2024 Visit Johnstown Visitors Guidev12 spreads for Web - Flipbook - Page 15
BICYCLING ADVENTURES
Pedal through our historic mountains and valleys!
PATH OF THE FLOOD TRAIL
A National Recreation Trail, this historical
trail enables users to start at the breast
of the South Fork Dam, which broke in
1889, causing the Johnstown Flood. The
trail follows the same watercourse that
floodwaters took, 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 130 years later. This
trail is naturally beautiful and challenging
with some steeper grades and varying
trail surfaces. The Path of the Flood
offers a 14-mile bicycle ride that’s both
intellectually and physically satisfying.
Cambria County Conservation & Recreation Authority
www.cambriaconservationrecreation.com
STAPLE BEND TUNNEL TRAIL
JIM MAYER RIVERSWALK TRAIL
A National Recreation Trail named for
a local conservationist; the 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 the neighborhood of
Riverside on Michigan Ave. and ends
in the Hornerstown neighborhood on
Messenger St., near Sandyvale Memorial
Gardens & Conservancy. This trail offers
beautiful views of the river, abundant
birdlife and wildflowers, picturesque
Buttermilk Falls and serenity within an
urban setting. One of its best features
is the 50-foot Buttermilk Falls, located
about 0.7 miles from the Riverside
trailhead. The Riverswalk is nearly level,
and its surface is groomed and easily
ridden or walked.
Cambria County Conservation & Recreation Authority
www.cambriaconservationrecreation.com
Ride through the first railroad
tunnel in the U.S.!
Finished in June 1833, the Staple
Bend tunnel was advertised as the first
railroad tunnel in the United States. It
was the third tunnel of any kind built in
the US; the first tunnels were for other
canals in Pennsylvania. The 2.5-mile trail
connects with the Path of the Flood Trail
on the old Allegheny Portage Railroad
bed. It’s handicapped accessible and
open to walkers and bicyclists. Trailhead
parking is available near the town of
Mineral Point.
Allegheny Portage Railroad National Historic Site
814-886-6150 | www.nps.gov/alpo
Staple Bend Tunnel
Trail
Ghost Town Trail
15