Ohio River Trail Council

Great Allegheny Passage

The Great Allegheny Passage (GAP) connects Pittsburgh, PA to Cumberland, MD thence via the C&O Canal to Washington DC.  The GAP trail is on railroad grade and therefore provides an easy grade through the Allegheny Mountains from the west to the east.  The Ohio River Trail will connect with this trail at Montour Junction, Pa.  The Great Allegheny Passage (GAP) is presently a 150-mile system of biking and hiking trails that connects Cumberland, MD and Pittsburgh, PA.  The connection to the Chesapeake and Ohio (C & O) Canal Towpath in Cumberland, MD was made in 2006, creating a continuous non-motorized corridor, 318 miles long, from McKeesport, near Pittsburgh, to Washington, DC. The GAP will eventually link to Point State Park in Pittsburgh, PA.  Another branch will extend to the Pittsburgh International Airport.  The GAP is a segment of the Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail. The Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail is a partnership to develop a network of locally managed trails in a corridor between the mouth of the Potomac River and the Allegheny Highlands.  As of autumn 2008, 830 miles of existing and planned trails have been recognized as segments of the National Scenic Trail.  The National Scenic Trail includes the District of Columbia, Virginia, Maryland and Pennsylvania.

Three Rivers Heritage Trail

The Three Rivers Heritage Trail is an urban rail-trail paralleling the riverbanks in the Pittsburgh region for about 21 miles, on both sides of the rivers, and offering spectacular views of the city.  The trail is promoted and maintained in part by the Friends of the Riverfront.  The mission of Friends is to increase awareness and engagement with the region’s rivers and riverfronts through activities and stewardship, and to extend the water and land trails on the major rivers within Allegheny County.

Erie to Pittsburgh Trail Alliance

A route north from Pittsburgh to Lake Erie is in the formative stage.  A coalition of trail groups, municipalities and associations are working to knit existing trails together to complete this connection.  The ORTC via Pittsburgh's Three Rivers Heritage Trail link to the Erie-to-Pittsburgh Trail provides a connection to the “Bayfront” in Erie, Pa.   This trail has emerged from the Erie-to-Pittsburgh Trail Alliance (EPTA) consisting of such member trails as the North Shore Trail, Armstrong Trail, Allegheny River Trail, McClintock Trail, Oil Creek Gorge Trail, Ernst Trail and the Pymatuning Spillway Trail.

DCNR Pennsylvania State-wide Trail Network

Through the past several years, the Pennsylvania Bureau of State Parks has actively developed safe bike trails in state parks. The bike trails found in state parks feature a variety of sizes, terrain and scenic views.

Ohio Trails, Greenways & Bikeways

There is an expanding trail network in Ohio. The Ohio River Trail will connect to this network near East Liverpool, OH via extension to the Little Beaver Trail.

Mainline Canal Greenway

From Pittsburgh to Harrisburg is Pennsylvania's Millennium Legacy Trail, the Mainline Canal Greenway.  While not a "trail" in the traditional sense, the Mainline represents another step in the evolution of greenways, introducing the concepts of community and economic revitalization and reconnection to towns once linked by this major transportation corridor." The Pittsburgh-Harrisburg Mainline Canal Greenway is managed by the Allegheny Ridge Corporation.

Susquehanna River Greenway

"Following this theme of non-traditional greenways is the Susquehanna River Greenway.  The Susquehanna Greenway will link natural, cultural, historical and recreational resources along the 500-mile corridor of the Susquehanna River in Pennsylvania.  It will create a basin-wide organization for resource management and community conservation -- factors of lasting importance to the economies and quality of life of river communities."

Schuylkill River Greenway

"The Schuylkill River Greenway - With the 128-mile Schuylkill River as its spine, our Schuylkill River National and State Heritage Area is alive with a remarkable diversity of historical, recreational and cultural attractions.  Along "the Revolutionary River," visitors can shadow the birth of our nation from the cobblestone streets and fabled landmarks of old Philadelphia to the huts and hollows of Valley Forge. Upstream you'll find a wealth of historic places, quaint river towns, abundant parks and access points to the river and trails, and year-round festivals and activities."

Delaware and Lehigh National Heritage Corridor

"The Delaware and Lehigh National Heritage Corridor - The Delaware and Lehigh Canal Heritage Park Corridor is both a State Heritage Park and a National Heritage Corridor.  It stretches more than 150 miles through the five eastern Pennsylvania counties of Bucks, Carbon, Lehigh, Luzerne and Northampton, with the spine of the corridor being the historic Lehigh and Susquehanna Railroad, the Lehigh Navigation System and the Delaware Canal.  More than a hundred Pennsylvania municipalities are included in the corridor."

PennDOT Bicycle Pa Route A

The present connection from the Montour Trail to Beaver County is the PennDOT BicyclePa-Route A, which is a share-the-road bike route. Thus, this route is shared with high-speed motor vehicles along PA State Route 51 and bicycle rider safety is a key concern. The ORTC is not in favor of the share-the-road bike routes on high speed highways unless bike lanes are clearly demarcated. A share-the-road corridor is one that is open to both bicycle and motor vehicle travel. A bike lane is defined as a portion of a roadway, minimum width of five feet, which is designated by striping, signing, and pavement markings for the preferential or exclusive use of bicyclists. Bicycle lanes must be one-way facilities that carry bike traffic in the same direction as the adjacent motor vehicle traffic. Two-way bicycle lanes are not recommended when they result in bicyclists riding against the flow of traffic. Wrong-way riding is a major cause of bicycle accidents and violates the Uniform Vehicle Code. For further information, refer to the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) “Guide for the Development of Bicycle Facilities” and The Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) Part Nine, “Traffic Controls for Bicycle Facilities”. The ORTC proposal recommends the relocation of part of BicyclePa-Route A to the ORT. This permits children, adults and commuters to travel safely while surrounded by nature and minimizing vehicular traffic.

Montour Trail

The Montour Trail is organized under the Allegheny Trail Alliance along with seven other trails. The Montour Trail is managed and maintained by The Montour Trail Council (MTC). The Montour Trail right of way was the former Montour Railroad. The Montour Railroad's mainline was 45 miles arcing southward and westward from Montour Junction, Pa. near Coraopolis, Pa. on the Ohio River where it interchanged with the Pittsburgh & Lake Erie Railroad. The Montour Railroad served the coal mines and industries of southern Allegheny County and northern Washington County. 

The Sports Legacy Foundation donated 78 acres of land in Coraopolis, Moon Twp. and Robinson Twp. to the Redevelopment Authority of Allegheny County.  The property will be developed into an Allegheny Sports and Athletic Complex that will include a number of athletic fields, recreational programming, trout fishing and a one mile trail to the Montour Trail.  A point of interest on the Montour Trail is the McDonald Viaduct (Trestle). It was formerly used by the Montour Railroad, the 960-foot long trestle reopened in 2003. It spans over Noblestown Road, Robinson Run, the Panhandle Trail and John's Avenue in Washington County, PA.

Panhandle Trail

The Panhandle Trail, which intersects the Montour Trail at the McDonald Trestle, stretches 29 miles between Walkers Mill in Collier Township, PA to Colliers, WV. The trail was completed in August 2008. The Panhandle trail right of way was the former Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Chicago and St. Louis Railroad. It was also known as the Pan Handle Route or the Panhandle Division of the Pennsylvania Railroad System. The Panhandle nomenclature came about because the railroad's main line west from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania crossed the Northern Panhandle of West Virginia. The line continued west to Bradford, Ohio, where it split, with one line to Chicago and the other to East St. Louis, Illinois via Indianapolis, Indiana.

East Coast Greenway

From Washington D.C. a link to the East Coast Greenway provides a developing trail system, spanning nearly 3,000 miles as it winds its way between Canada and Key West, linking all the major cities of the eastern seaboard

West Virginia Rails-toTrails

The West Virginia Rails-to-Trails Council is a collection of individuals, civic groups and organizations who have joined together to promote the development and enjoyment of Rail-Trails in West Virginia.

For addtional trail information visit the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy (RTC).  FREE detailed trail information on more than 30,000 miles of bike trails, walking trails, equestrian trails, and hiking and running trails including interactive trail maps, trail descriptions, pictures is available at their website.