Trail Alerts
Topic of the Week: Food Drive
Montour Trail Council is staging a food drive this May and June to help those struggling to feed their families during this very long pandemic. We have teamed with Greater Pittsburgh Area Food Bank and Washington County Food Bank to collect nonperishable foods. Note the four separate collection sites/dates: Robinson May 15; Hendersonville May 22; South Park June 5; Bethel Park June 19. Canned food donations only; please chip in if you are able!
Social-Distancing Recommendations for Using Montour Trail
(posted 3-28-20)
– Keep a distance of 6 feet between you and others at all times.
– Warn others of your presence and allow proper distance when you pass. Step off the Trail if needed.
– Water fountains are temporarily closed. Carry water, hand sanitizer and disinfectant wipes with you.
– Do not gather in groups.
– Whatever you pack in, pack out. This includes cigarette butts. Leave no trash.
– Stay home if you have flu symptoms or are not feeling well.
The Montour Trail stretches 60+ miles around Pittsburgh — the longest suburban rail-trail in the U.S. The railbed’s bridges and tunnels played an important role in the region’s coal-mining history.
Walk. Run. Bike. Camp.
If you live near Pittsburgh, one of the the nation’s outstanding rail-trails is 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 miles; branch routes increase length to 60+ miles. The relatively flat half-loop stretches from Coraopolis (along the Ohio River) to Clairton (on the Monongahela River). A northwest branch connects directly to Pittsburgh International Airport.
Scenic beauty
Restored bridges
Historic tunnels
4-season access
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.
Montour Named to PA Top-Ten Trails List
Rails-to-Trails Conservancy, January 2021
How GAP Transformed a Region
Rails-to-Trails Conservancy, May 2020
Montour Greenway Expansion
Tribune-Review, November 2019
Montour Trail Named Best in the ‘Burgh
Pittsburgh Magazine, July 2020
Great American Rail-Trail Coming
Post-Gazette, May 2019
30 Years Championing Outdoors
Tribune-Review, March 2019
The Montour connects to other rails-to-trails in western Pennsylvania and beyond: 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 from Weirton, West Virginia, to Carnegie. And this local resource is 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 continuous with several short gaps in the southeast section.
