Great Allegheny Passage: Steel Valley Weather & Planning Guide

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Great Allegheny Passage: Steel Valley, Allegheny, Westmoreland Counties, PA, 34.54 miles

Trail Facts

Hall of Fame

Inducted 2007 by Rails to Trails Conservancy

Length 35 mi

Elevation 714 to 777 ft

Grade 0.1% average

Shade cover 31%

Primary surface Crushed gravel

Secondary surface Asphalt

Activities

E-bikingBikingWalkingRunningHikingBirdingFishingKayakingHorseback ridingand more

About This Trail

The Steel Valley segment is the final 35 miles of the Great Allegheny Passage, from West Newton to Point State Park in Pittsburgh. It follows the Youghiogheny on the old Pittsburgh and Lake Erie grade past Sutersville, the Red Waterfall, Buena Vista, the Dravo campground, and Boston to McKeesport, where the Yough meets the Monongahela. From there the trail crosses the Riverton Bridge, climbs the Port Perry and Whitaker flyovers over live tracks, and passes the Pump House at Homestead before joining the Three Rivers Heritage Trail and crossing the Hot Metal Bridge into downtown. The surface is crushed limestone with paved stretches in the city. Upstream, the Youghiogheny segment continues toward Connellsville and Ohiopyle.

RailTrailWx TIPS

Great Allegheny Passage: Steel Valley

Your comfort. Prognosticated.

This is the most open segment of the GAP: more than half of it rides under open sky along the riverfront, the former mill sites, and the flyovers, so summer sun is felt in from McKeesport to Pittsburgh. The shadiest miles are at the West Newton end along the Youghiogheny.
Because it is so open, wind matters more here than anywhere else on the trail. The flyovers stand high above the tracks and catch it, and the long straight riverfront stretches through Homestead and the South Side give a wind a clear run.
The trail is essentially flat, about 50 feet of drop from West Newton to the Point, so wind and heat set your pace, not grade.
On cool, still mornings fog off the Youghiogheny and the Monongahela can sit on the trail in the river bends between Sutersville and McKeesport before the sun clears it.
The trail switches rivers at McKeesport, leaving the Youghiogheny for the Monongahela across the Riverton Bridge; the McKeesport marina beside the trail has a picnic pavilion, a fishing pier, and a small hostel.
Horses are allowed beside the trail only on the West Newton to Boston miles of this segment, not through the mill valley or the city.
Dravo Hiker-Biker Campground near Buena Vista is the segment's trailside camp, kept by the Mon/Yough Trail Council; there is no camping in the city miles.
If you are heading to the Point, an alternative route to finish the GAP is via the Three Rivers Heritage Trail: South. This route takes you over the Fort Pitt Bridge. This is an interstate bridge, but there is a dedicated path for pedestrians with a concrete barrier to protect you from traffic. It is somewhat narrow, so be prepared to walk your bike if riding. If you are finishing the Great Allegheny Passage from either D.C. or Cumberland, this is a very majestic way to finish your ride, with the entire city of Pittsburgh and Point State Park and its fountain stretched out before you. I prefer to finish the GAP via the Fort Pitt Bridge for this scenic finish, which in my opinion is superior to the actual trail that navigates you down the middle of an interstate on the right bank of the Mon, through myriad twists and turns that are frankly confusing to follow. Plus, this route avoids the Wharf which is prone to flooding.

-Cory

Trivia

The Red Waterfall at mile 119 gets its color from old coal workings: exposed pyrite meets air and groundwater, makes sulfuric acid, and stains the rock red, yellow, and orange.
Dravo, near Buena Vista, was once a small settlement with its own Methodist church; today only the cemetery remains beside the hiker-biker campground.
McKeesport was headquarters of the National Tube Works for more than a century, and during World War II its factories employed more than 10,000 people.
The 1,570-foot Riverton Bridge was built in 1890 as the McKeesport Connecting Railroad Bridge to move material between U.S. Steel's Duquesne Works and National Tube; it was refitted for the trail in 2008.
The Riverton Bridge was dedicated on September 25, 2008, and a week later cyclists crossed it in the Pittsburgh 250 relay ride.
The Port Perry and Whitaker flyovers, built in 2010, each carry the trail over four sets of live railroad tracks; between them the trail follows the route of a former U.S. Steel pipeline that piped coke gas between the valley's mills.
The flyover spans were assembled beside the tracks and set in place by two 500-ton cranes working at the same time, one at Port Perry and one at Whitaker.
On July 6, 1892, striking Homestead steelworkers fought a barge load of Pinkerton guards sent up the Monongahela; the day left seven strikers and three Pinkertons dead.
The Hot Metal Bridge's 1900 span carried ladle cars of molten iron across the Monongahela for Jones & Laughlin Steel; that span was converted for bicycles and pedestrians in 2007.
The last nine miles into Pittsburgh cost 11.9 million dollars, about what the Big Savage Tunnel cost, and were celebrated on June 15, 2013 with a gathering beside Sandcastle waterpark.

Climate

Excellent biking days per month, 2011-2025 climatology

In a typical year the Great Allegheny Passage: Steel Valley has about 109 to 150 days of excellent weather for popular activities such as hiking, dog walking, e-biking, birding, running, biking, and walking, with April, May, and October the best months.

RailTrailWx Comfort Scores, for your activity.

Hourly comfort scores for the next 15 days of weather, tuned to your activity and your own thresholds.

Plan your visit to this trail. Get the best windows for a comfortable outing.

View the forecast

Enjoy the Great Allegheny Passage: Steel Valley!

Peak Fall Color Climatology

Calendar of the typical peak fall color window along this trail

In half of past years, color along the Great Allegheny Passage: Steel Valley peaks October 19 to 30, typically around October 24. The trail has 32% deciduous coverage, with the majority being black cherry, red maple, sugar maple, white ash, northern red oak, and yellow-poplar.

History

In 1749 and 1750 the Delaware chief Nemacolin and frontiersman Thomas Cresap improved an old trail over the Alleghenies from the Potomac at Cumberland, and in 1755 General Braddock widened its eastern miles into a military road. Between 1910 and 1912 the Western Maryland built its 86-mile Connellsville Extension, meeting the Pittsburgh and Lake Erie at Connellsville in the heart of the coal and coke country. The P&LE line had opened in 1883 as the Pittsburgh, McKeesport and Youghiogheny, built with Vanderbilt money to feed Connellsville coke to the Pittsburgh furnaces. The B&O took control of the Western Maryland in 1973 and gave up the extension in 1975, keeping its own parallel route. The P&LE let its Youghiogheny line go in 1991. On June 9, 1978, the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy bought the first stretch of the old Western Maryland grade near Ohiopyle, and the first nine miles opened from Ramcat to Ohiopyle on May 17, 1986. Trail groups along the corridor united in 1995 as the Allegheny Trail Alliance, today the Great Allegheny Passage Conservancy. The last nine miles into Pittsburgh opened in June 2013, completing the 150 miles to Point State Park. This segment holds the P&LE grade to McKeesport, then the 1890 Riverton Bridge, the 2010 flyovers, the Homestead waterfront, and the Hot Metal Bridge; the piece past Sandcastle closed the last gap in June 2013.

Trailheads

West NewtonMILE 0Directions
SutersvilleMILE 3.9Directions
Buena VistaMILE 6.7Directions
GreenockMILE 11.9Directions
BostonMILE 14.2Directions
McKeesportMILE 18.4Directions
Pump HouseMILE 25.3Directions
HomesteadMILE 26.5Directions
First Avenue GarageMILE 33.6Directions

Connects To

Great Allegheny Passage: YoughioghenyThree Rivers Heritage Trail: SouthMontour Trail: Main Line

Managed By

Great Allegheny Passage Conservancy

Nearby trails

Montour Trail: Bethel Branch

3.2 mi·PA

Explore Forecast

Three Rivers Heritage Trail: South

6 mi·PA

Explore Forecast

Three Rivers Heritage Trail: North

6.4 mi·PA

Explore Forecast

RailTrailWx TIPS

Great Allegheny Passage: Steel Valley

Your comfort. Prognosticated.

This is the most open segment of the GAP: more than half of it rides under open sky along the riverfront, the former mill sites, and the flyovers, so summer sun is felt in from McKeesport to Pittsburgh. The shadiest miles are at the West Newton end along the Youghiogheny.

Because it is so open, wind matters more here than anywhere else on the trail. The flyovers stand high above the tracks and catch it, and the long straight riverfront stretches through Homestead and the South Side give a wind a clear run.

The trail is essentially flat, about 50 feet of drop from West Newton to the Point, so wind and heat set your pace, not grade.

On cool, still mornings fog off the Youghiogheny and the Monongahela can sit on the trail in the river bends between Sutersville and McKeesport before the sun clears it.

The trail switches rivers at McKeesport, leaving the Youghiogheny for the Monongahela across the Riverton Bridge; the McKeesport marina beside the trail has a picnic pavilion, a fishing pier, and a small hostel.

Horses are allowed beside the trail only on the West Newton to Boston miles of this segment, not through the mill valley or the city.

Dravo Hiker-Biker Campground near Buena Vista is the segment's trailside camp, kept by the Mon/Yough Trail Council; there is no camping in the city miles.

If you are heading to the Point, an alternative route to finish the GAP is via the Three Rivers Heritage Trail: South. This route takes you over the Fort Pitt Bridge. This is an interstate bridge, but there is a dedicated path for pedestrians with a concrete barrier to protect you from traffic. It is somewhat narrow, so be prepared to walk your bike if riding. If you are finishing the Great Allegheny Passage from either D.C. or Cumberland, this is a very majestic way to finish your ride, with the entire city of Pittsburgh and Point State Park and its fountain stretched out before you. I prefer to finish the GAP via the Fort Pitt Bridge for this scenic finish, which in my opinion is superior to the actual trail that navigates you down the middle of an interstate on the right bank of the Mon, through myriad twists and turns that are frankly confusing to follow. Plus, this route avoids the Wharf which is prone to flooding.

-Cory

Trail Facts

Activities

About This Trail

RailTrailWx TIPS

Trivia

Climate

RailTrailWx Comfort Scores, for your activity.

Peak Fall Color Climatology

History

Trailheads

Connects To

Managed By

Further Reading

Nearby trails

Trail Facts

Activities

About This Trail

RailTrailWx TIPS

Trivia

Climate

RailTrailWx Comfort Scores, for your activity.

Peak Fall Color Climatology

History

Trailheads

Connects To

Managed By

Further Reading

Nearby trails