A1 Trails
Rail Trails in Pennsylvania

Allegheny River Trail

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Trail description: The Allegheny River Trail follows 25 miles of abandoned railroad between Franklin and Emlenton. The paved Samuel Justus Recreational Trail runs 5 miles between Franklin and Oil City, a few miles south of the Oil Creek Trail. Five miles south of Franklin the ART intersects the Sandy Creek Trail, an 8-mile paved trail running east-west. There two long, dark tunnels are located on the ART, 15 and 25 miles south of Franklin, so bring a flashlight.
Access fee: Optional membership helps support the trail
Towns along the trail: Franklin, Emlenton, PA
Web site: Allegheny Valley Trails Association
Trail map: Available on the AVTA website
Trail surface: Most of the AR trail is paved with a parallel dirt path for horses. The remaining unimproved rail trail has a rough surface and will eventually be upgraded.
Designated activities: Biking, walking, horseback riding, inline skating
Facilities on the trail: Restaurants at Oil City and Franklin
Points of interest: Allegheny River is designated as a National Wild and Scenic River. At Indian God Rock, 9 miles south of Franklin, there are 50 petroglyphs created by native Americans up to 800 years ago.
Lodging: Oil City and Franklin have few choices of accommodations
Camping:
Bike shops: Bike rentals and repairs available in Franklin
Weather forecast: Franklin
Tourism info: Franklin Chamber | Oil Heritage Region Tourism
Getting to the trail: The trail can be accessed in Oil City, Franklin or Brandon (see the AVTA website for details).
Map of local region: Franklin | Emlenton

Rate this section of trail

Number of ratings: 4
Average rating: 4.38

Trail name: D&H Rail-Trail
Times biking the trail: Once
Date of last visit: May, 2005
Sections that I biked: We started at the last train tunnel just above Hwy 80. We rode 14 miles north, ate lunch and then rode back. Perfect day for it.
My favourite sections of the trail: The tunnels were great. BRING A GOOD LITE! The scenery, the falls, the river were all great.
Best time to go: May was nice and will be back for fall time.
Trail marking: Fair
Trail maintenance: Very good
Rating: 4 stars
What I liked: I ride 20+ miles every weekend and this is one of the most scenic trails I've been on. No bathrooms along the way. There was 11 of us. 1/2 women that did not like hiding behind trees. Ha!
What I disliked: No good map found to come of of Hwy 80. The back gravel roads and mountains were fun but we didn't know if we were lost or not. Very few road signs. Some of the hills we had to use 4 wheel drive to keep from spining up them. But it was still fun so can't say it was bad. But the trail needs at least one or two porta-potties.
Comments: There is a section of the trail that is not finished. It needs better signs to mark it but I was glad it was not finished because it made it more fun for everyone.
Thanks for putting the trail in.
Submitted by: CC
from: Ohio
Date submitted: May 24, 2005

Trail name: D&H Rail-Trail
Times biking the trail: Several
Date of last visit: Apr, 2005
Sections that I biked: I've biked the entire paved section (which is now well beyond 15 miles).
My favourite sections of the trail: This trail is beautiful from start to finish (which includes the "unfinished" portions). Indian God Rock (an ancient native american hiejroglyph) is along the trail (it also sports some "newer" graffiti dating to the early 1800's) and the river, for the entire length is designated as a national scenic river.
Best time to go: Spring, summer, fall. Fall is spectacular but spring and summer are right behind.
Trail marking: Very good
Trail maintenance: Very good
Rating: 4.5 stars
What I liked: The trail is gorgeous. It also connects to several other rail trails. It has well maintained camping areas, benches for taking in the scenery, and easy access. The trail is paved most of the way. Tunnels are fun.
What I disliked: Close to Franklin, the trail can get a bit congested on nice days but beyond the first couple of miles the trail is almost traffic free.
Comments: There are several places to stay, eat, points of interest along the trail. The trail's termini (Franklin and Emlenton) both offer lodging and dining possibilities and the trail itself has several designated campsites. The trail is in Oil Heritage country. You should have a headlight on your bicycle; the trail passes through a rather long tunnel near Kennerdell. Winter riding can be hazardous - snow piles up - and the trail can be quite wet in the spring. There is a bicylce shop in Franklin along the trail and canoe trips are possible along the way; there are several liveries that will set you up for excursions.
Submitted by: Mike Bagdes-Canning
from: Cherry Valley, Pennsylvania, USA
Date submitted: April 24, 2005

Trail name: D&H Rail-Trail
Times biking the trail: Once
Date of last visit: Sept, 2003
Sections that I biked: Samuel Justus Recreational Trail
Allegheny River Trail (only to Brandon)
Sandy Creek Trail
My favourite sections of the trail: I Liked all of the trails, but the Sandy Creek Trail was a bit more interesting because of the bridges over the creek. It had the most beautiful views.
Best time to go: I'll bet the middle of October would be the best time to do this trail.
Trail marking: Very good
Trail maintenance: Very good
Rating: 4.5 stars
What I liked: The trails were in perfect shape. There were nice places to stop and rest along the river with picnic tables and benches.
What I disliked: There was nothing I disliked..It was all very good. Although there was nothing at the ends of the trails..a place to eat would have been nice.
Comments:
Submitted by: JRW181
from: Gibsonia, Pa
Date submitted: Sept 9, 2003