Exploring pennsylvania’s railroading past & present
If you’re looking for a great opportunity to explore Western Pennsylvania and also just happen to be a railroad enthusiast, then this might just be the road trip for you!
Starting out from Berkeley Springs WV and heading north, you’ll pass through the Southern Allegheny region of West Central PA, and into the very western edge of the Susquehanna River Valley where you’ll make your first stop at the Kinzua Bridge State Park.
Kinzua Bridge is an old railroad bridge that dates back to the late 1800’s, and was re-built in 1900 to accommodate heavier trains. However, due to the re-use of the bolts from the original 1882 construction, the reconstructed bridge was secretly doomed do fail. On July 21, 2003 a tornado traveled up the valley and hit the bridge with winds estimated to be at least 93 mph. The force of the winds hitting the bridge at a perpendicular angle, plus the re-use of the original iron bolts, of which many had severely rusted, caused over half of the bridge supports to collapse. Luckily, there were no injuries to any of the personnel working on the bridge at that time. Since the cost of replacing the bridge was deemed uneconomical, the state then created the current park by leaving the wreckage where it lay and turned the remaining bridge into a Skywalk. The park is easy to get to, has plenty of parking, and a trail that will take you down to the valley floor where you can get a close up view of the wreckage.
Just a few miles to the west of Kinzua Bridge State Park is the Allegheny National Forest. Established in 1923, the forest encompasses over half a million acres of Northwest Pennsylvania. There’s over a hundred miles of trails for OHV use, and plenty of unpaved roads to explore. As always, if you’re going to camp there, book your campground spot early.
On your way south back to the Start/Stop point, you’ll visit the last stop on the tour. It’s located just outside Altoona PA, and is famous amongst Rail fans. Known as the Horseshoe Curve, it’s a three track railroad curve on Norfolk Southern Railway’s Pittsburgh line that makes a 180 degree bend back on itself. Depending on the length of the train, the you can see the last car from the locomotive as it rounds the curve. For those lucky enough to be there at the right time, you can see two or even three trains pass by each other. There is a viewing platform at the top of the curve, and a small museum at the bottom. Definitely worth the time if you’re a railfan!
Late spring through late fall is the best time for making this trip, with Mid-October through November being the best time for viewing the fall colors.
Along with camping in the Allegheny National Forest, there are hotels available in Bradford PA, which is at the northern part of the loop approx. 25 miles north of Kinzua Bridge State Park. As it just so happens, Bradford PA is also the home of Zippo lighters, and the Case Knife co. (same company), and you can even visit the factory store.
As with Bradford, you also won’t have any trouble finding lodging in Altoona, as it’s a fairly good sized city located right alongside I-99.
I highly recommend this trip if you have a few days to spare and want to hit the road and explore Western Pennsylvania. As always, if you have any questions, feel free to reach out.
Matt
