Allegheny Trail Alliance

Allegheny Trail Alliance
General Information

11/20/2004: Local authors honored nationally.

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In western Pennsylvania, the trail builder's grand dream is a motor-free connection between Pittsburgh and Washington DC. In practice, this means a connection from Pittsburgh to Cumberland Maryland, where you can pick up the C&O Canal towpath for the final 185 miles to Washington. The Allegheny Trail Alliance is working to make this dream come true.

Trail Status

The Great Allegheny Passage, the Cumberland to Pittsburgh trail, will run for150 miles from Cumberland, MD to Point State Park in Pittsburgh, PA with a 52-mile branch to the Pittsburgh International Airport.

Trail Partners

The Allegheny Trail Alliance is a unique group of seven trail organizations who have joined together to bring this trail to completion. Each trail group is as different as the section of trail its members are building. Click on these links or on any logo on the maps for information about each trail organization. The affiliated trails and the lengths of their trails are:

	Trail	Completed Mileage	Mileage Underway	Total Mileage
	Three Rivers Heritage Trail	1.5	5	6.5
	Steel Valley Trail	4	10	14
	Montour Trail	27	20	47
	Youghiogheny River Trail, North	43	0	43
	Youghiogheny River Trail, South	28	0	28
	Allegheny Highlands Trail in Pennsylvania	23	19	42
	Allegheny Highlands Trail of Maryland	0	21	21
At Cumberland, the ATA system connects with the C&O Canal Towpath *Totals do not equal 202 miles because of rounding.
	C&O Canal Towpath	184.5	0	184.5

User
Survey

This study reports the analysis of the use of the Allegheny Trail Alliance system in Western Pennsylvania during the 2002 trail season, April 15 through November 15.

The user surveys asked for information on trail use, distances traveled, spending in local communities, and on bikes and equipment. In addition, the Allegheny Trail Alliance has positioned trail counters at 11 strategic locations along the trail. The counter information was coupled with the user survey information to obtain estimates of trail-related spending.

The individual trail organizations sponsor special events throughout the year. The major events appear on our coordinated calendar. Check with each trail organization for more events. The Friends of ATA sponsor an annual ride between Pittsburgh and Washington DC, the Yockatomac trek

These trails exist only because of the dedication of many volunteers. Your favorite trail has something for you to do, too. When you find a trail you like, please join the trail organization. They need your energy as much as your money. For more information, to join a trail group, or to volunteer, please request more information.

If you're planning a multi-day trip on these trails, our trip planning page may be helpful. In the fall of 1999, we published a booklet of planning advice for trips between Pittsburgh and Washington.

For books and guides about this trail system and the region, please visit our bookstore. Some trail organizations also sell hats, shirts, water bottles, and other trail-related goods. Check the trail organizations' web pages for information.

See the related web sites for nearby trails, community information, related organizations, and periodical publications.

Review past news alerts.

About the Allegheny Trail Alliance

Mission

The Allegheny Trail Alliance is a coalition of seven trail-building organizations in southwestern Pennsylvania and western Maryland whose purpose is to assure the construction, maintenance and use of the multi-purpose trail between Pittsburgh, PA, and Cumberland, MD, where the trail will join the C&O Canal Towpath Trail, which continues on to Washington, DC.

Benefits of the Trail

… economic stimulus for communities: the completed portions of the trail are attracting new businesses, such as bike shops, restaurants, and other services. The trail will be a destination point, adding to the many tourist attractions of the region;
… extensive exercise and recreational opportunities: free to people of all ages and physical abilities;
… presents the heritage of the region: from native American campgrounds, remains of beehive coke ovens, railroad towns, and Pittsburgh's great "Valley of Steel";
… protection of the river environment: this corridor is valuable wildlife habitat and allows a natural buffer to develop along the rivers;
… educational opportunities: along the trail from history and culture to geology and ecology, the trail provides many educational opportunities.

For more information

Contact the Allegheny Trail Alliance at

419 College Ave
Greensburg PA 15601

724-853-BIKE (853-2453)
888-ATA-BIKE (282-2453)

ATAmail@ATAtrail.org

[Overview Map] [ATA Information]

This page is part of the Allegheny Trail Alliance's site in support of the Great Allegheny Passage, a motor-free recreational rail trail connecting Pittsburgh PA and Cumberland MD. Copyright © 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001by Allegheny Trail Alliance, Bill Metzger, Mary Shaw, and Roy Weil. Amenity information courtesy of FreeWheeling Easy. We encourage you to create links to this site and to print copies of the maps for your personal use. We prohibit other uses of this site, especially if they generate spam or other mass communications -- see our Privacy Policy.. This page was last modified on 12/04/03. Send email to ATA or contact the ATA or member trails.

We thank Leo's Icon Archive, the Iconolog, and the IconBazaar for the use of icons and clipart on this site.