Ohio River Trail Council

OHIO RIVER TRAIL COUNCIL

"Joining communities through fitness, recreation, heritage and transportation networks."

The Ohio River Trail Council (ORTC) is a non-profit volunteer-led corporation that works to bring individuals, communities, businesses, recreational users and all levels of government together to promote and protect a continuous corridor of natural and cultural resources along the Ohio River and its tributaries.  The ORTC's goal is to honor our past and build our future by providing recreation opportunities, heritage development, environmental stewardship, safe transportation networks and economic stimulus to our community.

The ORTC mission includes the construction of land trails (greenways) and water trails (blueways)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 ORTC endorses the revitalization of the natural beauty of the Ohio River and its surroundings, one of Western Pennsylvania’s most important natural resources.  The ORTC goal is to conserve one of the most diverse ecosystems in Pennsylvania.

The ORTC will focus its efforts on showcasing, recreational, educational, historical and cultural sites along the trail.  The ORTC is committed to saving and exhibiting collections of historical significance of the region.  This preservation provides an enduring record of the past, celebrating our heritage and providing an experience to discover our history with the establishment of the Ohio River Trail Museum.