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Welcome to Wampum Chapter’s Explore the Trail page. Wampum is responsible for about 40 miles of trail. The Overview Map shows that we currently have about 25 trail miles completed. If a more detailed map is desired, a water resistant map (NCT-PA03) can be purchased from the NCTA Trail Shop. To purchase one,
click
here.
The NCT through Wampum Chapter is open to foot travel only. All other uses of the trail are prohibited by the North Country Trail Assoc., the National Park Service and the various private landowners.
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Carsonite©
Post |
Private Property Sign |
Wood Signpost |
You will find the trail marked in several ways. Some road crossings have brown wooden NCT signs with the road name and mileages to various points, while other access points are marked with brown, stress-resistant Carsonite© posts with signage decals attached.
Blaze on a Tree |
Left Turn Blaze |
Right Turn Blaze |
The trail is marked with blue blazes to guide you along your way. At corner turns there are two blue blazes, one above the other. The top blaze is offset to the left or right to indicate the direction of the turn.
Looking for places to park along the trail, look no further. The locations of our parking areas are now available using Google maps. To find your nearest NCT parking area and driving directions to all of our trail parking areas,
click here.
Below is a brief overview of the trail sections currently open to the public.
McConnell's Mill Road to Shaffer Road:
This section of trail passes through McConnell's Mill State Park. Items of interest include: McConnell's Mill which is an old grist mill, a covered bridge over the Slippery Rock Creek, the many Slippery Rock Creek rapids, vistas of the Slippery Rock Gorge below Eckert's Bridge, giant boulders deposited during the last ice age, Walnut Flats, scenic Hells Hollow and the Hells Hollow Furnace. A few photos taken from the trail can be seen below.
Parking: Located at Alpha Pass, and Hells Hollow.
Sankey Hill Road to River Road by Wampum, PA.:
This section of trail passes completely through lands owned by Cemex, Inc. Sights along the way include: several nice vistas, including a view of the Beaver River Valley, examples of strip mine land reclamation, an old lime kiln, and various kinds of wildlife including species of waterfowl. A few photos from the trail can be seen below.
Parking: Located at the intersection of Sankey Hill Road and Snake Run
Road and on Snake Run Road near Lower Boyd School Road.
State Route 288 to Edwards Road:
This section of trail involves a number of property owners: the Borough of Wampum, Gateway Commerce Center, Mines and Meadows ATV Resort, State Game Lands 148, and individual private landholdings. Items of interest include: view of the lovely Beaver River, a short road walk through the Borough of Wampum, the McBride Trail Stop, remnants of past strip mining, and food plots developed by the Pennsylvania Game Commission on State Game Lands #148. A few photos from the trail can be seen below.
Parking: Located on Possum Hollow Road on State Game Lands 148.
State Route 168 to State Route 168:
This one-mile loop trail follows the perimeter of the Big Beaver Borough Wetlands Interpretive Area where one can see various types of wetland wildlife and habitat. Developed by the Borough of Big Beaver, a section of this trail will eventually be part of the NCT. A few photos from this trail can be seen below.
Parking: Located on State Route 168.
Watts Mill Road to State Route 251:
This trail section passes though privately owned land and State Game Lands 285. Sights along this section of trail include: views of Little Beaver Creek, remnants of Watts Mill and raceway, and signs of clay mining which was carried out by several brick making industries. This section finishes with a pleasant half-mile walk along the Pennsylvania/Ohio border. A few photos from the trail can be seen below.
Parking: Limited roadside parking is located along State Route 251 and
Watt's Mill Road.
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