The Montour Trail is a multi-use recreational rail trail near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It was formerly the Montour Railroad. It has a mostly crushed limestone with partially asphalt surface, appropriate for bicycling, walking, running, and cross-country skiing. Eventually, this trail segment will extend 47 mi from Coraopolis, Pennsylvania to Clairton, Pennsylvania. The trail is part of a 204 mi rails to trails project between Pittsburgh and Cumberland, Maryland that makes up part of a 400 mi trail system between Pittsburgh and Washington, D.C., known as the Great Allegheny Passage.

Connecting trails

Points of interest

Organization

The Montour Trail is managed and maintained by The Montour Trail Council (MTC). The MTC is a non-profit all-volunteer group which builds, operates, and maintains the trail. It is a registered 501(c)3 not-for-profit corporation, relying on corporate, foundation and government grants and private donations for funding. As of 2012, MTC maintained net assets in excess of $9,300,000.00.

Branches

The Montour Trail has four branches: Bethel, Muse, Westland, and the Airport Connector. The Bethel Branch extends from the trail in Peters Township into Bethel Park. There are plans to extend the existing Bethel Branch to nearby Millennium Park by following the remaining section of the former railway. The Muse Branch is a planned, undeveloped branch in Cecil Township that goes to the town of Muse. The Westland Branch is a branch that extends from the trail in Venice to the town of Westland. The Airport Connector is a branch of the trail that goes from the mainline trail in Imperial to Pittsburgh International Airport. The Connector does not follow any of the Montour Railroad grade, rather it follows roads to the airport. In December 2010 MarkWest Energy announced plans to lease the Westland Branch right of way from the Montour Trail Council for 30 years. The branch was redeveloped as a combination trail and railroad operated by the Wheeling and Lake Erie Railway to serve MarkWest's Westland natural gas processing plant. Construction was completed and the branch began operation in August 2012.