Apply for Pennsylvania Trail of the Year Status

The 38-mile-long D&H Rail Trail winds through Lackawanna, Susquehanna, and Wayne Counties as it follows the former corridor of the Delaware & Hudson Railway. The D&H attracts runners, hikers, bikers, and equestrians and in winter, cross country skiers appreciate the trail grooming done by the snowmobile club who use the D&H as the backbone of their snowmobile trail system. 

Encompassing 46 miles of natural beauty and fascinating historical features, the Ghost Town Trail (GTT) throws in a bit of a challenge for flavor. Named for the long-gone coal mining communities that once dotted its path, the GTT travels through Cambria and Indiana counties, past two massive iron furnaces and other traces of the surrounding area’s historical coal mining, lumbering, and ironmaking industries. Situated in the scenic Blacklick Creek Valley, the GTT winds alongside mountain streams, passes through woodlands filled with rhododendron and wildflowers, and leads to welcoming communities.

The Mid State Trail is a unique wilderness footpath that traverses Pennsylvania from Bedford County in the south to Tioga County in the north. Part of the long-distance Great Eastern Trail, the 327-mile MST connects or travels through eight state parks and five state forests. Along the MST, hikers will be greeted with captivating views and side trails and the rare outdoor experience that offers a sense of isolation and remoteness.

Forbidden Drive stretches 5 miles along the Wissahickon Creek and through Wissahickon Valley Park, passing the Thomas Mill Covered Bridge, Valley Green Inn, and other numerous landmarks. Runners, bikers, and equestrians all frequently share the trail. Designated a National Recreation Trail in 1975, Forbidden Drive connects users with many historic sites, 50 miles of natural surface trails, and a regional trail network that takes them into Pennsylvania’s countryside on the Schuylkill River Trail (with access to state parks), and The Circuit (with a link to the East Coast Greenway).

The 63-mile Montour Trail system occupies the right of way of the former Montour Railroad and Peters Creek Branch of the Pennsylvania Railroad between Coraopolis and Clairton in suburban Pittsburgh, making it one of the nation’s longest nonmotorized suburban rail-trails. The trail connects with Pittsburgh International Airport, the Panhandle Trail, and the Great Allegheny Passage that stretches over 330 miles from Pittsburgh to Washington, D.C. 

Stretching 84 miles through Fulton, Huntingdon, and Mifflin counties, the Standing Stone Trail traverses central Pennsylvania ridges and valleys from Cowans Gap State Park in the south to Rothrock State Forest’s Detweiler Run Natural Area and the Mid State Trail in the north. The trail is part of the 1,650-mile Great Eastern Trail, which starts at the Florida-Alabama state line and extends to the Finger Lakes Trail in New York.

The Heritage Rail Trail County Park in southern York County has been designated as the 2015 Trail of the Year by the Pennsylvania Trails Advisory Committee. Established in 1992, the 21-mile rail trail is designed for hiking, bicycling, running, horseback riding, cross-country skiing, and snow shoeing. The trail connects the historic district of downtown York to Maryland’s Torrey C. Brown Trail to create a continuous 43-mile trail that includes seven railroad structures on the National Register of Historic Places and an operating tourism train.

Redbank Valley Trails in Armstrong, Clarion and Jefferson counties has been designated as Pennsylvania’s first Trail of the Year. This new award program is coordinated by the Pennsylvania Trails Advisory Committee. Redbank Valley Trails stood out because of the dedicated work of tremendous volunteers; its scenic beauty; connection to other trail systems; and quick and efficient pace of development. Much of the 51-mile trail system runs along Redbank Creek and includes many bridges, and beautiful stone arches. The trail connects schools, soccer fields and rural areas to commercial residential centers.