I'm crossing PA, from the Ohio border to my home just outside Philadelphia, in the next couple of weeks. I'm taking PA Bike Route Y from Pymatuning State Park to Ansonia, where I'll take the Bike Route G through the Pine Creek Gorge to Jersey Shore. From there it's east to Williamsport to pick up the Bike Route J. I'll follow that to Harrisburg, then the spur to Lancaster. From there it's the S route home.
Any comments or suggestions on the route, or for my trip?
A very clean campground on Rt6 just west of Deton Hill it is Potter County Campground at the PotatoeCity motel. That is a great ride
Hmm, it's at the top of Denton Hill. After climbing that I'd be forced to stop anyway. :-)
Have not cycled up but driven and can confirm that it is a real hill. Good luck.
Neil, I'm always glad to hear about people using BicyclePA routes. Hope your experience is a good one.
I'm told that some of the routes in the northern part of the state have changed in character since we laid out the routes. The increased truck traffic from all the drilling for natural gas is apparently significant.
I have only one concrete route suggestion to mitigate the problem: Where Route G goes through the Pine Creek Gorge, there is also a rail trail in the gorge. When we laid out the route, the rail trail was not yet finished, and back when the roads had light traffic, the roads had their own advantages. (I think the view is better from the roads, and there are a few restaurants and campgrounds on the roads.)
Please send me a note after your trip, and tell me how you found the BicyclePA routes.
John Schubert
Limeport.org
Facebook.com/John.Schubert
Founder & Chair, BicyclePA touring route network
John, I love the PA Bike Routes, while at the same time wishing Pennsylvania were a tad flatter. I was planning on taking the trail all the way to Jersey Shore - I've been riding along Route G where it separates from the Pine Creek Rail Trail, and aside from a couple of overlooks I don't think you miss anything aside from traffic.
Any suggestions on how to get from Jersey Shore to Williamsport, anyone? I don't relish riding on Rt. 220.
I found a flatter alternate to the Y Route between Smethport and Port Allegany. From Smethport take 446 to 155, and some of the side roads along them. It adds 6 miles or so, but cuts the climbing in half.
Also, it appears 426 from Corry, leading to 27 north to Warren, is about the same length as Rt. 6 between the two cities, and the same terrain, but it's a lot less heavily traveled.
Comments on these alternates? Something I'm overlooking?
Too bad you are not traveling via PA bike route V because you would be more than welcome to spend the night camped on my lawn just 7 miles north of the route as it passes through Falls Creek (DuBois Area).
Rt 6 can be very nice with wide shoulders and minimal traffic or it can be skinny shoulders and lots of traffic. Safe journey.
C2Cin2006
Thanks for the offer, but it's not near where I'm entering PA and the hills would kill me. The Y route isn't much flatter, but....
Heading west to Stow, Ohio, to start my trip tomorrow. Wish me luck, folks. This is the toughest tour I've ever attempted.