TRAILS OF NORTHWESTERN PENNSYLVANIA
Oil Creek State Park has 52 miles of trails and is within the area of the home of the Oil Industry.
Oil Creek State Park Bike Trail
Length: 9.7 miles
Approximate mileage from Allegheny College: 35 miles
Type: Out and back
Allowed Usage: : Bicycle, Wheelchair Accessible, Horseback Riding, Mountain Biking, Walking, Running, Cross Country Skiing
Trail Surface: Asphalt
In the area of the birthplace of the oil, this 9.7 easy breezy trail starts or ends at the Petroleum Center and crosses under the Oil Creek and Titusville Railroad (Shaw, et al., 1999). At the northern end, the Queen City Trail leads into downtown Titusville. Check out a YouTube video of Oil Creek’s State Park’s Bike Trail here.
Sources/ Learn more at: https://www.traillink.com/trail/oil-creek-state-park-trail/
http://friendsocsp.org/trails/biking/ocbiketrail.html
Shaw, M., & Weil, R. (1999). Freewheeling Easy in Western Pennsylvania (3rd ed.). Pittsburgh, PA:
Shaw-Weil Associates.
Delzell Trail
Length: 0.7 miles
Approximate mileage from Allegheny College: 35 miles
Type: Out and back
Allowed Usage: Walking
Trail Surface: Natural Earth
A self- guided hike through the Oil Creek Valley, grab a brochure at the park office or trailhead and learn how the valley’s ecosystem has changed throughout time.
Sources/ Learn more at: http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/stateparks/findapark/oilcreek/#hiking
Blood Farm Interpretive Trail
Length: 0.5 miles
Approximate mileage from Allegheny College: 35 miles
Type: Out and back
Allowed Usage: Walking
Trail Surface: Natural Earth
This half mile hike guides you through the Blood Farm oil lease where the most oil was produced in the area throughout the early 1860’s. There are signs posted throughout the trail.
Sources/ Learn more at: http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/stateparks/findapark/oilcreek/#hiking
Gerard Hiking Trail
Length: 36 miles
Approximate mileage from Allegheny College: 35 miles
Type: Loop
Allowed Usage: Walking, Overnight Camping (with fee)
Trail Surface: Natural Earth
This 36-mile trail loops around the whole Oil Creek State Park. The trail main trail is marked with yellow blazes, while there are 5 shorter loops marked with white blazes along Gerard Hiking Trail. The trail passes through many scenic areas, waterfalls, and historical sites of the oil history like Miller Farm, Shaffer Farm, and Petroleum Center.
Sources/ Learn more at:
http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/stateparks/findapark/oilcreek/#hiking
http://friendsocsp.org/trails/hiking/ght.html
Thwaites, T. (1990). Fifty hikes in Western Pennsylvania: Walks and Day Hikes From the Laurel
Highlands to Lake Erie (2nd ed.). Woodstock, VT: Backcountry Publications, Inc.