RailTrailWxRailTrailWxRail trail guide
Blair County, PA
A 4.16 mile rail trail in PA.
Connecting trails: Foot of Ten Trail
Planning a ride? Check the hourly forecast.
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.
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.
Hour by hour scores for heat, wind, rain, and shade on 6 to 10 Trail.
Free account required for most trails. Pine Creek is free for everyone.
Managed by Allegheny Portage Railroad National Historic Site (National Park Service)
