Natural beauty, fascinating historical features, and length: The Ghost Town Trail is a 36-mile long ‘rails to trails’ trail that blends these qualities and throws in a bit of challenge for flavor. The trail includes a 32-mile portion that stretches from Blairsville, PA to Ebensburg, PA, as well as a 4-mile spur called the Rexis Branch that stretches from the Eliza Furnace to Red Mill Rd. in Vintondale, PA. Named for the long-gone coal-mining communities that once dotted its right-of-way, the GTT flows past two massive iron furnaces, old coal-loading tipples, boney (coal-refuse) piles and other traces of industrial history.

The Blacklick Creek valley in which it is situated is gorgeous, with mountain streams, stands of rhododendron, dozens of wildflower species and cool woodlands.Interactive Trail Map – Western RegionInteractive Trail Map – Eastern Region8 trailheads (map will provide directions)Ebensburg: 40.481565,-78.726928424 Prave Street Ebensburg, PA 15931Nanty Glo: 40.471959,-78.835971097 1st Street, Nanty Glo, PA 15943Twin Rocks: 40.490504,-78.8613551397 Plank Road, Nanty Glo, PA 15943Rexis/Vintondale: 40.485057,-78.9239311069 Main Street, Vintondale, PA 15961Wehrum: 40.471229,-78.9496482415 Wehrum Road Vintondale, PA 15961Dilltown: 40.469021,-79.0001057452 Route 403 Highway, Dilltown, PA 15929Heshbon: 40.473363,-79.09517910485 Route 259 Highway, Blairsville, PA 15717John P. Saylor Park: 40.47413,-79.1920961284 Old Indiana Road, Blairsville, PA 15717

As it climbs the western slope of the Allegheny Front, the Ghost Town Trail totals 46 miles in length. There is a: 32-mile main stem from Blacklick to Ebensburg.4-mile Rexis Branch from Vintondale to U.S. 422.8-mile C&I Branch from U.S. 422 to Expedit Road.2-mile C&I Branch from Vic Miller Road to Snake Road.With the exception of the C&I Branch, which is unimproved and still under development, the GTT has a crushed limestone surface. At Vintondale, the trail divides and follows two branches of Blacklick Creek.

Source: The Ghost Town Trail – Cambria County Conservation & Recreation Authority

This historical trail enables the user to start just below the breached South Fork Dam and follow the same watercourse that floodwaters took in 1889, when they surged into Johnstown.  The Path of the Flood Trail provides numerous trail-side markers that tell the story and enable users to visualize the scene within the  Little Conemaugh River valley, which remains largely unchanged more than 120 years later.  Additionally, this trail is naturally beautiful and challenging with some steeper grades and varying trail surfaces.Photo by Patti Jones.

Trail DescriptionThe Path of the Flood offers an 11-mile bicycle ride that’s both intellectually and physically satisfying. A four-mile section from the trailhead in Ehrenfeld to Mineral Point offers scenic views, educational trailside markers and moderately challenging slopes when riding eastward. Below Mineral Point and the two-mile Staple Bend Tunnel Trail, bicyclists will be challenged with steep grades for one mile. Following another mile on more-level dedicated trail to a hillside park above Franklin, the rider will finish with three miles on public streets before reaching the Path’s terminus at the Johnstown

Source: Path of the Flood Trail – Cambria County Conservation & Recreation Authority

Named for a local conservationist, the Jim Mayer Riverswalk Trail is a delightful, 3.1-mile (5k) urban trail on the east end of the City of Johnstown. Following the Stonycreek River, the trail begins in Riverside on Michigan Ave. and ends in Hornerstown on Messenger St., near Sandyvale Memorial Gardens & Conservancy. This trail offers beautiful views of the river, abundant bird-life and wildflowers, picturesque Buttermilk Falls and serenity within an urban setting.Trail DescriptionThe Jim Mayer Riverswalk Trail is part of a growing urban trail system in Johnstown that currently follows the Stonycreek River from Central Avenue behind an industrial complex to the residential community of Riverside. One of its best features is the 50-foot Buttermilk Falls, located about mid-trail. The Riverswalk is nearly level, and its surface is groomed and easily ridden or walked.

Source: The Jim Mayer Riverswalk Trail – Cambria County Conservation & Recreation Authority

Blacklick Valley Natural AreaGeneral InfoThe Blacklick Valley Natural Area and the nearby Buttermilk Falls Natural Area are the first formally established natural areas in the county park system. These areas are in direct support of the mission of the county park system that includes, “preserving, protecting, and enhancing county lands to improve the health of our people and the environmental health of the county,” so hunting, camping and motorized vehicles are not permitted in BVNA. For more information, check out our extensive interpretive guide.Activities and Accommodations A More Natural Park Experience Natural areas are set aside to protect both typical and unique plant and animal communities and to protect outstanding examples of natural interest and beauty. Facility development at the site has been minimized to protect the site’s natural character.Hiking & Skiing The natural area has three tracts. The Parker Tract, located south of Blacklick Creek, encompasses 300 acres. A small parking area and six miles of hiking and cross-country skiing trails have been established and a map is available as a PDF. The Caldwell and Clarke Run Tracts form a contiguous 413 acre parcel, and lie north of Blacklick Creek. These northern tracts are undeveloped and do not contain established hiking trails. The Ghost Town Trail bisects the property about one-half mile east of Dilltown.

Source: Blacklick Valley Park Information | Indiana County Parks & Trails