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Pine Creek Trail southern connection to Jersey Shore open
State and local officials recently celebrated the completion of the southern terminus of Pine Creek Rail-Trail, one of the state’s longest and most popular.
“Trails are all about connections, and in the case of the extension of the Pine Creek Trail, it will connect one of the best hiking and biking trails in the country to a host of facilities and local businesses in Jersey Shore,” DiBerardinis said. “Now, travelers along the trail can end their memorable experience viewing dramatic rock outcrops, waterfalls and wildlife with a meal at a local establishment, or they can stay at a bed and breakfast.” DCNR has invested $6.75 million in the Pine Creek Rail-Trail, including $697,000 in the connection to Jersey Shore. Most of the funding came through federal transportation enhancements administered by PennDOT. The trail design and construction was handled by DCNR’s bureaus of Facility Design and Construction and Forestry. “This southern connector will help us focus the development of accommodations and services in the nearby trail town of Jersey Shore, rather than in the Pine Creek Valley where they would have a greater impact on the natural resource,” DiBerardinis said. “This connection is a continuation of our efforts in the Pennsylvania Wilds to work with local communities to make sure this area can be enjoyed by all, but also retains its charm and remains protected for future generations.” “This trail is a signature destination for Lycoming County and is a key economic resource to our local communities,” said Rebecca Burke, chairwoman of the Lycoming County Commissioners. “Not only are we blessed with the natural beauty of the Pine Creek Valley, we can enjoy all that it has to offer through this trail.” The Pine Creek Rail-Trail opened in 1996 through the bottom of the Pine Creek Gorge, often called the Grand Canyon of Pennsylvania, along an abandoned railroad bed. The 62-mile, multi-use trail for hiking, bicycling, and cross-country skiing runs from Ansonia to Jersey Shore. An additional eight miles of trail is being added at its northern terminus, from Ansonia to Wellsboro Junction. Trail users can see wildlife like eagles, ospreys, coyotes, deer, wild turkeys, herons, river otters and black bear. Diverse plant life, scattered old-growth timber, historic pine and spruce plantations and several foundations from the Civilian Conservation Corps era can also be found along the trail. The trail work is part of ongoing efforts to improve recreational opportunities and increase nature tourism in the 12-county area know as the Pennsylvania Wilds, which covers Cameron, Clarion, Clearfield, Clinton, Elk, Forest, Jefferson, Lycoming, McKean, Potter, Tioga, and Warren counties. It also includes 27 state parks, 1.5 million acres of state forest and game lands, the Allegheny National Forest, the largest elk herd in the northeast U.S., and the darkest nighttime skies at Cherry Springs State Park. For more information on the Pennsylvania Wilds, Pine Creek Gorge or any of Pennsylvania’s state parks and forests, visit the DCNR web site at www.dcnr.state.pa.us. Online reservations for an overnight stay at a park are available at www.visitPAparks.com.
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DCNR Secretary Michael DiBerardinis cut the ribbon to mark the occasion with a host of local officials and trail enthusiasts at the new trailhead outside of Jersey Shore, Lycoming County. The trail runs along the belly of Pine Creek Gorge in Tioga and Lycoming counties.
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