And you don't need to travel far to find them. The Wolfe's General Store was a blessing, I was able to refill with refrigerated water and some additional carb snacks for the return. But I had always wanted to do the entire thing. There are many beautiful homes, lake views, mountain views, fishermen views, old railroad and telegraph remnants to keep ones eyes and senses occupied. It's really gorgeous. Beautiful ride. At 2.8 miles the Pine Hill-West Branch Trail turns south toward Balsam Mountain. There are informative signs, town markers, etc, all along the trail. We had scrumptious panina sandwiches and hand dipped ice cream and the service was beyond belief. If you want an even more detailed guide to biking the Pennsylvania Grand Canyon, check out The Pine Creek Rail-Trail Guidebook by Linda Stager on Amazon. You can see a basic Pine Creek Rail Trail map here, but pick up the much more detailed one available at several places in town and along the trail if you plan to do any hiking. A little narrow foot path extends off of the trail towards pine creek and brings you to a beautiful large flat rock area that sits in the creek. Be advised that there is no water available in the 17 mile canyon stretch so top off at one of the general stores when you have the chance. To experience this trail is worth the drive. To locate the northern head of the trail, travel north from Wellsboro on rt.287 to Wellsboro Junction. Would recommend going in spring when creeks are flowing or fall for the . We parked at the Blackwell parking area, which had an eagles nest above and wre able to catch sight of the eagle on several occasions. Lodging in Williamsport. I can't wait to explore more of it. Im planning on pulling together a combo ride/hike for this fall. Sitting 17.2 miles south of the Ansonia Access Area, the Blackwell Access Area is a great place to end your bike ride on the Pine Creek Rail Trail. There are lots of restrooms the first 20 or so miles out of Waterville and after that it gets a little rustic up through the Pa grand canyon which is unbelievably beautiful. Your one photo was Slate Run. Maybe a few too many clueless tourists who don't know about trail etiquette, but a bell helps with that. The restroom was very clean. Awesome! campground in Cedar Run is a centrally located for out and back rides. However, if you start here, you miss the start of the Pennsylvania Grand Canyon at the confluence of Pine Creek and Marsh Creek. I only covered ab0ut 2 miles but it was well maintained and nice scenery. Saw deer crossing the creek and a eagle on a rock looking for fish. There are also several privately run campgrounds along the trail. The water tasted good. We normally ride the Lower Trail in Central Pa., which is much shorter so this was a real blast to be able to ride on a trail as long as this. Bears and rattlesnakes are occasionally seen along the trail but do not seem to bother people. A great trail, definitely hall of fame. The Pine Creek Rail Trail stretches for 64 miles from Ansonia in Tioga County to Jersey Shore in Lycoming County. Driving Directions: From Williamsport, take Route 220 west to the Avis exit, Route 44. The surface of this trail is the very best that I have ever been on, it is crushed limestone and is in great shape from end to end, the night between my round trip we had a number of thunder strom's come though over night and my ride back did not see any standing water. The section from Ansonia south to Tiadaghton contains a horseback riding trail next to the bicycling trail. This was the last place we saw to buy food/drinks before Waterville - although there are "comfort stations" every few miles, so there's no shortage of bathrooms along the way. I had one flat and two couples riding by stopped to help. Order it now on Bookshop.org or Amazon. A quick look at what is happening in the Central Susquehanna Valley, including upcoming events, new store openings, nature notes, and mor We dressed in layers, and took along light gloves. Its the part covered within this article. A group of 6 of us rode Recumbent Trikes with narrow, 100 psi tires, the full length of this trail in 2 days. Everyone in town told me that the rail is going to be extended into town eventually but no one seemed to know the exact time frame. These overlooks are visible from the Pine Creek Rail Trail at the slightly northern half of the canyon trail tour. Two places you need to stop at are Millers General Store in Blackwell, One dollar a scoop Ice Cream cones and Cedar Run General Store has great burgers. D&H Trail - Lehigh Gorge Trail ~ Glen Onoko, Pine Creek Rail Trail ~ Jersey Shore PA to Ross Run, Jay B. Starkey Wilderness Park Bike Trail, BLack Diamond Trail ~ White Haven to Mountaintop PA, Delaware Canal Towpath - Uhlerstown to Center Bridge, The D&H Trail from Forest City to Simpson, PA, D&H Trail - Lehigh Gorge Trail ~ Tannery to Drakes Creek, Lebanon Valley Recreaction Trail and Conewago Recreation Trails, Pine Creek Rail Trail ~ Rattlesnake Rock to Black Walnut, Pine Creek Rail Trail ~ Jersey Shore to Ross Run, Parking and Trail parking lot access points information. I would rate this as the best bike trail I have experienced. About this group One of the premier rail trails in the Northeast, the PCRT offers a spectacular 62 mile journey from Wellsboro to Jersey Shore (or vice versa). Very few road crossings. Let me know when you are going and i will be there to cheer you on! I set out for an 82 mile R/T from the Waterville parking access area heading north on the gentle but steady uphill climb through the Grand Canyon of PA back. Once again we met a lot of people (and dogs) enjoying the trail either on foot or bike. He indicated that they stay busy in the winter with snowmobilers and in the spring with fishermen as well as bikers and campers in the summer. On the way back I saw a nice big black snake crossing the trail. View with Google Maps. Make sure you visit the Wellsboro diner for a piece of pie. We just took our 11yo and 8yo from Jersey Shore to Waterville (22mi) and it was fantastic. What is considered the upper half? The trail does not go into Wellsboro but stops 5 miles out of town. The next morning after breakfast at the Hotel Manor, we headed south to Jesery Shore. In Cedar Run there is an Inn, rental houses, and a cute little (tiny) country store with lots of bike rack parking. We found a hand operated pump and bid farewell to our friends as they headed up the seventeen mile stretch to Ansonia with one water bottle each and a few snack bars. If you live with in the North East or Mid Atlantic you need to put this trail on your must do list. The Pine Creek Rail Trail continues south from Blackwell 1.8 miles to a nice parking area and a fantastic secret feature attraction, Rattlesnake rock. (tie your food and trash up in a tree at night!) Over all it was a great trip, even with the rain. Turn left onto Marsh Creek road then a quick left and go past the farm market to a parking area at the head of the trail. Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. The timber rattleris a protected species in Pennsylvania, and found mainly in the central and western mountains of the state. I rode a gravel bike with 32mm tubeless tires which was the petfect choice for the unpaved trail. Rode this trail in the summer and in the fall. dougel29@yahoo.com. Again, the maintenance crew clears debris and smooths the trail regularly. EN. To assist with the trip, I talked with Pine Creek Outfitters. We rested here for about 10 minutes and then began the most grueling part of the trip. The northern end of the trail (Wellsboro Junction to Ansonia) has marshes, fields, and farmhouses. Many vistas have been cleared along the trail to provide hikers with views of the Pine Creek Valley. If you want to do some hiking, you can also check out the waterfalls along Jerry Run and Bohen Run from here. Did two runs in two days, both started at blackwell, and continued south for around 15 miles and 17 miles on consectutive days. Biked this trail in three days, with round trip rides, in late June. Rode one way from Wellsboro to Jersey Shore. I parked at the Waterville parking lot and rode to Wellsboro and spent the night. To my knowledge this was the only portion of the Pine Creek Rail Trail completed at this time. We actually rode right past a 3 footer resting along the side of the trail. People friendly along the way. The Cedar Run Inn is a nice B&B, clean and comfortable. Rode it anyway and found it to be very scenic. Beyond Blackwell, the scenery changes, with the canyon opening up and the rail trail traveling a bit away from Pine Creek. Pine Creek Rail Trail Difficulty: Unknown Length: 62.72 Miles County: Lycoming, Tioga Trail Description One of the premier rail-trails in the Northeast, the Pine Creek Trail in Pine Creek Gorge offers travelers a spectacular, 62-mile journey through the area commonly referred to as the Grand Canyon of Pennsylvania. Trail is in excellent shape. Drove into Wellsboro for dinner that night. Just beyond the swinging bridge, youll enter Leonard Harrison State Park. Crushed stone. On the opposite bank, Owassee Road parallels the trail for the next two miles. There are places just off the trail for food on this half. When I first read about this stretch of the trail, I read that it was along the road and I pictured something very different - more like riding the path in Williamsport. If your into woodworking you need to checkout Irion Lumber too. JOSEPH W. SMITH III STARTING OUT The next 25 miles from Blackwell to Waterville has many general stores all of which offer good food, basic supplies and plenty of rustic souvenirs. No real challenges here. See other sections of the Pine Creek Trail. Greatfor families who are biking or hiking together. No one can over-emphasize how great this trail is, so check it out if you can. I have found the Seresto Collar to be most effective. If you are planning on doing a long ride make sure to bring a spare or repair kit. The water pump worked and because the sign said the water was not frequently tested, we put it through a Sawyer filter before we used it. We rode 118 miles in 2 days. Cell phones do not work along most of the trail due to the deep canyon and rural area. I didn't see one pothole. The Wellsboro Junction to Darling Run section has new surface which is OK, but does not have the good crushed limestone surface. 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