The Montour Trail stretches 60-plus miles around Pittsburgh — the longest suburban rail-trail in the U.S. The Trail’s bridges, trestles, viaducts and tunnels are impressive, and its railbeds played an important role in the region’s coal-mining history.
Walk. Run. Bike. Camp.
Be courteous!
Make your own tracks on one of the the nation’s outstanding rail-trails. Bonus: If you live near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, it’s right in your back yard!
The Montour Trail is a multi-use, non-motorized recreational pathway around Pittsburgh, the country’s longest suburban rail-trail. The main line extends 47.4 miles; branch routes increase the overall length to 63 miles. The relatively-flat half-loop stretches from Coraopolis (13 miles northwest of Pittsburgh along the Ohio River) to Clairton (15 miles southeast of the city, on the Monongahela River). A branch in the northwest section connects directly to the Pittsburgh International Airport.
The Trail is easy to get to by car, as there are access areas and trailheads every few miles along the route. Pittsburgh’s rapid transit system runs near some of these, and it is bike friendly. The Trail is ADA accessible as well.
Scenic beauty
Restored bridges
Historic tunnels
4-season access
Montour Trail Named Best in the ‘Burgh
Pittsburgh Magazine, June 2019
Great American Rail-Trail Coming
Post-Gazette, May 2019
30 Years Championing Outdoors
Tribune-Review, March 2019
Volunteers Tackling Icicle Problem
KDKA-TV, December 2018
The Montour connects to other rails-to-trails in western Pennsylvania and beyond. You can easily get to the Great Allegheny Passage (GAP) and the C&O Canal Towpath, a completed trail system that stretches 300+ miles from Pittsburgh to Washington, DC. The Panhandle Trail — a converted railroad line that stretches almost 30 miles from Weirton, West Virginia, to Carnegie — meets up with the Montour Trail west of McDonald (southwest of Pittsburgh). And this local resource is also part of U.S. Bicycle Route 50, which runs east-west and, when completed, will span the country.
Currently, 46 miles of the Montour Trail are completed with several short gaps in the southeast section.
