The Clarion-Little Toby Creek Trail is an approximately 18-mile long rails-to-trails path connecting Brockway with Ridgway, PA. It’s one of the few bike trails within a 100 mile radius of Pittsburgh that my husband Rick and I hadn’t tried. So on a bee-you-teeful autumn weekend day – you know the kind: when it’s not too cool out, the fall colors are at their peak, and it feels great just to be alive – we decided to fill in the gap and take a 36 mile round trip on the trail. Believe me folks, this trail is well worth the 90 mile drive from Pittsburgh. This is a very picturesque trail, meandering along the Little Toby Creek and the Wild and Scenic Clarion River through Jefferson and Elk Counties It uses the path of a former Pennsylvania Railroad Line, which was built in 1886 to transport lumber and coal from the mills and the mines to the markets. The line served many towns along the way, many of which have simply faded away. The last trains ran in 1968 and the tracks were demolished in 1972. Nature began to reclaim the line, however the present bike trail was built in 1992. We began our ride at the southern trailhead in Brockway. The trail begins at 7th Avenue Extended, about ¼ mile north of Main Street(PA28) and just south of the intersection of 7th Avenue Extended and McCollough Avenue. The address I gave you is approximate, based on Google Maps. Parking is available at the trailhead. Just look for the football field. We began heading NW out of town through a little wooded area. About a half mile into our ride, we crossed Baghdad Run – one of several along the Toby Creek portion of the ride. All in all, we crossed Jenkins Run, Little Vineyard Run, Vineyard Run, Coward Run, and Laurel Run. At MP14.5 we came to the first Ghost Town we’d encounter, Carrier. Please note that the mileposts are measured from Ridgway, the opposite end of the trail from where we began our ride. We were going through some heavily wooded areas with a high shade canopy. We passed another Ghost Town site, Vineyard, at MP13.3 and then traveled another mile before coming up on yet another ghost town, Blue Rock. Blue Rock has perhaps the most famous site along the trail, the Blue Rock Swinging Bridge. It’s a suspension bridge, built by volunteers from«Friends of the Toby» and the Future Farmers of America and is anchored by the abutments of an old railroad bridge that crossed Little Toby Creek. We decided it would be a good rest stop and yes we did cross the bridge on foot. And yes, it’s cross at your own risk. We passed a few more Ghost Town sites and like many in Pennsylvania, these were once thriving towns. However they began dying off when the timber and coal played out. Some survived beyond that, but today they have all disappeared. We made our way north along the creek, passing under PA949 before reaching the confluence of the Little Toby Creek and the Clarion River. Recent research indicates that Native American tribes used the river and creek as transportation, traveling the ridges of the Clarion River and Toby Creek to trade with tribes on the West Branch of the Susquehanna River. Just north of the highway, we began heading in an easterly direction, towards Ridgway. Here the trail is adjacent to an active rail line, the Buffalo & Pittsburgh RR. So caution must be used when traveling through here. At MP5, we passed the B&P RR trestle, then past the site of Mill Run Dam, which was destroyed in a 1936 flood. Just north of this point, the trail detours on PA949 for about 2/10s of a mile. There’s no trail bridge here, ergo the detour, however the highway is very lightly used. From that point it’s quick turn back onto the trail and an easy ride into Ridgway. Rick and I took a break here before pedaling back. The Clarion-Little Toby Creek Trail features some of the most peaceful scenery found on any PA trail. It should be on anyone’s «must bike» trail list. Just be aware of a few things. 1) There are no facilities or services anywhere along the trail. No restrooms, no places to get food, no water pumps or drinking fountains, no anything. Be sure bring plenty of food and water with you before hitting the trail(there are places to obtain these in Brockway and Ridgway). 2) Use caution when biking along the shared corridor with the railroad and on the short highway segment. 3). Bike to your own abilities and at your own pace. 4) I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. Make sure your bike is in tip-top mechanical shape before venturing out. This trail is extremely isolated and it’s a long walk back if you gotta schlep a broken down bike. Be sure to bring a chain tool, mini-pump, and tire repair kit.
