EMLEMNTON, PENNSYLVANIA
A description from TrailLink:
The Allegheny River Trail runs on asphalt between Franklin and Emlenton for 27.5 miles and on an isolated section between Foxburg and Parker for 2.5 miles.
I spent the night before in Clarion, Pa. and was simply looking for a place to ride today. My introduction to the Allegheny River Trail came from TrailLink, which advertised a 27.5-mile asphalt trail. I don’t think my narrative needs to be lengthy.
A paved rail trail sounded great to me. What was not advertised was a somewhat nasty one-mile gravel detour, which appears permanent. Perhaps landowners were able to buy some land from the railroad before it became a rail trail.
“Four miles past the viewing platform, the trail veers onto gravelly North Kent Road for 0.75 mile through the Sunny Slopes community.“
The gravel section is gnarly. When I came upon it, I wondered if it was the end of asphalt, but continued until I met a local and she told me the gravel road came back to the trail in 1/2 mile. Because of this gravel section, I would not recommend this trail for a road bike with tires smaller than 30 or 32 mm.
My brother-in-law calls the homeowner who appears to be blocking the trail a jerk. I don’t presume to know what went on, how the entire trail is on the right of way of the former Allegheny Valley Railroad, but one guy has property. His stance is obviously NIMBY. Or for this trail, NIMFY.
It would not be that big of deal if the county or township paved the Sunny Slopes Connector Road. But that gravel section keeps this trail from being a premier destination trail.
There are NO amenities along the trail. Carry enough food and water.
I had not read the description very well, if at all, when I came to the Rockland Tunnel. About 100 meters from the tunnel, the air got cold, and I knew I was approaching nature’s air conditioner even before I saw the tunnel entrance.
The two tunnels on this trail are VERY DARK because they both have curved or dogleg portions. It takes a while before you can see the light at the end of the tunnel. A light is a necessity to ride in the tunnel. Not by law, just by common sense.
The first section of the trial, to includes both tunnels, is very wooded. The second section, north of the Sandy Creek Trail, is wide open and is not shaded.
The first section is rooted. It was not as bad as the Mount Vernon Trail near D.C., but was just as bad as the Western Maryland Rail Trail in Hancock, Md., until it was repaved in the Fall 2024. It is nearly unridable in spots. That, along with a gnarly gravel section, keeps this from being a premier trail.
You never know what you will find on a new trail and I came upon a railroad trestle. At first, I thought it was an active railroad, but I would soon learn that it was part of a second rail trail.
I stopped briefly at the sign in Belmar before continuing on to Franklin, which was five miles away. When I reached Franklin, the Allegheny River Trail ended but it does continue into or past Franklin to Oil City as another trail. I turned around.
I returned to the Belmar sign and then followed the “trail” extension that led to the Sandy Creek Trail. Less than 100 yards of trail went underneath the Bolman Bridge. There, the trail looked to continue as a hiking trail but also connected to steps up to the bridge itself. There is bike path or rail on which you can push your bike while walking. I wonder in retrospect if it would have been easier to take my bike up the steps instead of pushing it because gravity was winning and wanting to push the bike back down.
I climbed the steps which wasn’t easy. Near the top, the clearance is low, and one has to duck even while walking.
The Sandy Creek Trail is a 12-mile paved rail trail pretty much in the middle of nowhere. But it does have two fixtures worth seeing. The first is the 1,385′ (422m) Belmar Bridge that crosses the Allegheny River. I rode across the bridge and even took some time just to enjoy the view of the river from the bridge.
Unbeknownst to me, if I took the time to ride some of the trail, I would have come to the Mays Mill or Deep Valley Tunnel, a 967′ (295m) structure that doesn’t sound like it’s in great shape. They have a tunnel inside the tunnel. The Sandy Creek Trail was originally the Jamestown, Franklin & Clearfield Railroad. I would be willing to check out this trail as a standalone ride, but it also isn’t a destination trail.
Both tunnels on the Alleghenry River Trail appear to be a great shape, although there was a lot of water leaking near the south end of the Rockland Tunnel. The surface instead is smooth asphalt as opposed to the Abandoned Tunnels near Breezewood which are built on the decaying Pennsylvania Turnpike and are littered with glass.
The trail was relatively empty, but the few people I saw tended to favor e-bikes, especially e-Mountain Bikes. And there were some people milling around at both tunnel entrances.
As I rode back through the gravel section, a homeowner asked me if I was okay on water. Even though I had 1/2 a bottle of water remaining, I underestimated what I would be drinking the final 14 miles (22.5 km). I violated my own rule: Never turn down an offer of water.
Summary:
Scenery: 5/5
Pavement: 2/5 (3/5 for the roots and minus one for the one mile of gravel)
Fixtures: 4/5 Tunnels are cool, but no trestles other than the Big Sandy Trail (optional)
Not a destination trail, but if I rode it again,n I would want my gravel bike.
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