15 Pennsylvania Rail Trails Made For Long Walks With Your Dog

Old railroad beds make surprisingly great dog paths. The grades are gentle, the surfaces are soft on paws, and the tunnels, trestles, and creekside curves keep noses busy for miles.

Pennsylvania happens to have hundreds of these converted corridors, threading past ghost towns, iron furnaces, and river gorges that trains once rumbled through. Some run a mile or two.

Others stretch clear across the state line. Here are 15 worth clipping the leash on for.

Pine Creek Rail Trail (Tioga and Lycoming Counties)

Pennsylvania has its own canyon, and a trail runs right through the middle of it. Pine Creek Rail Trail covers roughly 62 miles of crushed limestone through Tioga and Lycoming counties.

The grade drops about 2 percent heading south, so walking feels almost effortless. Leashed dogs love the creekside smells.

Bald eagles, otters, and deer show up often. Comfort stations and small towns let you pick any distance you like.

Great Allegheny Passage (Southwestern Pennsylvania)

One hundred and fifty miles. That is the headline number for the Great Allegheny Passage, running from Pittsburgh to Cumberland, Maryland.

Crushed limestone covers most of it, with about 20 miles of asphalt mixed in. Leashed dogs are welcome throughout.

Big Savage Tunnel, Pinkerton Tunnel, and the Salisbury Viaduct give walks real drama. You also cross the Eastern Continental Divide, which makes for excellent bragging rights.

Armstrong Trails (Armstrong, Clarion, and Westmoreland Counties)

Rivers do the scenery work here. Armstrong Trails follows the Allegheny and Kiskiminetas for roughly 48 to 52 miles across three counties.

Surfaces run mostly crushed limestone, with paved stretches sprinkled in. Rusting industrial relics pop up between quiet wooded bends.

Bring your leash and check out the Brady Tunnel or the refurbished Kiski Junction Railroad Bridge. Since crews keep extending sections, repeat visits always deliver something fresh.

Ghost Town Trail (Cambria and Indiana Counties)

Coal towns once buzzed along this corridor. Today the Ghost Town Trail carries walkers past their quiet remains through Cambria and Indiana counties.

Crushed limestone and a flat grade make the miles easy on paws and knees alike.

Eliza Furnace still stands, remarkably intact, and interpretive markers fill in the stories. Blacklick Creek keeps you company.

Wear bright colors in hunting season, since parts cross game lands.

Redbank Valley Trail (Armstrong, Clarion, and Jefferson Counties)

Pennsylvania named this one its very first Trail of the Year. Redbank Valley Trail runs about 41 miles, plus a 9-mile spur toward Sligo.

Smooth crushed limestone follows Redbank Creek across old bridges and through two tunnels, including Climax. Pack a flashlight.

Student-made sculptures and painted trail bears add cheerful surprises. Leashed pups fit right in.

Orange gear for both of you is smart in hunting season.

Montour Trail (Allegheny and Washington Counties)

Suburban Pittsburgh hides about 63 miles of walkable railroad history. The Montour Trail loops from Coraopolis to Clairton across Allegheny and Washington counties.

Mostly crushed limestone, with asphalt here and there. Leashes required, and yes, please bag the evidence.

Watch for occasional gravelly patches or washouts after storms. Connections reach Pittsburgh International Airport, the Panhandle Trail, and the Great Allegheny Passage, so short walks can turn ambitious quickly.

D&H Rail-Trail (Lackawanna, Susquehanna, and Wayne Counties)

Named Pennsylvania’s 2021 Trail of the Year, the D&H Rail-Trail stretches 38 miles through Lackawanna, Susquehanna, and Wayne counties.

Expect variety underfoot: polished crushed stone in places, original cinder and ballast in others. Sturdy shoes help.

Leashed pets are welcome, with cleanup on you. Forests, farmland, and old railroad villages roll past.

Look toward the horizon for the Starrucca Viaduct, a stunning piece of 19th century stonework.

Allegheny River Trail (Venango County)

Paved and river-hugging, the Allegheny River Trail rolls almost 30 miles through Venango County beside a National Wild and Scenic River.

Cliffs rise on one side, woodlands on the other. Eagles, foxes, deer, and turkeys make regular appearances.

Kennerdell and Rockland Tunnels each run over 3,000 feet, so a headlamp is genuinely useful. Leashed dogs are welcome, and the Belmar Bridge links you to the Sandy Creek Trail.

Heritage Rail Trail County Park (York County)

Abraham Lincoln once passed through Hanover Junction on his way to Gettysburg. Your dog can sniff the same platform area today.

Heritage Rail Trail County Park covers roughly 21 to 27 miles of compacted stone, with paved stretches north of York City.

Highlights include the Howard Tunnel, four railroad bridges, and the restored New Freedom station. Leashed dogs welcome, cleanup expected.

Horses stay off the Northern Extension.

Butler-Freeport Community Trail (Butler and Armstrong Counties)

Creek sounds follow you for most of these 20 miles. The Butler-Freeport Community Trail traces Little Buffalo Creek, then Buffalo Creek, ending near the Allegheny River at Freeport.

Crushed limestone, dirt, and asphalt take turns underfoot. The grade stays comfortably flat.

Old stone foundations and brick kilns hint at busy industrial days. Frequent access points mean you can walk two miles or twelve, depending on your pup’s mood.

Lebanon Valley Rail Trail (Lebanon County)

Pennsylvania Dutch Country unrolls slowly along this National Recreation Trail. The Lebanon Valley Rail Trail runs roughly 15 to 19 miles through Lebanon County.

Crushed limestone dominates, though four paved miles cut through the city of Lebanon itself.

Woodlands, game lands, and tidy farms frame the route, with a parallel woodchip path for horses in spots. Cornwall Iron Furnace and the village of Mount Gretna sit temptingly close by.

Chester Valley Trail (Chester and Montgomery Counties)

Smooth asphalt, wide lanes, zero guesswork. The Chester Valley Trail runs about 19 miles across Chester and Montgomery counties, fully ADA accessible.

Leashed dog walkers share it happily with cyclists and runners.

Revolutionary War history sits closer than you might guess, including ground linked to the Battle of the Clouds near Phoenixville Pike and Swedesford Road. As part of the Circuit Trails network, it keeps stitching Greater Philadelphia together.

Clarion-Little Toby Trail (Elk and Jefferson Counties)

Deep in the Pennsylvania Wilds, the Clarion-Little Toby Trail threads 18 miles along the Clarion River and Little Toby Creek.

Packed crushed stone, gravel, and dirt make up the surface. Only one short hill, near Ridgway, breaks the flatness.

The swinging bridge over Little Toby Creek is the star attraction, with ghost town remnants scattered nearby. Much of the route crosses game lands, so bright orange is wise in season.

Cumberland Valley Rail Trail (Cumberland and Franklin Counties)

Farm country walking at its friendliest. The Cumberland Valley Rail Trail covers about 13 to 16 miles across Cumberland and Franklin counties.

Crushed stone and packed limestone carry most of it, with asphalt near Shippensburg and Newville.

Interpretive signs unpack local farming heritage and Civil War history along the way. Shady tree-lined stretches give overheated pups a break, and a grassy bridle path runs alongside for horses.

Enola Low Grade Trail (Lancaster County)

Save the big view for last. The Enola Low Grade Trail runs up to 38 miles through Lancaster County on crushed stone and limestone.

Railroad engineering gave it an exceptionally flat grade, ideal for long, chatty walks with a leashed dog.

The Safe Harbor Trestle Bridge floats 150 feet above the Susquehanna River near the dam. Beyond it, the path drifts inland past farmland and thick woods.

Grab the leash. Pennsylvania’s old railroads are waiting.