OHIO RIVER TRAIL COUNCIL
Butler-Freeport Community Trail — Freeport, PA to Butler, PA
Butler-Freeport 40-Mile Bike Trail Ride
Come out for a ride! This is part of a trail ride series sponsored by the Ohio River Trail Council (ORTC) intended to bring awareness to the wonderful trails in our quad-state region (Maryland, Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia). All cyclists are welcome for this rails-to-trails, moderate-paced ride.
Join the Ohio River Trail Council as we visit the Butler-Freeport Community Trail. We begin in the town of Freeport, 30 minutes north of Pittsburgh on the Allegheny River. We will ride approximately 10 miles up a 2.6% grade, mostly crushed limestone trail north along the Little Buffalo and Buffalo Creeks, and then 10 miles downhill to the city of Butler. Riders will have the option of turning back at any point or continuing on to Butler.
Do not forget your camera!
Trailhead
Laneville Trailhead, 52 Old Mill Rd, Freeport, PA
Features and Points of Interest
The Butler-Freeport Community Trail is a rail-trail, preserving the route of Butler County’s first railroad (1871), the Western Pennsylvania Railroad that connected the City of Butler to the Allegheny River port of Freeport.
The trail travels along the tranquil Little Buffalo and Buffalo creeks, and through farmland, rural villages and woodlands. Starting in Laneville, the trail has Buffalo Creek as its companion for over 3 miles through the forest of the Buffalo Creek Gorge.
The Trail then picks up Little Buffalo Creek as its companion for another 8 miles, crossing the creek seven times. Many of the smaller tributaries are reminiscent of mountain brooks, offering natural cooling on a hot day and the thrill of rushing, tumbling water in all seasons. Gradually as the trail meanders northward toward Butler, it travels from the woods of the Gorge to a broader forest valley with the trail securely passing between cliffs on one side and the Little Buffalo Creek on the other to more open woods and farmland.
The Buffalo Creek Gorge is a spectacular view from the bridge on Route 28, one-mile north of the Sarver-Freeport exit. Additional points of interest are the gristmill in Lanesville, Todd Nature Reserve, and the Cooper Cabin Pioneer Homestead.
Social
Following the ride, meet us for a social gathering and dinner.
Mileage Chart