It'll be a daytrip - taking the 50 miles easy but still be my longest ride to date. Just wondering if anyone has any insight or tips. https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/pennsylvania/montour-trail In the late 1980s, Jerry Agin stumbled upon the Montour Trail while searching for new and adventurous off-road routes for long-distance running. See rules. For those who want to see all of the Montour Trail, you may need to pack your bags and plan for an extended journey, as this 40-mile trail connects to the roughly 300-mile Great Allegheny Passage and C&O Canal Trails which connects Pittsburgh to Washington DC! The Montour Trail is mostly unpaved with a graded surface of compacted crushed stone. You can ride to the trails and then back home from the East End. Species observed. (5 miles) The McDonald Trestle over Noblestown Road is the centerpiece of the Montour Trail. Hollow Oak Land Trust owns over 400 acres of woodlands and wetlands in the Moon, Kennedy, Robinson, North Fayette and Franklin Park communities. The annual fundraiser is called “Pennies for the Trail,” but those who volunteer at the Montour rail-to-trail conversion will take any type of change or small or large bills. The Montour Trail is a multi-use, non-motorized recreational pathway around Pittsburgh, the country’s longest suburban rail-trail. The trail offers access to Panhandle Trail, which brushes by Settlers Cabin State Park, and the trails at South Park (South Park Connection to Montour Trail). Lots of different size and color combinations to choose from. But when told that the branch was less important because it “didn’t go anywhere,” Kohnke shot back, “Yes, it does. He also was instrumental in linking Montour Railroad history buffs with MTC, which resulted in a new Friends group. Peters Township owns a 6-mile segment. He has also volunteered thousands of hours as MTC’s property acquisition expert, reviewing deeds to determine what properties the railroad owned and acquire title for easements. All is bike lane except Noblestown, McKees Rocks bridge (sidewalk or road) and same for West End bridge. The Wheelmen fought off that threat and cosponsored the study that identified western Pennsylvania railroad rights of way, including the Montour, that were available for conversion to recreational trails. From McDonald to Route 19 which Trail closed for new biking bridge but you can go across road and pick Trail up again. The trail needs people who believe in it and support it. Is hunting allowed on the Montour Trail? A portion of the Montour Trail *Arrowhead Trail Map* (pdf format) History. Throughout his professional career, railroad lawyer Dick Wilson handled matters related to interstate commerce, including abandonment of rail lines. It goes to my house!” He became the branch’s unofficial champion. Perhaps what sets it apart most, though, is what you don’t see. Montour Trail. We are an all-volunteer organization, and nothing happens without them. Two avid cyclists took it from there: Stan Sattinger and Dino Angelici responded enthusiastically to a request from the Pittsburgh Council of the American Youth Hostels to see what could be done with the “bones” of the old Montour RR, at that point a rough linear wasteland of unleveled ballast. Metzger also created the Montour Trail’s maps and brochures, helped to design the logo that appears on Trail mileposts, and built the first set of rule signs on his back porch. donate to earn trail karma! Limestone dust wasn't too bad. The youngest of the original board members, he contributed for the first six years or so, then passed the baton so he could raise his growing family. Tom Dougherty was a local Sierra Club member in the late 1980s when he was asked to be a liaison between that organization and the yet-to-be-incorporated MTC. Lebanon — on the same street where Sattinger lived! A core group of 15 committed people attended, and some of them are still active volunteers with the MTC. The Montour Trail Council celebrated its 30th anniversary in 2019. A hike on the Appalachian Trail was the inspiration for combining government land ownership with volunteer maintenance by locals, leading to the Friends groups concept. The Montour Trail Council's goal is to open the entire trail by 1998. The Montour Trail is a multi-use non-motorized recreational rail-trail near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and will ultimately extend 46 miles from Moon Township near Coraopolis to Clairton. Although the Montour Railroad was originally organized in 1877, our section wasn't built until 1912-1914. Error! Declan Lynch - Montour Trail (PA) - 2020-10-31 FKT: Declan Lynch - Montour Trail (PA) - 2020-10-31. Kohnke holds another special place in Montour Trail history: When property on Pleasant Street in South Park Township was subdivided for residential construction (right in the middle of the proposed Trail), he personally purchased one of the lots and held it until the Montour Trail Council had money to buy it from him. The 61.5-mile Montour Trail follows most of the former Montour Railroad’s main line west and south of Pittsburgh. The Volunteers make the difference October 2015 volcandy_tl. The Montour Trail began life as the coal-carrying Montour Railroad, in 1877, feeding the area’s steel mills. He agreed to become the first secretary; he later served as board president. The inter-trail connection there is pretty long. A biker and railroad fan, Dennis Sims watched the Montour Railroad right of way near his South Fayette home gradually fall into disrepair and become a dumping ground, when the trains stopped running in 1984. The one time I did it, I went counterclockwise to get W.Carson & to Neville Island & from Coraopolis to the trail done early. You share the trail with bicycles and moms with kids so it's fairly busy. In 1991, the MTC purchased the Montour Railroad right-of-way. If you’re heading west on the Panhandle and onto the Montour, you can avoid over a mile of it with this on-road route on a bit of Noblestown Road.. Click on an individual park outline, trail line, or point of interest for more information about that asset. On average it takes 2 hours9 minutes to complete this trail. Great for biking and walking, paved in some places but mostly crushed limestone. Biked Montour Bike Trail with the Toronto Bike Group on Sat, Aug 23, 2015. There is also a historical video titled “Montour Trail, Then and Now.“. At its peak, the railroad carried 7 million tons of coal per year. Nice limestone trail and busy - nicely used by bikers, walkers and joggers. The trail is good for all skill levels and is primarily used for hiking, running, nature trips, and mountain biking. Pennsylvania Rail Trails are former railway lines that have been converted to paths designed for pedestrian, bicycle, skating, equestrian, or light motorized traffic.Rail trails are multi-use paths offering, at a minimum, a combination of pedestrian and cycle recreation.. Pennsylvania contains a total of 93 different rail trails. It is a registered 501(c)3 not-for-profit corporation, relying on corporate, foundation and government grants and private donations for funding. Message (optional) Share Checklist Cancel. Donate online using PayPal or a credit card. So this was always in the back of my mind.” As an urban planner many years later, he became a crucial contributor to Pittsburgh/ Allegheny County’s recreational trail network. Travel from the Pittsburgh International Airport to the Montour Trail, the gateway to The Great Allegheny Passage. It's level for the most part so easy to navigate. “I got topographic maps of where it went,” he said. The railroad transported coal 55 miles from mines in Mifflin and Library. Coincidentally, he and his wife had just purchased a house in Mt. Nice limestone trail and busy - nicely used by bikers, walkers and joggers. Roads/drivers from Clairton thru Glassport go the GAP were surprisingly friendly. Later that same year, the Trail rose from disuse when Peters Township bought six miles of the railbed — creating a hiking/biking trail called Arrowhead. Trail organization: Montour Trail Council, PO Box 11866, Pittsburgh PA 15228-0866. I'm thinking about riding the Montour Trail in its entirety next week. Montour Trail is a 4.4 mile lightly trafficked out and back trail located near Clairton, Pennsylvania that offers the chance to see wildlife. Waterfalls. Dougherty was a corporate marketer; Sattinger saw in him the skills of a fundraiser. Shop Montour Trail Cap designed by Montour Trail Store. 1 rides; 56 miles avg distance; All. Same area Another location near Montour Trail - Southview, Washington County, Pennsylvania, US . Same area Another location near Montour Trail - Cecil, Washington County, Pennsylvania, US. In Columbia & Montour counties, we challenge the outdoor enthusiast to find their own special memories on our trails or in our competitions. Updated Sept 30, 2018 pae In the meantime, the Piney Fork Bridge will stand unused., However we do make a promise, that although it may take a while, the Montour Trail Council will … Posts about Montour trail written by Allie Zottola. The Montour Trail is always in need of support. Until then, you must travel on-road at several points along the way. Please consider joining or donating to the local trail association to support trail development & maintenance. Stop at the Dirty Bird in McDonald and eat a mediocre sub. External links modified (January 2018) Hello fellow Wikipedians, I have just modified 2 external links on Montour Trail.Please take a moment to review my edit.If you have any questions, or need the bot to ignore the links, or the page altogether, please visit this simple FaQ for additional information. Also, I did this a few years ago. Tim Sposato, Bryan Seip and Pat Flood install the new MP39. During the event, trail-goers can travel from winery to winery, tasting delicious seasonal wine features. Date of experience: August 2015. Nice riding Trail. The trail wasn’t super physically challenging, but honestly a little boring. “If you believe in the product you are selling, the rest is easy. The Montour Trail is so familiar to this region that it’s become a household name. https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/pennsylvania/montour-trail-enlow-to-boggs Public map layers for the Montour Trail including campsites, mile markers, trail route, access areas, and gaps. 0 rides ; Photos. 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