PA Hiking/Biking Trails

Riding the Armstrong Trail in Western PA

Collage of four photos along the Armstrong Trail in western Pennsylvania featuring a yellow bike by the Allegheny River, a cyclist riding through Brady Tunnel, a cyclist approaching the historic Redbank Coaling Tower, and a green Armstrong Trail sign at a trailhead.

This Armstrong Trail is a 52.5-mile rail trail follows the eastern bank of the Allegheny River and the northern bank of the Kiskiminetas River in western PA.

Yellow bicycle parked beside large stone blocks along the Armstrong Trail in western Pennsylvania, overlooking the calm waters of the Allegheny River with forested hills on one side and a small riverside community with docks and boats on the opposite shore under a bright blue sky.

While the bulk of the trail lies in Armstrong County, it also extends into Clarion and Westmoreland counties as well.

Directional signpost along the Armstrong Trail in western Pennsylvania showing distances to nearby points of interest, including East Brady (2 miles), Coaling Tower (2 miles), Redbank Valley Trail (2.5 miles), Templeton (12 miles), Kittanning (20 miles), and Ford City (24 miles).

I recently biked 40 miles of the trail, skipping only the extreme northern and southern ends.

Yellow bicycle parked beside a boat launch along the Armstrong Trail in western Pennsylvania, with a wooden dock extending into the calm Allegheny River and morning mist rising over the tree-covered hills in the background.

The ride combines outstanding river scenery with fascinating remnants of the region’s industrial and transportation past.

Cyclist walking a yellow bicycle through the dimly lit Brady Tunnel along the Armstrong Trail in Clarion County, Pennsylvania, with light filtering through the arched brick-lined passageway.

You’ll find excellent free maps and mileage charts for the Armstrong Trail on its official website.

Trail map of the Armstrong Trail rail trail in western Pennsylvania.

Since those resources are already available, I’ll concentrate here on sharing some of the points of interest I encountered along the way.

Yellow bicycle parked beside the gravel path of the Armstrong Trail in western Pennsylvania, with the calm Allegheny River stretching alongside forested hills under a bright blue sky with scattered clouds.

What You’ll See Along the Armstrong Trail

At the northern end of the trail lies the Railroad Heritage Area, a stretch of trail that celebrates the corridor’s deep railroad roots.

Yellow bicycle parked at the northern trailhead of the Armstrong Trail in western Pennsylvania, next to signs marking the Railroad Heritage Area and trail access, with a tree-lined path extending into the distance.

Interpretive signs and rustic trailheads here introduce riders to the rich transportation history they’re about to experience.

Informational sign along the Armstrong Trail in western Pennsylvania describing the history and construction of the Brady Tunnel, including a map of the trail, a sketch of how the tunnel bypassed Brady’s Bend, and historic photos of the tunnel and keystone marked 1915.

Just south of the East Brady Trailhead (where I started) sits the Phillipston Turntable, a rare piece of railroading infrastructure.

Historic railroad turntable at Phillipston along the Armstrong Trail in western Pennsylvania, featuring rusted gears, circular stonework, and wooden decking surrounded by trees and grassy clearings.

Once used to rotate locomotives for return trips, the restored turntable is an engineering marvel along the trail.

Informational sign along the Armstrong Trail in western Pennsylvania describing the history of the Phillipston Yard and Turntable, featuring maps, vintage photos, and text about its role as a locomotive service station built in 1867 and the use of the turntable for turning trains.

Brady Tunnel is another highlight, stretching 2,468 feet through a bluff near East Brady.

Yellow bicycle parked in front of the stone entrance to the Brady Tunnel along the Armstrong Trail in western Pennsylvania, with colorful autumn foliage and exposed rock cliffs surrounding the tunnel portal.

Riding through this dimly lit tunnel feels like pedaling back in time to the railroad era of the early 1900s.

Yellow bicycle with headlights illuminated inside the historic Brady Tunnel along the Armstrong Trail in western Pennsylvania, surrounded by arched brick and stone walls lit by overhead lights.

Not far from the tunnel, the towering Redbank Coaling Tower looms above the trail.

Cyclist with a yellow bike posing beneath the towering concrete Redbank Coaling Tower along the Armstrong Trail in western Pennsylvania, surrounded by trees and a bright blue sky.

This concrete giant once fueled steam locomotives and today stands as a dramatic relic of the steam age.

Historic sign along the Armstrong Trail in western Pennsylvania featuring a 1950s photo of the Redbank Coaling Tower, with text explaining how coal from nearby mines was loaded into trains and noting that the tower was used until 1957 when diesel engines replaced steam locomotives.

Lock and Dam 9 offers both scenic river views and a lesson in navigation history.

Yellow bicycle parked along the Armstrong Trail in western Pennsylvania, with an informational sign in the foreground and Lock and Dam Number 9 spanning the Allegheny River against a backdrop of forested hills and a bright blue sky.

Completed in 1938, it helped transform the Allegheny River into a reliable shipping route for industries upstream.

Informational sign along the Armstrong Trail in western Pennsylvania explaining the history and construction of Allegheny Lock and Dam 9, with maps, historic photos of river commerce, and details about the dam’s role in maintaining navigable depths on the Allegheny River.

Continuing south, the Pittsburgh and Shawmut Railroad Bridge stretches gracefully over the trail and across the river.

Yellow bicycle parked along the Armstrong Trail in western Pennsylvania, with the Pittsburgh and Shawmut Railroad Bridge spanning the Allegheny River in the background, framed by morning fog and sunlit hillsides.

Its trusses, framed by wooded hillsides, are especially striking at sunrise or sunset.

Sunrise view of the historic Pittsburgh and Shawmut Railroad Bridge spanning the Allegheny River along the Armstrong Trail in western Pennsylvania, with soft morning fog clinging to the surrounding hills.

The nearby Mahoning Creek Bridge is another highlight, carrying the trail across a wide tributary of the Allegheny.

Yellow bicycle resting on the Mahoning Creek Railroad Bridge along the Armstrong Trail in western Pennsylvania, with the steel truss road bridge and forested hills visible in the background on a clear morning.

Lock and Dam 8 is equally impressive, dating back to 1931 and still playing a vital role in managing river traffic.

View of Lock and Dam Number 8 on the Allegheny River as seen from the Armstrong Trail in western Pennsylvania, with cascading water, historic stone lock walls, and forested hills in the background.

Interpretive signs here explain how the lock system made year-round navigation possible along the Allegheny.

Informational sign along the Armstrong Trail in western Pennsylvania detailing the history and function of Allegheny Lock and Dam 8, featuring maps, photos, and text about river navigation, construction between 1928 and 1931, and the role of the Allegheny River in regional trade.

As the trail approaches Kittanning, the county seat of Armstrong County, history blends seamlessly with small-town charm.

Armstrong County historical marker in Kittanning, PA, outside the county courthouse.

The Armstrong County Courthouse, visible from the trail, is a striking sandstone building that adds architectural interest to the ride.

The Armstrong County courthouse in Kittanning, PA.

Final Thoughts

The combination of river views, historic structures, and well-maintained paths makes biking the Armstrong Trail a memorable experience.

Cyclist with a yellow bike standing on the Armstrong Trail in western Pennsylvania, looking toward the towering concrete Redbank Coaling Tower surrounded by lush green trees and a bright blue sky.

This is a ride where natural beauty and industrial history come together in a distinctly Pennsylvania way.

Yellow bicycle parked beside a wooden bench along the Armstrong Trail in western Pennsylvania, with the gravel path running parallel to the calm Allegheny River and rolling forested hills under a bright blue sky.

If cycling scenic rail trails is your passion, the Armstrong Trail will not disappoint!

Yellow bicycle parked on the Armstrong Trail north of Templeton, Pennsylvania, with the gravel path running beside a tall rock cliff on one side and dense green foliage on the other.

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