A ride through western Pennsylvania reveals the historic landmarks, local food, and welcoming communities along the Great American Rail-Trail and its connecting routes.
“I bought breakfast,” said Kevin Belle, “and I bought dinner. I didn’t have to carry food with me because of these towns.”
Belle, director of the Great American Rail-Trail for the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy, was explaining the impacts he had when using the cycling path himself. When he — or any rider — stops for a meal, books a room, or visits a bike shop, local businesses benefit, too.
On a recent ride through parts of western Pennsylvania and West Virginia, I joined trail advocates, volunteers, and fellow journalists on a small piece of the cross-country Great American Rail-Trail.
The Great American Rail-Trail
Starting in Coraopolis, we pedaled through the dimly lit Enlow Tunnel. Next we crossed the historic McDonald Viaduct, built in 1913 to haul coal. A view from about 70 feet above Noblestown Road revealed the Panhandle Trail as it disappeared amidst the foliage. Farther along, we pedaled beneath a canopy of trees, with fall leaves crunching under our tires. Our group passed wooded landscapes, active farms, wetlands, and waterfalls. We saw a side of the region we might have missed from the road.
Routes that once transported coal from mines now bring overnight visitors, restaurant customers, and outdoor enthusiasts to these communities.
At first, 40 miles on a bike sounded quite daunting. But the route was less hilly than I’d expected, with plenty of places to stop and explore.
A stop at Paradise on the Trail, a family-owned restaurant, ice cream parlor, and trail-side snack bar in Burgettstown, Pennsylvania, offered a cozy respite. With its long wooden front deck, the former railroad depot felt more like a neighborhood gathering spot than a snack bar. A neon “OPEN” sign and icicle Christmas lights still hanging from the eaves added to its welcoming character. Inside, wood-paneled walls and wood floors gave the former depot a rustic feel, while the welcome streamers over the dessert counter added a friendly touch. I savored my cookie dough ice cream, watching cyclists in their riding gear come in off the trail for a bite to eat or a cold treat before heading back out. After a break of my own, I hopped back on my bike.
The Great American Rail-Trail Brings Visitors to Small Towns
The Great American Rail-Trail is the nation’s first cross-country multi-use trail, spanning more than 3,700 miles between Washington, D.C., and Washington State. It’s not a single continuous path; it links existing trails, with some sections yet to be completed. Nearly 56 percent of the route is finished, leaving approximately 1,700 miles still to be developed. Another 150 miles are currently in the development pipeline.
Ride the Route from End to End
Despite the gaps, cyclists are already setting out to ride the route from end to end. Brandi Horton, vice president of communications for Rails-to-Trails Conservancy, shared that dozens of people attempt the journey each year, including a team of veterans who bicycle the route across the country each summer.
Most long-distance riders navigate unfinished sections using on-road connections. In the Mountain West, where fewer miles of trail are complete, the Conservancy provides route guidance to help cyclists travel through towns where they can access food, lodging, and other amenities. Riders can use the Conservancy’s Trail Link website and app to view open trail segments and plan a route suited to their abilities and interests.
Completing the route presents a different challenge at each of its 80 remaining gaps. According to Horton, Rails-to-Trails Conservancy works with hundreds of organizations and municipal leaders to advance trail development. Nearly 10 percent of the unfinished route is currently in the development pipeline, and the organization assesses progress annually to help guide future work.
In southwestern Pennsylvania, existing trails such as the Great Allegheny Passage, the Three Rivers Heritage Trail, and the Montour Trail let visitors explore riverfronts, former industrial communities, and smaller towns.
Explore for a Day, a Week, or More…
I participated in a single-day ride, but other cyclists spend a week or more exploring the trails.
Matthew Felder, 53, rode the Great Allegheny Passage and C&O Canal Towpath from October 10 to 17, 2026, with three friends, ages 61, 68, and 75. Their route took them through seven Pennsylvania and Maryland towns: West Newton, Ohiopyle, Meyersdale, Cumberland, Little Orleans, Williamsport, and Brunswick.
The group stayed at a variety of locally owned inns and bed-and-breakfasts, each with its own personality and hospitality. In Meyersdale, the riders stayed at the Yoder House, whose new owners had purchased the property just 12 days before their arrival. The couple welcomed the group with a happy hour and one of the trip’s standout breakfasts. In Little Orleans, reaching their lodging required a shuttle ride from the trail, but the extra effort paid off with another memorable stay and what Felder considers the week’s most impressive breakfast spread.
Felder and his friends stopped at local establishments. They sampled a complimentary shot of “Rocket Fuel” at a lively bar, and met fellow cyclists with interesting stories. Two men they encountered on the trail had first met while riding and became regular riding partners. One had completed the full route 37 times, and the pair had ridden it together 20 times, always traveling in the same direction.
How Rail Trails Move Money
During my ride, I kept hearing the same theme from advocates and business owners: trails don’t just move cyclists. They move money.
A 2021 economic impact study estimated that tourism along the 150-mile trail generated more than $121 million in 2019 and nearly 1,400 jobs.
A 2022 analysis by Rails-to-Trails Conservancy and Headwaters Economics projected that the Great American Rail-Trail could support more than 25,000 jobs over 10 years.
A trail can bring people into a community, but the local businesses give them a reason to stop, interact, and spend money.
Small Towns Along the Way
In West Newton, a small town along the Great Allegheny Passage southeast of Pittsburgh, Bright Morning Bed & Breakfast is steps from the trail. It offers accommodations across four adjacent restored homes, homemade breakfast, and secure bicycle storage. West Newton Bicycle Shop is less than a block away, while a restaurant and beer garden sit across the trail.
Farther south, near the Maryland border, the family-run Donges Drive-In & Motel in Meyersdale has been serving generations of travelers. The diner opened in 1967. The motel followed five years later. Now trail users have a place to grab a meal and spend the night close to the route.
Not every overnight stop is right beside the trail. In Little Orleans, Maryland, Felder and his friends stayed at Town Hill Bed and Breakfast. The owners shuttled the riders from the route. The historic inn feels like a step back in time, with 10-foot ceilings, original woodwork, and an overlook once known as the “Beauty Spot of Maryland” for its sweeping views of three states and seven counties. Felder remembers the B&B for its distinctive character and “the most impressive breakfast spread of their weeklong ride.”
Sunshine and Confluence
Beyond lodging and restaurants, community members have started businesses to meet trail users’ needs. In 2012, Angela Bonnell started Sunshine Luggage Shuttle to help cyclists get from one overnight stop to the next without hauling their bags. She transports luggage between accommodations, making multi-day rides easier.
“I needed a job where my kids could come with me,” Bonnell told Rails-to-Trails Conservancy in a 2025 feature about trail-side accommodations.
In Confluence, where tourism is a major part of the local economy, Amber Hartman helps run Smith House Inn Bed & Breakfast, Mitch’s Fuel & Food, and Pamela’s Pints & Provisions. She estimates that about 65 percent of Smith House Inn guests are visiting because of the Great Allegheny Passage. The other businesses see a significant number of riders stopping for meals, groceries, drinks, and snacks.
Together, Hartman’s businesses serve visitors along their journey, from overnight stays to meals and trail supplies. She says the Great Allegheny Passage brings customers to Confluence who might otherwise never discover the town.
Bike Shops Offer More Than Repairs
Avid Montour Trail users Lori and David Poe opened The Tandem Connection Bike Shop in Hendersonville when they saw that cyclists and runners needed a nearby place for repairs, snacks, and socializing. The shop offers bike rentals and repairs, along with refreshments and ice cream.
Regular users stop for repairs, meet up with running groups, or gather in the shop’s courtyard.
Felder’s group stopped at several bike shops to deal with minor issues. One failed combination lock required an emergency rescue with bolt cutters from state park staff in Ohiopyle. That kind of travel mishap could have derailed a day, but nearby services and people willing to lend a hand made it manageable.
Connecting Pennsylvania’s Trails and Communities
For trail networks to serve residents and visitors, the routes need to connect. In southwestern Pennsylvania, a 9.8-mile gap between downtown Pittsburgh and Coraopolis interrupts the Great American Rail-Trail. Closing the gap could make the route safer and easier to follow.
Kelsey Ripper, executive director of Friends of the Riverfront, which manages and promotes Pittsburgh’s Three Rivers Heritage Trail system, sees its possibilities. “Pittsburgh has this opportunity to become not just the city of the Three Rivers, but the city of trails,” she said.
Completing missing sections could help visitors explore beyond Pittsburgh’s popular attractions, connecting the riverfront with neighboring communities and businesses.
Rich Fitzgerald, former Allegheny County executive and executive director of the Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission, emphasized the value of those connections. “Trails just bring people together. Rural, urban, suburban. It doesn’t matter.”
The Great American Rail-Trail remains a work in progress. Closing gaps, maintaining routes, and supporting users matter as the network progresses. The goal is connection: to make it easier for people to discover communities and experience the region in a different way.
Sometimes, the connection starts with a morning on the trail or an overnight stay in a small town. Other times, it’s as simple as stopping for a scoop of ice cream at a restored train station you might otherwise have missed.
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