Armstrong Trail — Rosston, PA to Templeton, PA

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Armstrong Trail 30 or 40-Mile Bike Ride

Come out for a ride! This is part of a trail ride series sponsored by the Ohio River Trail Council (ORTC) intended to bring awareness to the wonderful trails in our quad-state region (Maryland, Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia). All cyclists are welcome for this rails-to-trails, moderate-paced ride!

Join us, as we visit the Armstrong Trail. The ride departs from the Rosston Trailhead (mile-31) and we ride north along the east bank of the Allegheny River to Templeton (mile-54). All trails are easy to ride and provide a total of 30 miles of scenic biking. An optional ride is from is a 40-mile round-trip ride from Rosston Trailhead (mile-39) to Rimer, Pa. (mile-59).

In addition, the scenic 1.27-mile Cowanshannock Trail follows the Cowanshannock Creek on an abandoned Pennsylvania Railroad Company corridor. The trail begins at the Bernard Snyder Picnic Area (mile-47.5), a beautifully landscaped area with views of the Allegheny River. The trail provides access to the picturesque Buttermilk Waterfalls on the right side of the trail. Don't forget your camera!

Trailhead

Rosston Trailhead - Rosston Circle, Ford City, PA 16226

GPS: 40.749263,-79.554002

Features and Points of Interest:

The Armstrong Trail runs along the former Allegheny Valley Railroad. The railroad, chartered in 1837 and opened in 1855, served as a passenger and freight rail line and eventually extended from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to Buffalo, New York. The rail line ended passenger operations in 1941 and was purchased by the Allegheny Valley Land Trust in 1992 for conversion to the existing trail.

Remnants of this railroad history can be found at many points along the trail, including (from north to south):

A turntable and train yard in Phillipston
A coaling tower in Redbank, where steam locomotives once filled up with coal to fuel their engines
The Kittanning Train Station, which opened in 1856
Several locks dating back to the early 1900s, which are managed by the Army Corps of Engineers, are also visible along the trail.

The trail runs close to a number of private residences at many points along its length, so please respect any posted no-trespassing signs. The Kiski-Junction Railroad has reactivated an 8-mile section of the former rail between Schenley and Rosston. As a result, this is no longer part of the Armstrong Trail at this time and there is currently no access or opportunity for biking or hiking in this area.

There are numerous trail access points with parking along the trail. Directions to parking areas can be found on the trail’s website. The parking area at Buttermilk Falls also provides access to the Cowanshannock Trail, a short 1.5-mile rail-trail. And, a few miles east of East Brady, the Armstrong Trail connects to the Redbank Valley Rail Trail, which offers an additional 50 miles of rail-trail to explore.

Map

Social

Optional social gathering and dinner will be held after the ride.

Attachments:
Armstrong_Trail_Map.pdf	[ ]