6 to 10 Trail (Pennsylvania) Weather Forecast & Planning Guide

6 to 10 Trail, Blair County, PA, 4.16 miles

Trail Facts

Length4.2 mi

Elevation1266 to 1559 ft

Grade1.3% average

Shade cover82%

SurfaceCrushed gravel

Activities

E-bikingBikingWalkingRunningHikingBirdingCross-country skiingand more

Connects To

Foot of Ten Trail

Managed By

Allegheny Portage Railroad National Historic Site (National Park Service)

Trivia

The trail follows the Allegheny Portage Railroad, which lifted canal boats over Allegheny Mountain on a series of inclined planes in the 1830s.
Canal boats were built in sections so they could be separated and loaded onto special flatcars for the trip over the mountain.
The Muleshoe Bridge carried the New Portage Railroad over what is now Old US Route 22, near the base of Incline 8.
The foundations of Engine House 8 are buried near the trail to protect them.
The Pennsylvania Railroad abandoned the New Portage line in 1854 after Horseshoe Curve opened, then reactivated it around 1900 as a freight bypass.

About This Trail

The rideable stretch of the 6 to 10 Trail runs about 4 miles through forested State Game Lands in Blair County, Pennsylvania, from the Muleshoe Bridge to the Dry Run Road trailhead. Part of the Allegheny Portage Railroad National Historic Site, it follows the New Portage Railroad grade below the original Allegheny Portage Railroad inclines. Above Muleshoe the corridor continues as a hiking-only route up the historic inclines to the park Visitor Center.

RailTrailWx TIPS

6 to 10 Trail

Your comfort. Prognosticated.

The 6 to 10 Trail is very shaded with near-continuous protection from direct sunlight during the warm season. This makes things cooler in the afternoons but also a bit more humid.
The trail is on the north slope of a run that channels down the east-facing flank of the Allegheny Front. Thus, the climate is a bit cooler and damper than its surrounding area, and spring thaws may occur later in the season.
The east-west orientation of the run that the trail follows favors the channeling of the prevailing westerlies, so climbing from Dry Run to Muleshoe often features a headwind while climbing uphill. The payoff is turning around and heading downhill. The good news is that the deep tree cover tends to lessen the impact of the wind.
Interestingly, because the trail is situated along a north slope, there are a few sections of the trail that receive no sunlight at all from November through February.
Take your time and enjoy the history along the trail. This corridor is a true piece of Americana. If you have time, visit the local attractions such as the Horseshoe Curve, the Allegheny Portage Railroad National Historic Site, the Gallitzin Tunnels, and the Johnstown Flood Museum, amongst others
The 6 to 10 Trail is one of the few rail trails that climbs the Allegheny Front, the others being the Great Allegheny Passage and the Bells Gap Rail Trail.

-Cory

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Enjoy the 6 to 10 Trail!

Climate

Excellent biking days per month, 2011-2025 climatology

History

In 1826 the Pennsylvania Legislature authorized the Public Works of Pennsylvania to build a combined canal and railroad system linking Philadelphia and the Eastern Seaboard with Pittsburgh and the Ohio Valley. The Allegheny Mountain blocked the route, so the Allegheny Portage Railroad used a series of inclined planes to lift canal boats over the summit; the boats were built in sections so they could be loaded onto special flatcars, avoiding a reload. Teamster wagon drivers resisted the new line, even using its cleared right-of-way as a road until the track was laid. The New Portage Railroad later replaced the old Portage on a slightly different route, still hauling canal boats between Hollidaysburg and Johnstown. The Pennsylvania Railroad abandoned the New Portage line in 1854 after completing its Horseshoe Curve main line, then reactivated it around 1900 as a freight bypass connecting the Gallitzin tunnels to Duncansville. In 1981 the line was abandoned again from the east portal of the New Portage Tunnel to Hollidaysburg. Today the bicycle section rides the New Portage grade from the Foot of Ten to the Muleshoe Bridge, which crosses Old US Route 22 near the base of Incline 8, while the hiking section above Muleshoe follows the original Portage inclines to the park Visitor Center. The trail is part of the Allegheny Portage Railroad National Historic Site.

Trailheads

Muleshoe BridgeMILE 0Directions
Valley Forge RoadMILE 2.5Directions
Dry Run Road TrailheadMILE 4.2Directions

Nearby trails

Bells Gap Rail Trail

6.3 mi·PA

Explore Forecast

Lower Trail

16 mi·PA

Explore Forecast

Ghost Town Trail: C & I Extension

20 mi·PA

Explore Forecast

RailTrailWx TIPS

6 to 10 Trail

Your comfort. Prognosticated.

The 6 to 10 Trail is very shaded with near-continuous protection from direct sunlight during the warm season. This makes things cooler in the afternoons but also a bit more humid.

The trail is on the north slope of a run that channels down the east-facing flank of the Allegheny Front. Thus, the climate is a bit cooler and damper than its surrounding area, and spring thaws may occur later in the season.

The east-west orientation of the run that the trail follows favors the channeling of the prevailing westerlies, so climbing from Dry Run to Muleshoe often features a headwind while climbing uphill. The payoff is turning around and heading downhill. The good news is that the deep tree cover tends to lessen the impact of the wind.

Interestingly, because the trail is situated along a north slope, there are a few sections of the trail that receive no sunlight at all from November through February.

Take your time and enjoy the history along the trail. This corridor is a true piece of Americana. If you have time, visit the local attractions such as the Horseshoe Curve, the Allegheny Portage Railroad National Historic Site, the Gallitzin Tunnels, and the Johnstown Flood Museum, amongst others

The 6 to 10 Trail is one of the few rail trails that climbs the Allegheny Front, the others being the Great Allegheny Passage and the Bells Gap Rail Trail.

-Cory