Rail Trails

Bike trails along former rail beds. Usually.

Uphill Both Ways: Blackwater Canyon Trail

West Virginia is home to some of the most beautiful scenery in the country. So when TrailLink described this trail as “picturesque” and “rough”, I knew I had to make the trip. I waited until we had a few solid days of warm, dry, weather, loaded up the Forester, an made the 3-hour trek into Thomas. It was...

East Sandy Creek flows through a heavily wooded valley, splitting in two smaller creeks along the way.

The Sandy Creek Rail Trail

I was blown away by the beauty of the Sandy Creek Trail. Located in western Pennsylvania, about halfway between Franklin and Clarion, the Sandy Creek Trail links up with the Allegheny River Trail and the Clarion Highlands Trail (almost). If photographing creeks, bridges, and/or and valleys is your thing, you’ve found your new home...

A paved road passes under an old iron railroad bridge. Dense forests surrounds both.

Tunnels & Trails: The West Penn

The West Penn Trail is what you get when you cross a well-maintained, paved, road-bike friendly trail with a well-maintained, single-track, goat-friendly mountain bike trail. The trail is located in western PA and runs between the towns of Saltsburg and Blairsville. It’s got three distinct personalities and as such will give both...

Industrial Heritage: The Ghost Town Trail

The Ghost Town Trail gets its name from the ghost towns and abandoned industrial sites it winds through as it follows the path of the Ebensburg & Black Lick Railroad. It’s located in Indiana County PA and currently clocks in just shy of 50 miles, but I rode the 32-mile segment from to Ebensburg War Memorial Park to Saylor Park...