Brochure

Ghost Town Trail

Cover illustration by Penny Russell

A Rail - Trail in
Cambria & Indiana Counties
Pennsylvania

The Ghost Town Trail

The Ghost Town Trail extends for 12 miles on an abandoned Conrail line in the Blacklick Creek Valley of Pennsylvania, from Dilltown, in Indiana County, to Nanty Glo, in Cambria County. The Rexis Branch of the trail follows the abandoned Cambria & Indiana Railroad for an additional 4 miles along the north branch of Blacklick Creek from Rexis to White Mill Station adjacent to US 422. These tracts were generously donated as a public trail by Kovalchick Salvage Company of Indiana PA and Cambria & Indiana Railroad. The primary uses of the trail are cycling, walking, and cross-country skiing. There are bicycle-rentals in Dilltown, Vintondale and Nanty Glo. Crosscountry ski rentals are also available. In Indiana County the trail is operated by Indiana County Parks while in Cambria County the operator is the Cambria County Conservation & Recreation Authority. The trail will remain in public ownership for the benefit of future generations.

For additional information:

Indiana County Parks (412) 463-8636
or
Cambria County Conservation & Recreation Authority (814) 472-2110

Ghost Towns: Wehrum & Bracken

The Ghost Town Trail derives its name from the once-thriving towns of Wehrum and Bracken, dismantled in the early 1930s. Today only one of an estimated 250 original mining-era houses remains in Wehrum, across the state road from the former site of the hotel and the remains of the bank vault. All of Wehrum is on private property and is not open to the public. Bracken was located in what is now State Gameland #79, between Vintondale and Twin Rocks. A detailed history of the area can be found in Delano's Domain: A History of Warren Delano's Mining Towns of Vintondale, Wehrurn and Claghorn, by Denise Dusza Weber.

Eliza Furnace, c. 1905

The Eliza Furnace

The Eliza Furnace, midway on the trail, is on the National Register of Historic Sites. Operating from 1846 to 1849, this is one of the best-preserved hot blast iron furnaces located in Pennsylvania. Now leased to Indiana County Parks by the Cambria County Historical Society, Eliza's Sesquicentennial was celebrated in August/September 1996.

Future Improvements

Construction of a bridge at Red Mill was completed in 1999 and Access Areas at Rexis, White Mill, Twin Rocks, and Nanty Glo were constructed. A Master Plan for The Eliza Furnace Historic Site has been published to guide development of this major feature along the trail. As additional railroad corridors become available the trail will continue to develop. You can help to promote the Ghost Town Trail and other rail-trails in the area by using the application in this brochure to join and support the Cambria & Indiana Trail Council.

Ghost Town Trail Benefits

The trail offers a safe, scenic, and continuous non-motorized recreational opportunity for local residents as well as tourists. The Ghost Town Trail also provides:

an outdoor resource for people of all ages and abilites
a way to preserve the historic significance of past railroading and mining
a link between local communities, perhaps someday other rail-trails in the region
enhancement of local property values and improvement of quality of life
an economic boost from tourism dollars
protection of wildlife habitat
improved environmental condition

Trail Rules & Suggestions

Motorized vehicles are prohibited.
Trail hours are from sunrise to sunset.
Camping and campfires are not allowed.
Alcoholic beverages are prohibited.
Trail users should keep to right and pass on left after verbally warning those ahead.
Respect the rights and privacy of adjacent landowners by staying on the trail.
Keep pets on a leash and under control.
Do not disturb wildlife and domestic animals.
Pack it in, pack it out ... please don't litter.
Play safely and STOP at all road crossings!
Courtesy and friendliness bring Happy Trails

Location: Cambria and Indiana Counties
Endpoints: Nanty Glo and Dilltown
Length: 12 miles (+4 miles Rexis Branch)
Surface: Hard-packed limestone

Click on the map below for an enlarged map of the trail

Cambria & Indiana Trail Council
Here is my donation in support of "out my back door" access to trails and greenways
_____$10 Individual	_____ $12 Family	_____$20 Club/Organization
_____$25 Business	_____$100 Lifetime	_____$ ____Other

Name:____________________________________________________________
Address:___________________________________________________________
City:	State:	Zip:
Telephone:
Please make check payable to C & I Trail Council and mail to P.O. Box 1019, Indiana, PA 15701
*C & I Trail Council* is a volunteer, nonprofit, charitable organization established to promote the development of trails and greenways in Cambria and Indiana Counties, Pennsylvania under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Donations are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law.