, roller blade, fish, bird or butterfly watch, cross-country ski, horseback ride, canoe, kayak or enjoy boating, the Ohio River Trail will improve quality of life by providing fitness and recreation.  In addition, the ORT will serve as an important alternative transportation corridor between communities as well as reducing congestion and pollution.  The ORTC will ensure access to all, including persons of disability.

The ORTC mission includes the construction of land trails through the reallocation of abandoned rail corridors, bridges, trolley lines, brownfields, and canal towpaths.  The ORTC encourages additional access to these resources and ensures that these natural areas are afforded protection. The ORT will assist in the protection of plants and animals by preserving sensitive stream corridors and maintaining connections between natural communities.  

The beauty of the Ohio River Valley is unmistakable.  The valley presents with sh ady trees, cool creeks and an abundance of wildflowers and wildlife. The Ohio River Valley is a climatic transition area, as its water runs along the periphery of the humid subtropical and humid continental climate areas.  It is diverse ecosystem inhabited by fauna and flora of both climates.  

The ORTC endorses the revitalization of the natural beauty of the Ohio River and its surroundings, one of Western Pennsylvania’s most important natural resources. Thomas Jefferson stated: "The Ohio is the most beautiful river on earth.  Its current gentle, waters clear, and bosom smooth and unbroken by rocks and rapids, a single instance only excepted." The ORTC mission includes the conservation of the Ohio River Valley.

ORTC Proposed Land Trails & Greenways

1. Ohio River North Shore Trail (ORNST)

• Point of Beginning (OH-PA-WV State Line) to Midland (Great Ohio Lake-to River Greenway)
• Midland to Beaver
• Beaver to Fallston-New Brighton Bridge
• Fallston-New Brighton Bridge to YMCA, Rochester Twp
• Fallston Bridge to Bradys Run Park
• YMCA Rochester Twp to Rochester-Monaca Bridge
• YMCA to Beaver Falls (Beaver River Trail)
• Midland to Shippingport
• Shippingport to Potter
• Shippingport to Georgetown
• Georgetown to Chester WV
• Georgetown to Potter Township (Raccoon Creek Greenway)

2. Ohio River South Shore Trail (ORSST)

• Monaca-Rochester Bridge to South Heights
• South Heights to Crescent
• Crescent to Coraopolis (Montour Trail)
• Extension to the Monaca Water Works/Monaca Boat Launch
• South Heights to Ambridge/Old Economy
• South Heights to Independence Township (Raccoon Creek Greenway)
• Moon Township to Sewickley
• Coraopolis to Neville Island/Robert Morris University Recreation Complex

3. North Shore Extension of the South Shore Trail

• Ambridge to Leetsdale
• Leetsdale to Sewickley

6. Multi-State Greenways

• Tri-State Greenway - Pennsylvania, Ohio and West Virginia.
• Ohio River Trail & Greenway - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to Cairo, Illinois.

Ohio River Trail - PA Veloroutes Map

Authored by Dr. Vincent  Troia, January 2009.  Updated June 2010.

Attachments:

Ohio Railroads	[1918 Railroad Map of East Ohio]	1409 Kb
Proposed Lake Erie and Ohio River Canal	[1945 Map showing proposed canal from Ashtabula, OH to Rochester, PA]	354 Kb
Allegheny County	[Allegheny County Pa D.O.T. Map ]	7097 Kb
Beaver County	[Beaver County Pa D.O.T. Map]	3950 Kb
Beaver County Trolly Lines and Railways	[Beaver County Abandoned Trolly Lines and Railways Map]	2231 Kb
Beaver County Greenways Plan	[Beaver County Greenways and Trail Plan Map 9 2007]	2488 Kb
Chartiers Creek Greenway & Three Rivers Heritage Trail	[Proposed Chartiers Creek Greenway & Three Rivers Heritage Trail Map]	163 Kb
Chartiers Creek Greenway	[Chartiers Creek Greenway Proposal]	56 Kb
Columbiana County	[Columbiana County OH Highway Map]	145 Kb
Coraopolis to McKees Rocks	[Coraopolis to McKees Rocks Map ]	7102 Kb
Great Ohio Lake-to-River Greenway	[Great Ohio Lake-to-River Greenway Map 2008]	2538 Kb
Hancock County	[Hancock County WV Highway Map]	2230 Kb
Jefferson County	[Jefferson County OH Highway Map]	202 Kb
Lawrence County	[Lawrence County Pa D.O.T. Map]	2737 Kb
National Fuel Gas Supply Corporation	[National Fuel Gas Supply Corporation Supply System Map]	1021 Kb
Ohio River Trail - PA	[Ohio River Trail - PA Map]	102 Kb
Mega-Greenway	[Ohio River Trail Mega-Greenway Proposal]	36 Kb
North Shore Extension Trail	[Ohio River Trail North Shore Extension Trail Proposal Draft ]	51 Kb
North Shore	[Ohio River Trail North Shore Multi-use Trail Proposal ]	71 Kb
South Shore	[Ohio River Trail South Shore Multi-use Trail Proposal]	63 Kb
ORTSS Allegheny County Communities	[ORTSS Allegheny County Communities Map]	7102 Kb
P&LE Railroad	[P&LE RR Tri-State Map 1961]	178 Kb
Pennsylvania Railroads	[Pennsylvania Railroad Map]	3539 Kb
Patterson Township	[Patterson Township Map]	121 Kb
Pittsburgh & Central Ohio Railroad	[Pittsburgh & Central Ohio Railroad Map]	23 Kb
Pittsburgh Area Railroads - P&LE RR	[Pittsburgh Area Railroads 1961 Map]	139 Kb
Raccoon Creek Greenway	[Raccoon Creek Greenway Map]	2488 Kb
Sandy and Beaver Canal	[Sandy and Beaver Canal Map 1834]	402 Kb
GAP_C&O Trail	[Trail Town Map Pitsburgh to DC]	1547 Kb
Washington County	[Washington County Pa D.O.T. Map]	5947 Kb
Western Allegheny County	[Western Allegheny County Pa D.O.T. Map]	7097 Kb