Length 16.5 mi (26.6 km) Trail difficulty Easy, ADA accessible | Grade 0.2% Designation National Recreation Trail | |
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Location Blair County, Pennsylvania Trailheads Flowing Springs
Alfarata Use Bicycling, Hiking, Bird-watching, Cross-Country Skiing, and Horseback Riding | ||
The Lower Trail (pronounced like "flower") is a 16.5-mile (26.6 km) rail trail that follows the Juniata River in West-Central Pennsylvania from Flowing Springs to Alfarata. The Lower Trail is owned and maintained by the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy of Central Pennsylvania (RTTCPA) and follows the roadbed of the former Pennsylvania Railroad Petersburg Branch along the Frankstown Branch of the Juniata River between the small town of Alfarata, Huntingdon County, to Flowing Spring, Blair County.
Contents
- Map of Lower Trail Pennsylvania USA
- Historical significance
- Trails history and evolution
- Trail maintenance
- Trail access points
- References
Map of Lower Trail, Pennsylvania, USA
The Lower Trail is the only privately owned and maintained rail trail in the U.S. It is free of charge to the public. The portion of the Lower Trail from Alfarata to Williamsburg is part of the Pennsylvania Mid State Trail and Great Eastern Trail. The site was identified Important Bird Area by the Ornithological Technical Committee of the Pennsylvania Biological Survey in October 2001. In 2009, the trail was also designated as a National Recreation Trail by the United States Department of the Interior.
Historical significance
Much of the trail was the original towpath for the Pennsylvania Canal that operated in the early 1800s and was known as the "continuous waterways" which linked Pittsburgh and Philadelphia. By the 1850s, most of the canals became obsolete because the railroad industry became more powerful. The Pennsylvania Railroad (PRR) had taken over the business and the land, in which the Lower Trail lays. Surrounding towns began to flourish and grow with the existence of the railroad in central Pennsylvania.
Trail's history and evolution
The development of the Lower Trail was made possible through the combination of private and public funding. In 1992, Penn Central Inc. decided to sell 11 miles (18 km) of the corridor, from Alfarata to Williamsburg, and was purchased because of a donation from Hollidaysburg attorney, T. Dean Lower, by the Rails to Trails-of-Central Pennsylvania. The trail was named in honor of Lower's late wife and son, Jane Y. and Rodger D. Lower. The trail extension, from Williamsburg to Canoe Creek, was purchased by an anonymous donation for the land in 1994. State and federal funding assisted in the construction of the trail.
Trail maintenance
The Lower Trail is a privately owned trail that depends upon the generosity of the members of Rails-to-Trails of Central Pennsylvania, volunteers, trail users, businesses, and memorial gifts. These funds are necessary to maintain and improve the trail. Members of RTTCPA volunteer their time on projects such as the up keeping of the trail, building amenities, and fund raising. Rails-to-Trails of Central Pennsylvania is a non-profit, charitable organization as qualified under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.
Trail access points
The Lower Trail has six primary trailheads. All trailheads have abundant parking, and pavilions/picnic tables available.