Snow Shoe Trail

Coordinated by the Snow Shoe Rails to Trails Association (SSRTA), the trail caters primarily to registered and insured all-terrain vehicles, utility terrain vehicles, motorcycles and snowmobiles, but not dirt bikes or other off-road vehicles. It is free to non-motorized users but requires a membership for motorized users. Portions of the trail are the original ballast/gravel, but the four miles from the Gillentown trailhead to Clarence uses a driving surface aggragate (DSA). The trail traces the route of the Beech Creek Railroad, which opened in 1884 to serve a local coal mining company. Later, under new ownership, the railroad added passenger service. The last train ran in 1990, and by 1994 the right-of-way had been acquired for the rail-trail project by the Headwater Charitable Trust. Highlights include the 1,277-foot-long Peale Tunnel, built in 1883, and the 770-foot-long, 110-foot-high Viaduct Bridge, which offers an excellent view of the Red Moshannon Creek, the site of an annual canoe race in the spring. A trail use sticker from SSRTA is required for motorized usage and the trail is patrolled by the Centre County Sherrif's Office and the SSRTA Safety Patrol. In the future, the SSRT will connect to the Bloody Skillet ATV Park.