On Monday, November 3, 2014 volunteers, board members and staff of the Mountain Watershed Association will hold a dedication ceremony for the Section 10 segment in Springfield Township, Fayette County and the Donegal Bridge in Jones Mills, Westmoreland County. These two segments are important links in the expansion of the trail.
The dedication will begin with a short tour of Section 10. Participants should meet at the entrance to the Indian Creek Gorge at 10:00 AM. After the tour and a brief discussion, we will caravan to the bridge site for the dedication ceremony. (See below for locations.) We expect to conclude by noon.
The Indian Creek Valley Trail is a walking and biking trail being constructed on the former railway of the Indian Creek Valley Railroad. It is located in the Indian Creek Valley nestled between Laurel Hill and Chestnut Ridge in Pennsylvania’s Laurel Highlands region. The trail passes through several small towns and villages before entering the Indian Creek gorge, and area of exceptional scenery and biodiversity.
The Indian Creek Valley Railroad was established in 1906 for Laurel Hill timbering operations. By 1910, 22 miles of railroad were complete from the Jones Mills to the Youghiogheny River, passing through the small towns of Champion, Melcroft, Indian Head and Mill Run. By this time, four passenger trains were running per day in addition to the freight trains carrying coal from local mines. In 1969 the railroad was abandoned. After abandonment by the railroad, Saltlick Township acquired ownership of the portion of the RR grade in their township, and the Mountain Watershed Association acquired the grade from Jones Mills to Champion and downstream from Indian Head approximately 2 miles.
Our goal is to develop the entire 23 miles of the former railroad into a bike, hike and ski trail, eventually crossing the Youghiogheny to join with the Great Allegheny Passage. MWA is currently in the process of raising funds and securing easements to develop the remainder of the trail. Click here to learn more, or here to make a contribution toward trail development.
For more information please contact Beverly at the Mountain Watershed Association: (724) 455-4200, extension 1#, or mwa@mtwatershed.com.
Indian Creek Valley Gorge:
https://www.google.com/maps/dir//39.9717121,-79.4591327/@39.9721551,-79.4931053,13z/data=!3m1!4b1
Donegal Bridge: https://www.google.com/maps/dir//40.088797,-79.3427364/@40.0888681,-79.3448734,17z/data=!4m2!4m1!3e0