Allegheny Portage Railroad National Historic Site, Pennsylvania

The Allegheny Portage Railroad only operated from 1834 to 1857, but it represented a great leap in transportation from the coast to the inland states. Prior to the opening of the Allegheny Portage Railroad, a series of canals and rail lines connected Philadelphia to Pittsburgh, minus the section traversing the Allegheny Mountains. The Allegheny Portage Railroad was built to complete the journey, and when it was done, the trip from one end of the state to the other could be completed in a matter of days instead of weeks.

The Allegheny Portage was a series of level sections and inclines. To get up the inclines, train cars were attached to ropes, and later wire ropes, and were pulled up the hills with pulleys, livestock, and men. It was a dangerous job. Ropes would often break, injuring or killing those who were unfortunate enough to be in its path. It got better when they switched to wire rope, but it was still deadly.

The railroad is long gone, but roads and trails exist where it used to be. While at the historic site, you may visit the visitor center, behind which a trail leads to Engine House 6, which is a reproduction of the machinery used for the inclines, and the Lemon House, the tavern that operated starting in the eighteen thirties, and Skew Arch Bridge.

Further out is Staple Bend Tunnel, which is a restored 901 foot tunnel. You do have to walk a two mile trail to get there.

Allegheny Portage Railroad National Historic Site is in Blair County, Central Pennsylvania.

Park Established: 1964

Fees: No Entry Fee

Park Activities:

Yes, there is biking.
Yes, there is hiking.
Yes, there is picnicking.
Yes, there are ranger programs.
Yes, there is cross country skiing.
There is no information available on collecting.
There is no information on geocaching available.
There is no information available about snowshoeing.
No, there is no ATVing.
No, there is no bacci ball.
No, there is no backpacking.
No, there is no baseball or softball.
No, there is no basketball.
No, there is no boating.
No, there is no camping.
No, there is no canoeing or kayaking.
No, there is no disc golf.
No, there are no DRONEs allowed.
No, there is no fishing.
No, there is no football.
No, there is no gold panning.
No, there is no golfing.
No, there is no group camping.
No, there are no guided tours.
No, there is no hang gliding.
No, there is no horseback riding.
No, there is no horseshoes.
No, there is no hunting.
No, there is no ice boating.
No, there is no ice fishing.
No, there is no ice skating.
No, there is no jet skiing.
No, there are no junior ranger programs.
No, there is no kite surfing.
No, there is no mini golf.
No, there is no pickleball.
No, there is no power boating.
No, there is no rock climbing.
No, there is no row boating.
No, there is no sailboarding.
No, there is no sailing.
No, there is no SCUBA diving.
No, there is no shuffleboard.
No, there is no skateboarding.
No, there is no downhill skiing.
No, there is no sledding.
No, there is no snorkeling.
No, there is no snow mobiling.
No, there is no snow tubing.
No, there is no soccer.
No, there is no stand up paddleboarding.
No, there is no surfing.
No, there is no swimming.
No, there is no tennis.
No, there is no trap shooting.
No, there is no volleyball.
No, there is no water skiing.
No, there is no whitewater rafting.
No, there is no wind surfing.
No, there is no zipline.

Park Amenities:

Yes, there is an amphitheater.

Yes, there are benches.

Yes, there is a boardwalk.

Yes, there is a gift shop.

Yes, there is green space.

Yes, there is handicap accessibility.

Yes, there is an observation deck or tower.

There is a deck overlooking some train tracks.

Yes, there is a park office.

Yes, there is a parking lot.

Yes, there are toilets.

Yes, there are flush toilets.

Yes, there are trash cans. Please use them responsibly.

Yes, there is a visitor center, museum, or environmental education center.

Yes, there is a water fountain or water pump.

There is no available information about a bike rack.

There is no information available on a pavilion.

There is no information available about picnic tables.

There is no information about vault (pit) toilets available.

No, there is no archery range.

No, there is no auditorium.

No, there are no batting cages.

No, there are no beach showers.

No, there are no bleachers.

No, there is no boat ramp.

No, there are no cabins or cottages.

No, there is no camp store.

No, there are no classrooms.

No, there is no dog park.

No, there is no driving range.

No, there is no dump station.

No, there are no electricity hookups.

No, there is no food concession.

No, there is no gazebo.

No, there are no grills.

No, there is no inn or lodge.

No, there is no laundry.

No, there is no marina.

No, there are no meeting facilities.

No, there is no observatory.

No, there is no pier.

No, there is no playground.

No, there are no recreational buildings.

No, there are no recycling cans.

No, there is no restaurant.

No, there are no sewer hookups.

No, there is no shooting range.

No, there are no showers.

No, there is no skate park.

No, there is no splash pad.

No, there is no swimming pool.

No, there is no port-a-potty.

No, there are no vending machines.

No, there are no water hookups.

No, there are no wellness stations.

No, there is no WiFi.

No, there are no yurts.

Park Features:

Yes, there is forest.

Yes, there is historical significance.

The Allegheny Portage significantly reduced the time needed to cross the state of Pennsylvania. It went from weeks of travel to just days.

Yes, there are mountains.

The Allegheny Portage Railroad took railroad cars over the Allegheny Mountains.

No, there is no bog.

No, there is no canal.

No, there is no canyon.

No, there is no cave.

No, there is no coral reef.

No, there is not a covered bridge.

No, there is no cultural significance.

No, there is no dam.

No, there is no desert.

No, there is no fort.

No, there is no fountain.

No, there is no furnace.

No, there are no geologic features.

No, there is no historical monument.

No, there is no lake.

No, there is no lake beach.

No, there is no lighthouse.

No, there is no mill.

No, there is no pond.

No, there is no prairie.

No, there are no sand dunes.

No, there is no shore beach.

No, there is no stream or river.

No, there is no veterans memorial.

No, there is no volcano.

No, there are no waterfalls.

No, there are no wetlands.

No, there is no windmill.

History

It only operated for a couple of decades, but the Allegheny Portage Railroad represented a huge leap in transportation. Whereas before the Portage was completed, travel from one end of Pennsylvania to the other took several weeks to complete, after the Portage opened, it only took about four days. The Allegheny Portage was the final section in a series of railroads and canals linking Philadelphia to Pittsburgh.

Watershed

Watershed Address: Bradley Run - Clearfield Creek - West Branch of the Susquehanna River - Susquehanna River - Chesapeake Bay - Atlantic Ocean

Allegheny Portage Railroad National Historic Site is at the top of a mountain, so it actually has at least three watershed addresses. The other two are: Unknown Tributary – Little Conemaugh River – Conemaugh River – Kiskiminetas River – Allegheny River – Ohio River – Mississippi River – Gulf of Mexico – Atlantic Ocean; and Blair Gap Run – Beaverdam Branch – Frankstown Branch – Juniata River – Susquehanna River – Chesapeake Bay – Atlantic Ocean.