Pine Creek Trail, PA. Anyone ridden it?
09-02-09, 06:06 AM
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Pine Creek Trail, PA. Anyone ridden it?
Impressions and thoughts? We're debating going up this weekend. Wife will be going, so it means our mileage is somewhat limited, so would like to hit the nicer sections. She poops after 30'ish miles or so. She'll try more, but then she's unbearable to live with 
.
Thanks!
. Thanks!
09-05-09, 01:29 PM
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- the trail surface is in very good condition, with fine crushed gravel. It's very rideable.
- The best parts of the trail are from the Northern trailhead at Wellsboro Junction south to Cedar Run and Slate Run. This is about 30-35 miles, and takes you through farmland, the "Grand Canyon," and Pine Creek Gorge. And it's all a slight downhill. The lower part of the trail is pretty, but the upper is much more spectacular. Also, Wellsboro, three miles from the northern end of the trail, is a much nicer town than Jersey Shore, the southern trailhead.
Wellsboro and its signature gas lamps:
Pine Creek from the Rt 414 bridge at Blackwell.
My bike at Cedar Run Bridge:
- There are several companies that will pick you up at a trailhead and shuttle you back to your car. The best known is Pine Creek Outfitters, about a mile from the trailhead in Ansonia. I had them pick me up at Blackwell, 18 miles down the trial, for 18 bucks.
- The best views of the Canyon itself are from above, at Colton and Harrison State Parks. The trail is on the Canyon floor, and so you don't get a feel for the sheer height of the mountains. If you don't mind a steep climb up stairs and some trail you can park your bikes at the start of the Turkey Trail and climb up to the scenic overlook at the top - two miles of steep hiking round trip.
The Canyon from the scenic overlook at Harrison State Park, at the end of the Turkey Trail:
Rt. 44 is the PA Bike G Route from Jersey Shore to Waterville, and it's not that much hillier than the trail - about a thousand feet of climbing for the dozen or so miles. From Waterville to Ansonia, through the Gorge, the G route uses the trail. Rt. 414 is bikeable but much hillier; unless you are a glutton for hill climbs, stick to the trail.
When I rode the lower part, I used Rt. 44 to make it a loop. Here's the road a mile or two south of Waterville:
- If you come across one of these next to the trail, don't squirt it with your water bottle to hear it rattle at you:
