Bikers and hikers have two reasons to celebrate the Pine Creek Rail Trail through Tioga and Lycoming counties.
Today, the 62-mile trail was named Pennsylvania’s 2026 Trail of the Year by the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR).
And in October, DCNR Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn and other state and local officials celebrated completing the trail’s last 3.2 miles into downtown Wellsboro from Jersey Shore, which closed another trail gap in Pennsylvania.
"There's just been people working at this for a long time. So it's great to see these projects get over the finish line and at the end of the day get recognized for it,” Tioga County Commissioner Shane Nickerson said.
Nickerson and his fellow Tioga county commissioners, Marc Rice and Sam VanLoon, nominated the trail for the honor.
The Pennsylvania Trails Advisory Committee designates the Trail of the Year to help build enthusiasm and support for both motorized and nonmotorized trails across the state, according to DCNR. The 20-member DCNR-appointed committee also raises public awareness about Pennsylvania’s land and water trail network.
There are more than 14,000 miles of trails in the state.
Indigenous path to railroad back to path
The Pine Creek Rail Trail traces a corridor along Pine Creek Gorge, first used by the Iroquois Nation and later developed as a railroad in the late 19th century, according to DCNR. Rail service ended in 1988. Between 1995 and 2007 volunteers worked to create the hard-packed stone trail, which runs along the gorge, which is known as the Grand Canyon of Pennsylvania.
The gorge cuts through Leonard Harrison and Colton Point state parks in Tioga County.
Before the last three miles were completed, visitors to Wellsboro accessed the trail outside the borough on a narrow shoulder, Rice said.
The new trailhead provides a safe and accessible alternative, he said.
Tioga County also partnered with state agencies to construct a trailhead building in downtown Wellsboro that opened this fall, Rice said.
“And inside of that building there are kiosks that highlight all of the businesses in Tioga County,” he said. “It's absolutely amazing.”
Rice said Tioga County has applied for Trail of the Year for the last six years.
“I do believe because the connection was completed here into Wellsboro. I think that's what kind of put the application over the finish line,” he said.
The trail's economics
The trail attracts more than 44,000 users annually and generates more than $5 million in local economic impact, according to DCNR.
Nickerson said even before the trail was complete, people used it every day.
"I'm just always amazed at the reach that it has," he said. "Probably, behind agriculture, tourism is becoming our biggest economic driver in Tioga County."
Rice said the trail provides a positive impact in the community that supports Wellsboro's Main Street and many of the local businesses.
"We need a little economic driver here in Tioga County. This connection is really going to have that effect,” he said.
Rice was quick to mention that the trail also runs through Lycoming County with plans to eventually run it into Clinton County.
“It really does encompass ... North Central Pennsylvania, and we're just excited about the opportunities that it's bringing to our three counties,” he said.
'Star asset'
Ta Enos, founder and CEO of the PA Wilds Center for Entrepreneurship, said the trail is a star asset of the 13-county Pennsylvania Wilds region.
Enos said that outdoor enthusiasts travel from all over the world to hike or bike the Pine Creek Rail Trail.
“The views along the PCRT are incredible. The floor of the Pine Creek Gorge, the stunning sights of the surrounding rolling hills, the sound of the bubbling Pine Creek beside you, and the history of the former rail bed all add to the journey," she said.
“The PCRT is incredibly deserving of this prestigious award, and we know that celebrating this trail will encourage more people to come experience how spectacular it is."
