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Located about 30 minutes northeast of Pittsburgh, the Butler-Freeport Community Trail is nestled in the scenic wooded valley that follows Little Buffalo Creek to Buffalo Creek and on to the Allegheny River at Freeport.
The surface of the almost 20-mile trail is comprised mostly of crushed limestone, with about a mile of asphalt south of the Monroe trailhead and the Buffalo Township Municipal Authority. Mile and 0.5-mile markers line the trail, and restroom facilities along the trail are open seasonally, May–October. Cross-country skiing is permitted—as is horseback riding in designated areas during dry weather.
Keen observers will spot old stone foundations and the remainders of brick kilns, and small dams and waterfalls also appear along the route.
About the Route
The north end of the trail begins on the east side of the town of Butler on Kaufman Drive, where a large sign greets trail users. Just a mile northeast on Main Street, there are restaurants, shops, hotels, and gas stations. Heading south from Butler, the trail immediately crosses over a small bridge as it heads out of town, with the route on a slight incline for 7 miles to Cabot.
The trail travels southeast along Herman Road for the first couple miles, and then veers left through wooded farmland on the outskirts of Herman. There are multiple road crossings and then the route crosses over Herman Road via a small overpass. About 5.4 miles along the trail at Dittmer Road, just past Herman Road, there is a trailhead, restrooms, and parking to the right, and a small bike shop and café to the left. From here the route begins to head directly south, passing a golf course with a café and clubhouse in about 0.7 more mile, and then several more road crossings, before reaching Marwood, where it passes Freehling Lumber Company at the site where a post office and railroad station from earlier days once stood.
From Cabot, the trail heads 13 miles on a downhill trajectory, passing through rural landscapes in Sarver. At miles 14 and 14.5 along the trail, there are the remains of two dams along Buffalo Creek that served sand plants in the area. At the Bear Creek Road trailhead, at around 14.9 miles, fishing is permitted.
At around mile 16.8 is the Monroe trailhead and just a few hundred feet south along Monroe Road is Buffalo Creek Nature Park, which has a nature center, a playground, picnic tables, restrooms, and parking. The park is managed by the Audubon Society of Western Pennsylvania.
The route passes under PA 28/Alexander H. Lindsay Memorial Highway. Look for the ruins of brick kilns along the trail, a reminder of the area’s 19th-century brickmaking days. The southern end of the trail is in about another 2 miles, just south of Main Street in Freeport.
Connections
At the southern end of the trail, take a 0.1-mile shared-road section northwest along Main Street and then south along Old Pike Road to a dedicated bike and pedestrian path that runs along the east side of the PA 356 bridge to River Landing Drive. Briefly follow River Landing Drive north to connect to the Tredway Trail.
Trail History
Built in 1871 to transport the region’s high-quality limestone to support Pittsburgh’s growing steel industry, the Butler Branch of the Pennsylvania Railroad was the first railroad in Butler County. After a two-day celebration of the opening, the railroad conducted a mock funeral for the stagecoach that ran between the two towns. A branch of the Western Pennsylvania Railroad, the line became part of the Pennsylvania Railroad system in 1903 and discontinued service in 1987. After a volunteer effort organized by the local community, the Butler Freeport Community Trail officially opened in 1992 and was formally completed in 2015. The all-volunteer Butler-Freeport Community Trail Council manages and maintains the trail, which is owned by Buffalo Township.
The Butler-Freeport Community Trail runs between Kaufman Dr (Butler) and just south of Main St, near Old Pike Rd (Freeport), both of which offer parking.
Parking is also available at:
There are numerous parking options along the route, visit the TrailLink map for all parking options and detailed directions.
My husband and I ride this trail about 3-4x/month starting in Freeport. We always stop at the Derailleur Cafe which has great food—the most delicious grilled cheese (add the various relishes—you won’t be sorry!), roasted veggies over rice (add chicken or beans for a healthy lunch), fresh fruit smoothies and Leona’s Ice Cream sandwiches. It’s a darling cafe with good history (ask Dee about it—she loves to talk:-)). It’s opened daily in the summer, but due to lack of traffic, Fall has only weekend hours…11-3.
The trail itself is a nice workout—about 10 miles up a very gradual incline after the first 5 miles of flat, then down another 5 miles to Butler (we always turn around before town). We turn around to get back to Freeport all within about 3.5 hours. (If my husband is alone, he cranks it out in about 2.5). The views are along Buffalo Creek, Jones’ turkey farm (hold your nose during the heat of summer), and a cow pasture.
It’s a great, well maintained trail that’s well shaded in the summer months.
I live in Butler and this is my go-to home trail. I set out to do the entire trail round trip but the trail was closed 5 miles from Freeport so today was only 30 miles round trip.
Rode the trail north to Butler twice. On each trip we rode into nearby downtown Butler to eat. Followed streets marked as bike routes. Between the two rides, we were accosted by angry or unpleasant locals in their cars on three occasions. Twice of which were shouts about how illegal or rude it is to ride bikes and/on the street or slow traffic. The other encounter was a buzz accompanied by shouts of an ignorant nature. All of these occurred in daylight and on city streets. This town is not just unfriendly to cyclists, it is just unfriendly.
My wife and I rode this trail on Oct 18,2023. We started at the Freeport end, doing the longest incline first to make the return trip easier. That was just a long ,steady, gradual climb. Not hard to do with probably nothing more than a two percent grade. Coming back from Butler was a slightly steeper (maybe 3%) climb but much shorter. We really liked this trail as it follows the Buffalo Creek for much of the ride and it goes through a lot of forested areas and farm fields lined with trees. There are plenty of benches to rest and enjoy the scenery. I think it could have maybe two more porta johns or restrooms. There are plenty of parking areas and trailheads. The Derailuer Bike Shop would have been a nice place to get something to eat or a snack along the way but it was closed for the season on weekdays now. Freeport had no place open to get some food after our ride, and from what we could tell, Butler had nowhere close to bike to for anything to eat or drink. Overall the trail was nice and I'd do it again.
Our annual ride on this trail! Trail is 21ish miles in length and goes from Butler to Freeport. Surface is crushed limestone. Most of it was very well packed but there were some areas where it was kind of loose so be careful. Uphill climb from the Freeport end. Most of the trail is well shaded. On a hot day, take lots of water! We parked at mile 4 at the Buffalo Creek Nature park. It's uphill the whole way towards Herman. But the glide back is enjoyable, It appeared the golf course is closed. The coffee shop along the trail near Herman was open but it's very seasonal. Enjoyed the ride.
This is a great trail. I rode my bike from Freeport to Butler and back. About 40 miles or so. From Freeport to Butler it’s mostly a steady climb. However about 5 miles from butler the trail is downhill, and the climb back out is a bit tough. There is a bike shop and cafe right on the trail about 14 miles from Freeport and 6 miles from Butler. Great coffee, tea, food, and ice cream. The trail itself is mostly a raised railroad bed and is dirt or small gravel. You do cross a few busy roads which you need to pay attention to.
We started in Freeport and rode about 7 miles and back. Not too busy, good surface, lots of shade. Quiet woodsy ride.
Trail is uphill both ways so plan accordingly...but always a great ride! We parked a few miles from downtown Butler, at the Bonniebrook Road parking lot. Biked uphill for a few miles then a long downhill glide into Freeport, Approx 15 miles. Freeport is the low point on the trail, as is Butler. We then biked back uphill for many miles and the last few miles were downhill back to the car at Bonniebrook. Trail surface is crushed limestone in good packed condition. If there isn't a lot of recent rains, the ride could be dusty. Trail goes through mostly farmlands but along the fields the trail is treelined providing plenty of shade.
I've spent the past four years or so trying to visit every trail of 15+ miles in Pennsylvania, and this trail was unfortunately the worst, primarily because the extreme traffic.
I've never seen so much traffic on a bike trail as on the Butler-Freeport trail; I passed or was passed 50 times while riding this trail, and probably came across 500 people. The parking lots at both ends of the trail were full, and cars with bike racks extended around the city blocks near the entrances. The trail is not marked with a centerline or with signs directing people to stay right, and it was extremely frustrating how many people were ignorant of the traffic and would walk or ride abreast. Every time this happened, I or even a line of people would be forced to slow or stop until they moved into a line.
I've never reviewed the people along a trail, but I found it odd that many of the people using this trail were very rude. Perhaps they also were frustrated by the traffic but could not control their emotions, or maybe crime is rampant in the area. When I stopped to take pictures of the trail for reviews, as I do along all the trails I visit, people stared at me suspiciously. When I passed two groups, they yelled, and one group took it upon themselves to ride in the middle of the trail and hold up a line of people trying to pass. I wore the same clothes and used the same bike as I had at other trails, and I've never had that response before. At those other trails people instead often stopped to chat or offered to help when I got a flat tire.
There are other better trails to spend your time at. Even if the Butler-Freeport trail were empty, the trail itself was average, in good condition but with no major sights along the way as the GAP, D&L, or Pine Creek trails have. Go to one of those trails if you want to see interesting sights. If you want an even better-maintained trail with almost no traffic, the Route 66 trail is just an hour north of here and has perfectly paved asphalt in much better condition.
Parked at the new parking area at the Monroe Road trailhead. Buffalo Creek Nature preserve. Picnic area and restrooms when open. Biked down to Freeport (downhill) then back up and continued North the Dittmer Road and back down. Nice ride. Pedaling uphill was a workout but the return trip very nice downhill!
Parked at mile marker 16.5 at Bonniebrook. Biked to mile 8.5 and back then down towards Butler. High point on the trail is Cabot. Trail is somewhat shady and there are many open areas through fields as well. Always a great ride on this trail.
Surface is crushed stone. Some sections of the trail were very wide at 10-12 feet and other sections barely a few feet wide.
This is not an Equestrian horse trail.
Rode this with my buddy in late July and this was a very nice trail. We started in Freeport and rode to Butler and back - 40.4 miles. If I could I would give this a 4.5 rating. Pay no attention to some of the other reviewers negatives, especially the part about bringing your own water. It's a rail trail - we all know to bring our own water. Very few trails have reliable sources of water along them. The trail has recently been worked on and is in excellent shape from Freeport until the final extension into Butler - maybe the last 4 miles or so. It is a nice wide, smooth path except those 4 miles which are narrower, not quite single track. More like 1 1/2 track - you can pass other bikers but it's a bit tight. I knocked off a star for that and the lack of amenities. There is nothing along the trail except the Derailleur Cafe somewhat midpoint and maybe a restaurant in a caboose that didn't appear to be open. On the plus side, it is very wooded so that helps on a sunny day. As other reviewers have said, it is uphill both ways to a high point closer to Butler. All-in-all, a good ride.
Started at Freeport and rode 7 miles and back. Slight uphill the way out, but not too difficult. Parking lots were full at every stop we passed, but the trail was never crowded. Enjoyed the shaded and wide trail. Spotted 2 deer chasing each other across the creek and 2 Great Blue Heron fishing for their lunch. We will return to complete the trail soon.
Gravel trail in multiple widths. Sometimes just a few feet wide and hope no one is coming the other way and other times very wide like a 2-lane highway.
High point on the trail is midway. Not exactly sure but I am guessing Cabot.
There is no water along the trail. No where to get water close to the trail. So be prepared.
Trail is 20+ miles and runs from Butler to Freeport. The name of the trail! Maybe a few blocks from the trail in Butler there is a convenience store to get water if needed. But along the trail, NOTHING!
However there is a bike shop along the trail near Bonniebrook that sells water but they are only open a few hours on the weekend (s).
Parked at Bonniebrook and biked downhill to Butler then uphill back. This was a 9 mile round trip. Then we biked the other direction towards Freeport.
It was hot (90 degrees) and we ran out off water. Next time we take extra.
All in all a great trail to ride on. We usually frequent this one one or two times a year traveling about an hour to get to.
I biked Freeport to Butler, round-trip. Very friendly people on the trail, and the trail is well-maintained. The first 14 miles toward Butler are fairly shady, scenic and verdant with wider, more "double-track" trails, the remaining 7 are less shady and a bit thinner trail bed (plenty wide though). Climbed approx 500 feet total over the first 14 miles, then descended approx 300 feet across the last 7 miles to Butler. Never really felt "like a climb" as (if I did the math) I doubt the elevation gain was ever more than 1-2%.
First off, I really do not like only giving 3 stars.
I started on the Butler end. Maybe the Freeport end is better. The first mile does not have the best side scenary.
The trail is flat and level with very small gravel which is good.
But the trail is rather narrow. I ran 4 miles out and only a short part is decently wide. Most areas narrow and a couple spots very narrow.
Also, as mentioned, a couple of the driveways/cross roads are washed out quite a bit that could be a safety concerns for bikers.
The trail has mile markers which is good.
The trail is a good bit shaded by trees that may help during the hot days of summer.
As I referred to at the beginning of this review I wish I could give a better rating. This is just not a very attractive trail. If that is not important to your run/walk/ride, you may enjoy the trail more than I did.
But as I always say, if you want to get some miles in, give this trail a try.
This however it may be better said if you NEED to get miles in...
I walk this trail when I can. I pick up at Bonniebrook and used to only walk to Great Belt Road but the last few times I have pushed myself but only if I am able to walk further. I have gone to Marwood and then next time I went to Winfield. I have really picked up my distance. I am at 12.4 miles roughly round trip. I love that this trail is close with multiple places to pick up.
Road 8 miles from the trail head in Freeport. Level at first then after about 4 miles slightly uphill. Several washouts that were hard to negotiate and came up with little warning. Nice trail; not busy; everybody i met was friendly. It does need attention in the area i rode
As other reviewers noted, this trail has several areas that are washed out with rough areas caused by water flow. These are not insurmountable and with a mountain bike are pretty easily crossed. If you’re trying for speed, this is probably not the trail for you. Otherwise, though, it’s a perfectly fine afternoon ride. There are some sandy spots near one of the farms to be careful of. There are not any tall bridges or tunnels on this trsil like some of the others, but it is a quiet ride through the woods and farmland.
Want to warn anyone who is considering this trial. Parts of it are in serious disrepair from washouts and soft spots. It has the potential to be beautiful but the rains have taken a toll on it, especially on the the Freeport end. Would like to try it again if they are able to get it repaired.
Parked at the Butler end of the trail at Fellowship Crossing. Biked uphill to Cabot and back, which was 10 miles each way. Coming back about the last 6 miles is downhill into Butler.
The trail is gravel. Some sections of the trail seemed to be washed out.
Towards the Butler end the trail is only a few feet wide.
But still a nice trail.
If you go from Butler to the other end in Freeport it's 21 miles.
The trail is 20.5 miles in length. We started in Freeport and rode north to Butler. The first 13.5 miles is uphill. When you return, you will find an easy ride. From mile marker 16.5 to 20 is downhill to Butler. The trail will end at a parking lot .5 mile past marker 20. The trail is mostly along a stream and through woods. Many people seem to use this trail on weekends. My favorite part between mile marker 17 and 17.5. There are signs that you are entering a shooting range. CAUTION. I guess if you hear a bullet coming you are to duck. You will also bike past a small shop for bicyclists at marker 15.9. At the highest point on the trail at 13.3 is a historical sign about the area and the old railway. It is wide enough for two riders except between 16.5 and 19.5. The grass through the years has grown in on the sides to narrow the path to about 3 feet wide.
The spacing of the bullion are narrow. I have a 32 inch width recumbent and I can barely fit through, least of all without damaging my fenders. The club is obsessed with keeping quads out but they do not understand that quads are much much wider than 33 or 34 inches. Mothers and ADA riders beware. You may not be able to use the trail. Other trails are not like this. Use them! They were warned about this when they paved the upper section which a few key members use but nothing was done. The spacing is the same.
I live close to this one so I do it often and really like it. It is narrow at times but normally isn't crazy busy. Last few times been a lot of leaves so little to no mud or puddles. It is slightly uphill from the Freeport end for a pretty long while maybe the first 12 miles or so. It is really unnoticeable until you head back and you gain a few mphs as you are riding.
We parked at the new lot across from Fr. Marinaro Park just outside of downtown Butler. This is at mile marker 19.5
We biked to Sarver, and back.
First few miles out of Butler are an uphill climb, which is good, as it makes the return trip a breeze.
Trail is various widths some only 3' wide to 10' wide. Trail surfaces are loose limestone, packed limestone and dirt. Some sections of the trail were nothing more than a few passable ruts. Photo's posted of various trail surfaces.
Porta johns along the trail only in the Summer.
A nice trail though you will see woods and fields.
Been riding this for years, very well maintained, multiple trailheads, a cool coffee and ice cream stop on it.. Park at end on the freeport trailhead and head to wolfies pizza 2 mins away gor a post ride meal.. It gets a lil narrow in spots so be careful of oncoming riders.. One of my fave western pa rails to trails
Very nice trail in good shape too. We only went a few miles from the Trail Head by Father Marinaro Park and it was enjoyable. We saw a few joggers and cyclists too. We had no issue pushing our baby in a stroller on the path either. The trail does narrow in a few places but is still plenty wide.
Started at the Sarver Rd. lot and went to Butler, turned back and went to Freeport, Then back to Sarver Rd. lot.
Scenery is a lot more wooded and tranquil Sarver - Freeport. Although all the tell-tale ruins of a once large RR industry and still working farms make for an interesting ride to Butler. I wouldn't park in Butler, but the Sarver trailhead lot is big and well used. plus there is a nice pota toilet there.
Small paved section towards Freeport. Very nice from Sarver Rd - Freeport. A few washouts and rough spots towards Butler. Watch hitting some of the bridges if you don't have a front suspension. They are a little high off ground level!
Ugh. This trail is "okay" but nothing great. It's nice, simple. It's a trail going through a beautiful canopy of trees for almost the entire ride. If you're expecting any scenic bridges or vistas or water, this isn't it.
The trail surface is patchy. Shortly outside of Freeport, it's actually paved for a little way. Most of it is crushed limestone. Large sections are just dirt, which is fine, I guess; but there were several patches where there was fine, loose pebbles covering the trail, pretty deep (2-4 inches thick). A wipeout waiting to happen. Be sure you have a hybrid bike -- not road.
Locals should enjoy it. If I lived in the area I would certainly use the trail for jogging (if I were a jogger!). For bicycling, it's just "ugh." Thing is, there are so many other nicer trails in the area. The Allegheny River Trail is much nicer, especially up at the Oil CIty end.
This trail was nicer at the Freeport end. The Butler end wasn't great.
I was staying at Moraine State Park with my family for the week. I regret that I spent one of my precious bicycling days on this trail. Sandy Creek Trail is MUCH nicer: better surface, better maintained, MUCH more scenic.
In fact, just go out to Moraine State Park -- maybe 20 miles or so: they have a beautifully maintained, fully paved, MUCH more scenic trail going around Lake Arthur. Heck, get some ice cream at the end of the trail by the bike shop. Not very long -- 11 mi or so -- but if you make it a round trip, there's your 20 miles or therabouts. In the summer there's a beach house and swimming area.
Ugh again. I digress. Bottom line, this trail is "okay" but I certainly wouldn't consider it a "draw" or attraction of any type for anyone not from the area.
We rode another section of this trail in the Spring. We wanted to complete the entire trail.
So this September we parked near the Fire Department in Sarver. There is a parking area there and a port o john.
We headed towards Freeport. Surface was rough. Gravel. On the plus side, it was downhill.
The trail goes along the Buffalo Creek. Crossed some small bridges.
The trail isn't that bad except for the gravelness. Some sections of the trail aren't all that wide. Like maybe foot path width.
There is a wide section of the trial near the water treatment plant which is under Route 28.
The wide section is going to be paved soon.
There is a short paved section down in Freeport.
Continue to the end (or beginning) in Freeport. There is a parking area in Freeport.
If you have a mountain bike or would like to hoof it, in Freeport where the trail ends, you can venture down to the river.
In Freeport is also a marker mile 0. It's in the weeds.
In a nutshell, trail is gravel.
We had a very nice ride from Butler to Freeport. The surface was well kept up, the benches along the way were nice to see. However, the directions to the trail head in Butler were wrong, and we saw only one road marked so that we really did not know where we were most of the time. The mileage markers were fine, but we wanted to know more about our location. If someone would put up a sign on the "old access" in Butler on Kaufman Rd. explaining how to go on down Kaufman, turn left on Zigler and go ?miles to a parking area that would be great.
We started at Freeport got as far as Buffalo twp fire company,before the clouds moved in and let lose. The trail was nice to ride. Shady so if its hot out its still a good ride. We will get back out to ride more of this trail.
This would be a five-start rating except that the Butler end of the trail is difficult to follow from Father Molinaro Park. The "sharrows" on Zeigler road are so faded that I missed them and had my wife not seen them we would never have figured out how to get on the trail. Once we were on the trail (Ziegler road can be busy, use caution till you get on the trail!) it was a great surface. Slight incline for a while then you get over the hump and start downhill. We rode in about 10 miles before turning back to Butler. The section past Jones farm is a bit "aromatic", if you will. If you're used to farm smells it's no big deal and the breeze kept it to a minimum when we rode past. Some great old buildings at Cabot and the Dittmer house and store along the trail as well. Also saw an old railroad car truck (wheels) along the trail about a mile in from Butler. Good ride, good trail. Butler just needs to get the bridge done so there won't be the need to ride Ziegler Road to get to the trail, and until then, the "sharrows" need repainted so they can be seen.
The trail is great. We started in butler. A slight incline that is definitely felt up to Cabot. It flattens out in the middle with a few slight hills and down hills. The scenery ranges from woods to farm land to rushing creeks. The ride into Freeport is a breeze as it's all downhill. There's not much in the way of refreshments or food if you're in need but there is one little shop that has a vending machine in Marwood and the golf course (between Herman and Great Belt) has a small restaurant. The portion that runs along the creek is beautiful! The ride back is a little rough as it's a good incline but nothing too painful. Trail maps were available at multiple locations as well as port-a-potty's. The 40 mile round trip took us 4 hours with a short stop to rest in Freeport,a bathroom break along the trail, and a few stops to check out the scenery along the creek. I like to bike but hate hills and I was able to handle this ride. This was my first ride over 12 miles. Definitely worth doing, at least once!
Hello!
My fiancée and I have recently moved to Freeport. We have just begun walking on the trail in March 2013. We have only done the Laneville to Sarver(Monroe Rd.) section which we walk almost daily. However, this section has given us so much pleasure! We have found just in the last couple of days four different baby animals that we have never had the pleasure of viewing in the wild before. Just today we saw Crayfish in the creek, a baby snake that we think was a Copperhead in a puddle along the path, birds that we cannot identify in what looks like a Humming birds nest in a branch hanging just about ten feet over the trail(But it is not a Humming bird), Tiny little Tree frogs hopping across the path, We also saw a pair of Pileated woodpecker's last month, and we could never forget the many squirrel's and chipmunks that are a treat to watch running along and across the trail.
We would like to post a picture of the baby bird and nest that we saw hanging over the trail. The picture is somewhat blurry, but we are hoping that someone can identify what type of bird it is. Like we said it is a baby in a nest that looks just like(size & structure) a humming birds nest but the bird is not a humming bird.
Once again we would like to say what an Awesome trail this is!
The trail has been restored since the sewer project to my knowledge is finished 2012.A wonderfull trail close to home for a weekday ride after work or a weekend trip.A very beautiful trail in the fall..... The parking lot in Cabot is back to normal no construction !!!.Heading north on the trail from Cabot you will pass thru a golf course,that has a place to eat."Romes Cafe" Heading south on the trail there are a few beverage vending machines 1-2 "normally empty"Pack your water and snacks "....be prepared!!!.........at the Bufflo Twp.Firehall parking lot,then to the town of Freeport,in town there are a few places to eat I will post later. If nature is calling there are a few Port a Potty's along the trail near the Bufflo Twp. Firehall....That's it Bike Shop Nearby Michael's Cycles 2015 Burtner RD. Natrona Heights 724-226-3200 M-F 12p.m.- 7 p.m Sat.10-4 p.m.
I did not see this for myself, rather, I emailed the trail organization. They say the sewer work that had some of the trail torn up last summer is complete and the trail surface has been restored to standard condition with crushed stone. I have yet to ride the northernmost part of this trail, but the part I have covered is very nice. I'm going to give it 5 stars now that the sewer work is out of the way.
My wife and I parked at the Old Mill parking area. Plenty of room and felt safe enough. The trail is mostly crushed stone with some old pavement. It seems very isolated and I liked that. As you should expect, it is uphill from Freeport. We managed to get to Sarver and discovered the construction work. The trail has been repaired but after a week of tropical storm Lee, it was very soft and since it was still raining, we turned around. The trip back was easy and fun. We did have to swerve around 1 nice black snake sunning itself.
Hopefully the next time we try this trail it will be sunny and dry.
I rode the trail from Freeport to just north of Winfield Road 8/5/2011. The parking area at the southernmost end in Freeport, under the Buffalo Street (PA128) bridge is closed due to construction. The second Freeport parking area, at Old Mill Road is open and in good condition. The trail is fine up to Winfield Road (Cabot). North of Winfield Road, there is sewer work adjacent to the trail. Heavy equipment is using the trail for access. The crushed stone surface is gone and what remains is rough dirt. There is no "Closed" sign, so one can proceed, with caution. I saw a few bike tracks. I think you need fat tires for this. I have 35mm tires and found I didn't want to continue beyond about 300 yards. After rain, this is going to be plenty muddy. The trail website mentions the work as being between Sarver and Cabot. What I saw was north of Cabot, while the Sarver - Cabot section was fine. I do not know when this work will be finished.
The final four miles from Bonniebrook Rd. to Butler will be under construction starting
September 14, 2009. Drains will be put in and a final crushed limestone surface will pave
your way to Butler City. Check www.butlerfreeporttrail.org for updates.
Me and my brother took this ride on Fathers day to remember our Father that isn't with us any more.We loved the trail and maybe we will take our own kids to ride with us it was fun and something new.
" Recently, we biked this trail. This was our first mountain biking trail ride. it was very enjoyable. We biked from the Cabot trailhead to the Butler end at the Summit township building. It was very senic, and peaceful. We got to meet other freindly riders. The Jones Rd. trail head was the nicest, but there were many other nice places to stop and rest. All in all it was a great trip!"
"I have been riding this trail for several yrs now. Starting at Sarver Fire Hall and ending at Herman, an 18 mile ride all together. Lots to view, such as farms, riding through a golf course, wooded areas and a nice creek to follow along side, lots of Spring wildflowers and an important birding area, where I have spotted lots of indigo buntings, turkey, warbles and such, and listen to my favorite summer bird the wood thrush. It is a pleasure spring, summer, fall & nice x-country skiing in winter. One of my favorite spots. If you wish you can start at Freeport for a much longer ride 32 mls, all together, up hill 16 mls. Take a picnic basket ..lots of benches and tables to stop and rest!"
"My review is about the southern most end of the trail. The trail has since been finished on the Freeport end. There are two new parking areas. One under Laneville bridge and one off of Old Mill Rd in Laneville.
The section of trail in Laneville is asphalt, while the rest of the trail which goes north to Monroe Road in Buffalo Twp., along big Buffalo Creek, is crushed limestone.
It's a beautiful trail. The woodlands are full of wildlife. The Buffalo Creek Valley, where the trail is located, is designated as an Important Bird Area by the Audubon Society.
The Freeport portion of the trail was resurfaced May 11th to repair damage resulting from Hurricane Ivan. No more ruts or potholes!
Round trip from Laneville to Monroe Road, Buffalo Twp. is approximately 8.5 miles.
It's a wonderful ride...come and enjoy!"
"This trail has more faces than Jeckyl and Hyde. In Freeport it starts out as rough-rolled railroad ballast (street bikes beware!), then becomes a rough asphalt access road for a water treatment plant for about a mile and a half, starting when it crosses under Rte 28's massive bridge. Then its single-track packed dirt for a couple of miles, then improved limestone for more miles. Then untrimmed single track through the weeds.
The trail presently ends at a township line at a ""Berlin Wall"" barrier erected by a golf course to prevent trail riders from crossing on the trail's right-of-way, which runs right smack through the middle of the golf course. They've also appropriated about 1/2 mile of trail for the use of their carts.
Total length: About 14 miles one-way from Freeport.
Beware - washouts abound this season. Wait until it's been dry for a couple of days before riding the length of the trail. Back in June one 30-foot washout area was so bad that it was impossible not to get ankle-deep in mud if you walked through it (and you didn't want to ride through it because of the gullies).
But all in all it's a pretty good trail when it's not too wet. It will be better when it extends into Butler, but golf courses are worse to deal with than irate trail neighbors (who usually will listen to reason).
Cheers!"
"We started our ride at Sarver and rode south, going a couple miles south of the water treatment plant. This southern most portion of the trail is not completed so we headed back north after a couple miles on the larger gravel.
We rode to the northern end of the trail. This trail has a steeper grade than normally seen on rail-trails. The section south of Sarver is as pretty as any trail I have ridden. My wife Cathy and I really enjoyed our day on this trail."
"My wife and I live in Florida and were vacationing in the Pittsburgh area this past week and based on other reviews of this trail and a local book ""Freewheeling Easy"" we decided to ride this trail.
We parked at the Sarver trailhead and headed south. It is a beautiful, slightly downhill ride along the creek. The spring flowers were a pleasure to see. I was only expecting to be able to ride for about three miles or so, but we were able to ride all the way to Freeport!
I'm sure glad that we had our mountain bikes with us because after about three miles of developed trail we came to a gravel road that led to a water recycling plant, continuing through the parking lot we rode on some larger gravel stones along the trail all the way into Freeport.
Returning to Sarver and after eating a lunch that we had brought with us we headed north. The ride started out with a lot of blooming wildflowers along the side of the trail and also along the creek down below. The farther north that we rode the more the trail opened up to pastures and farmland we even rode through a Golf Course. Delightful!
I was somewhat surprised by the golf course and lack of warning signs for it, though. We crossed right in front of a teeing area.
I had read somewhere that the barriers that had been placed along this trail were supposed to been removed and that was the case for about seven miles or so until we got to Summit Township. There we found the trail blocked by a large amount of brush and an old metal barrier. We easily climbed around this barrier and we were able to ride another mile or so before the trail just sort of disappeared.
All in all we had an enjoyable 33 mile ride. The only problem, other than the barrier in Summit Township, was the lack of any restroom facilities along the trail and no place for water or snacks. We only passed two stores along the way and they were both closed. Porta johns would be a nice addition and maybe they are available during the summer months. "
"This trail is very scenic, especially the southern portion that parallels Buffalo Creek. My brother, recently returned from many years of living and biking in California, was particularly impressed with the quality and scenery along this trail."
The southern sections of this trail are beautiful & I love walking them. There's a slight grade plus there's streams & woods all along the way....very scenic. I do agree though that restroom facilities of some kind are greatly needed especially if you want to walk or bike several miles.
"A great setting in the woods, along working farms and through small villages. Friendly folks riding, walking, jogging and horesback riding."
"This is one of the more unusual Rail Trails I've ridden on because of the varying terrain and trail surface. The trail has a mild grade uphill for most of it's length from Freeport towards Butler. The trail surface varies greatly along it's length from standard wide crushed limestone, to narrow singletrack.
I started at the Sarver trail head and rode South towards Freeport. The trail has a mild downhill grade in this direction, and the surface is the typical wide crushed limestone surface until the Monroe area. The trail follows a small stream along this area and is very scenic. After Monroe the trail turns into a paved access road for the water treatment plant under the Route 28 bridge. At the water treatment plant the trail is unfinished but very rideable with a hard packed dirt and gravel surface, similar to a forest service road. The trail just dead-ends in a neighborhood in Freeport at this end of it.
From Sarver towards Butler the trail has a mild uphill grade and is the standard wide limestone surface until Cabot. After Cabot the trail cuts through the middle of a farmer's field and is a very narrow singletrack strip of trail and dirt until near Marwood. The trail surface here is very poor compared to the standard Rail Trail being very narrow, and with some washouts and ruts along the center.
At Cabot there is a bar/resturant and the Pit Stop convenience store. North of Marwood the trail changes from wide trail to narrow one and varying degrees of surface. I rode up the unfinished section of trail, past the golf course up until where it dead ends in the woods just past a pond on the left and a farm field. This end of the unfinished section is just narrow limestone, dirt and cinders.
The area of the trail south of Cabot is the most picturesque and wooded, while the section North of Cabot is mostly semi-open farm land and woods. The closest trails in Pennsylvania I could compare it to would be the Clarion-Little Toby Creek on it's Southern end, and maybe the Houtzdale Line Trail on it's Northern end.
Despite the previous person's review the trail really isn't that much like the Youghiogheny River Trail because the stream it follows is much smaller, and the trail is much closer to it. Also, because of the widely varying trail surface there were several places above Cabot where I thought I'd already reached the end of the trail, but after looking at the map I realised I still hadn't reached the Northern end yet. "
"There's no port-a-johns or restrooms anywhere on this trail. What an inconvenience. I enjoy riding many miles. We went 7 miles one way and three miles the other. There were four parking areas but no outhouses at any of them. There are many benches along the trail. This was my second time on this trail. I was last there in the winter. The trail is very soggy in the winter. The trail is woodsy, along a river. It's very senic. It's similar to Ohiopyle without the people and restrooms. There's a grade on this trail. If you go back going downhill, it's a good ride. "
the area from butler to herman is passible but about one milr south to freeport is impassible due to a barricade adjacent to a golf course hope this problem is corrected soon so butler people can enjoy the beauty of this area the presidnt judge issued a ruling on july 3lst 2000 that all obstruction are to be removed along the 21 mile stretch this litigation has been going on for years time will pass summit twp by as the other three townships have promoted the trail and benefited from this effort please contact your summit twp supervisors that do not have a vested interest to accept this treasure for future generations thank you
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