Ghost Town Trail named 2020 Trail of the Year by state conservation officials
The Ghost Town Trail that runs from Blairsville to Ebensburg has been named Pennsylvania’s 2020 Trail of the Year by the state’s Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.
Built initially as a 12-mile trail in 1994, Ghost Town Trail was the first in the state constructed using transportation enhancement funding. The 32-mile main stem of the trail was completed in 2005, and trail officials recently marked its 25th anniversary.
“Rich with the history of railroading and former coal mining towns along its 46-mile route, the Ghost Town Trail, like so many rail trails throughout Pennsylvania, captures the spirit of an industrial past and the promise of a recreational future,” said department Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn. “And again, we see a rails-to-trails conversion spawning economic benefits with establishment of new businesses and increasing patronage at others. Restaurants, bike shops, clothing retailers and outfitters, hotels and motels. The list goes on and on.”
Pennsylvania boasts more than 12,000 miles of trails throughout the commonwealth. The Ghost Town Trail needs only 5 1/2 more miles in order to complete the first continuous rail-trail loop in the eastern U.S. It was designated as a National Recreation Trail in 2003 and was ranked seventh on American Towns Media’s 2016 list of “Best Hiking Trails in the United States.”
Cambria County Conservation & Recreation Authority and Indiana County Parks & Trails have partnered with local businesses to assist both the Ghost Town Trail and its users. The trail draws thousands of bicyclists, hikers, runners, walkers, birders and, in winter, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, and fat-tire biking enthusiasts.
“The Cambria County Conservation & Recreation Authority is honored to have the Ghost Town Trail selected as the DCNR Trail of the Year,” said authority Executive Director Cliff Kitner. “The staff of the CCCRA and Indiana County Parks and Trails work very hard to make The Ghost Town Trail a premier trail destination, and this recognition shows how hard work pays off.”
An estimated 80,000 people use the trail annually, according to DCNR officials.
Patrick Varine is a TribLive reporter covering Delmont, Export and Murrysville. He is a Western Pennsylvania native and joined the Trib in 2010 after working as a reporter and editor with the former Dover Post Co. in Delaware. He can be reached at pvarine@triblive.com.
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