The western terminus of the Ghost Town Trail and southern terminus of the Hoodlebug Trail meet in John P. Saylor Memorial Park (Saylor Park) in Black Lick, Burrell Township, PA. Together, the two trails allow a one-way travel distance of 43 to 50 miles from Indiana to Ebensburg. See large regional map with link below.
If you’re traveling from NE Ohio, you can use US-422 most of the way. The fastest routes, also incorporating I-76 or I-80 will take you about 2.5 to 3 hours, depending on your intended starting point.
The Ghost Town Trail is part of the Trans-Allegheny trail system, and with some road riding you can connect The GAP near Pittsburgh to Ebensburg. From west to east, the trails include the Westmoreland Heritage Trail (2 segments), the West Penn Trail and the Ghost Town Trail. Right now, this is roughly an 84-mile route from the Rankin Bridge in Braddock to Rowena Dr in Ebensburg. There are a couple of Hotels in Blairsville, roughly 35 miles from the eastern end of the route. Not many overnight options from here to Braddock.
The Hoodlebug Trail
The northern terminus of the Hoodlebug Trail is near the Robert Shaw Building at the south end of the Indiana University of Pennsylvania’s campus. I've parked in the gravel lot on the south side of this building, with permission in advance from IUP Parking Services. This is 11 miles from the intersection with the Ghost Town Trail. The Hilton Garden Inn and the Noble Stein Brewing Company are within a few blocks of this trailhead. Just 1.1 miles south of the north end of the trail, you’ll find the Levity Brewing Company (right on the trail!) and a Ramada Inn on Business 422 (Indian Springs Rd).
While Google Street Views suggest the Hoodlebug might be a limestone trail, it is unfortunately very different. The entire trail appears to have been originally paved with asphalt. This likely deteriorated badly before being chip-sealed. The result is a slow, lumpy surface that is a bit of a bone-shaker compared with the smooth limestone of the Ghost Town Trail. The Hoodlebug gets its name from the old trolley route it follows. These “inter-urbans” seem to have been able to handle somewhat steeper grades than a normal railroad, and there are some very variable grades on the southern portion of the trail. As you leave or approach Saylor Park there are some steep hills that seem to take you up onto and over a bit of old railbed.
The Hoodlebug is NOT a destination trail in itself, mostly running along busy roads and through neighborhoods. However, it does add some miles, and opportunities for lodging, breweries, and other amenities, if you are also riding the Ghost Town Trail.
There is what (at first) appears to be a nice side-spur off the main trail about a half-mile from the northern terminus that "conveniently" takes you to a remote university parking lot. It's a trap! This turned out to be a quarter-mile switchback of 8% uphill grades. Not worth it. Ending at Levity Brewing Company, right on the trail a bit further south, or going onwards to the Robert Shaw Building terminus (and another nearby brewery) are safer bets.
The Ghost Town Trail
The main route of this trail is 32 miles from Saylor Park to the current official terminus at Rowena Dr. in Ebensburg. It is gently uphill all the way heading east, with the slightly steeper segments over the first 5 miles and several miles east of Vintondale. The surface is mostly well-maintained, fine limestone. In August 2024, the remnants of hurricane Debby caused flooding along the smaller streams that the eastern branches of the trail follows. As of May 2025, the most serious damage has been repaired along the valley east of Vintondale. There are still some uneven patches where the trail surface is eroded or filled with coarse stone, but nothing that is unrideable.
When you approach Vintondale from the west the trail forks, with both routes following branches of Blacklick Run/Creek (see close-up map below). The southern fork is the main trail. The northern fork is the C & I Extension (old Cambria and Indiana Railroad). This 12-mile segment (with a short road connection) goes though some especially scenic areas. It was also heavily impacted by flooding in August 2024, and some rough areas remain as of May 2025. Repairs continue. Some sections are steeper than average, but under the 2% maximum typical for railroad grades. In May of 2025, the eastern terminus of this trail was near Cardiff Rd in Nanty Glo. A rutted, rough, mountain/dirt bike trail had been forged to the road. Construction should be complete in late 2025 to extend the C&I into the east end of downtown Nanty-Glo, joining at least one of the two trails to Ebensburg. From Ricky Rd in Nanty Glo to the 219 overpass at Ebensburg the two parallel trails run on either side of the South Branch of Blacklick Creek. Both are lovely.
If you are completing the loop option from Nanty-Glo to Vintondale, you may find that traveling westbound on the C&I is more enjoyable. Get the gentle hill RR-grade climb over with in Nanty Glo, then cruise downhill to Vintondale.
Camping
Near the northernmost bend of the C & I Extension there is a spur trail that provides off-road access to the Duman County Park, where camping in a field can be reserved, but note it is $30 per person with no amenities other than access to a restroom. A YouTube video suggests this is a pretty rough trail. It is described as “mixed surface” but this is an understatement. Dirt single-track and coarse gravel make up most of the 2-mile spur. Frankly, it may be much easier to ride up Duman Rd. to the park, at least in one direction. View the trail route at: https://youtu.be/u4WrardZ-AE?feature=shared
There are additional camping options in Nanty-Glo and and at a Hipcamp location in Belsano on 422. Nanty-Glo Park and Pool is 8.7 miles west of Ebensburg. Three non-electric tent sites are available, but the registration form along with a check must be mailed to the park, which may make confirmation difficult. When the C & I loop is complete, this campground will be right off the trail and will hopefully be upgraded. Camping at the Hipcamp option (two sites) will involve travel on 422. You could both access and depart the campground downhill by leaving the eastern part of C&I Extension at 422 (via Shawnee, then Station Rds), and rejoining it at the western segment off 422.
Indoor Accommodations
Creekside Cabin Rentals is expected to have their first cabin ready next to the Vic Miller Rd trailhead on the C&I in spring/summer 2026. There are a few hotel options in Ebensburg, with the Comfort Inn on 22 (Cook Rd.) appearing most promising as of 2025. The rooms and breakfast are fine. Some other chain locations have abysmal ratings. A small inn exists at the top of the hill in downtown. The flattest route (a few shorter hills) to access the Comfort Inn is via New Germany Rd from downtown Ebensburg. Beulah Rd is more direct but is a long, sometimes steep climb, and bypasses some trail. However, it is fun to rip down this in the morning as you head back to the trail! Access to food and beer is somewhat limited if you stay in this hotel. A couple of "bar and grill"-type places are within a mile of the hotel (on New Germany Rd), and fast food is available. We were unable to source Lyft or Uber in this area on a rainy evening and the only beer option was a Sheetz across from the hotel (and official pedestrian crossings at 22 don't exist and seem to be officially prohibited). Of course, your bike is a vehicle... There are a number of hotel options in Indiana, PA.
If you’re traveling from NE Ohio, you can use US-422 most of the way. The fastest routes, also incorporating I-76 or I-80 will take you about 2.5 to 3 hours, depending on your intended starting point.
The Ghost Town Trail is part of the Trans-Allegheny trail system, and with some road riding you can connect The GAP near Pittsburgh to Ebensburg. From west to east, the trails include the Westmoreland Heritage Trail (2 segments), the West Penn Trail and the Ghost Town Trail. Right now, this is roughly an 84-mile route from the Rankin Bridge in Braddock to Rowena Dr in Ebensburg. There are a couple of Hotels in Blairsville, roughly 35 miles from the eastern end of the route. Not many overnight options from here to Braddock.
The Hoodlebug Trail
The northern terminus of the Hoodlebug Trail is near the Robert Shaw Building at the south end of the Indiana University of Pennsylvania’s campus. I've parked in the gravel lot on the south side of this building, with permission in advance from IUP Parking Services. This is 11 miles from the intersection with the Ghost Town Trail. The Hilton Garden Inn and the Noble Stein Brewing Company are within a few blocks of this trailhead. Just 1.1 miles south of the north end of the trail, you’ll find the Levity Brewing Company (right on the trail!) and a Ramada Inn on Business 422 (Indian Springs Rd).
While Google Street Views suggest the Hoodlebug might be a limestone trail, it is unfortunately very different. The entire trail appears to have been originally paved with asphalt. This likely deteriorated badly before being chip-sealed. The result is a slow, lumpy surface that is a bit of a bone-shaker compared with the smooth limestone of the Ghost Town Trail. The Hoodlebug gets its name from the old trolley route it follows. These “inter-urbans” seem to have been able to handle somewhat steeper grades than a normal railroad, and there are some very variable grades on the southern portion of the trail. As you leave or approach Saylor Park there are some steep hills that seem to take you up onto and over a bit of old railbed.
The Hoodlebug is NOT a destination trail in itself, mostly running along busy roads and through neighborhoods. However, it does add some miles, and opportunities for lodging, breweries, and other amenities, if you are also riding the Ghost Town Trail.
There is what (at first) appears to be a nice side-spur off the main trail about a half-mile from the northern terminus that "conveniently" takes you to a remote university parking lot. It's a trap! This turned out to be a quarter-mile switchback of 8% uphill grades. Not worth it. Ending at Levity Brewing Company, right on the trail a bit further south, or going onwards to the Robert Shaw Building terminus (and another nearby brewery) are safer bets.
The Ghost Town Trail
The main route of this trail is 32 miles from Saylor Park to the current official terminus at Rowena Dr. in Ebensburg. It is gently uphill all the way heading east, with the slightly steeper segments over the first 5 miles and several miles east of Vintondale. The surface is mostly well-maintained, fine limestone. In August 2024, the remnants of hurricane Debby caused flooding along the smaller streams that the eastern branches of the trail follows. As of May 2025, the most serious damage has been repaired along the valley east of Vintondale. There are still some uneven patches where the trail surface is eroded or filled with coarse stone, but nothing that is unrideable.
When you approach Vintondale from the west the trail forks, with both routes following branches of Blacklick Run/Creek (see close-up map below). The southern fork is the main trail. The northern fork is the C & I Extension (old Cambria and Indiana Railroad). This 12-mile segment (with a short road connection) goes though some especially scenic areas. It was also heavily impacted by flooding in August 2024, and some rough areas remain as of May 2025. Repairs continue. Some sections are steeper than average, but under the 2% maximum typical for railroad grades. In May of 2025, the eastern terminus of this trail was near Cardiff Rd in Nanty Glo. A rutted, rough, mountain/dirt bike trail had been forged to the road. Construction should be complete in late 2025 to extend the C&I into the east end of downtown Nanty-Glo, joining at least one of the two trails to Ebensburg. From Ricky Rd in Nanty Glo to the 219 overpass at Ebensburg the two parallel trails run on either side of the South Branch of Blacklick Creek. Both are lovely.
If you are completing the loop option from Nanty-Glo to Vintondale, you may find that traveling westbound on the C&I is more enjoyable. Get the gentle hill RR-grade climb over with in Nanty Glo, then cruise downhill to Vintondale.
Camping
Near the northernmost bend of the C & I Extension there is a spur trail that provides off-road access to the Duman County Park, where camping in a field can be reserved, but note it is $30 per person with no amenities other than access to a restroom. A YouTube video suggests this is a pretty rough trail. It is described as “mixed surface” but this is an understatement. Dirt single-track and coarse gravel make up most of the 2-mile spur. Frankly, it may be much easier to ride up Duman Rd. to the park, at least in one direction. View the trail route at: https://youtu.be/u4WrardZ-AE?feature=shared
There are additional camping options in Nanty-Glo and and at a Hipcamp location in Belsano on 422. Nanty-Glo Park and Pool is 8.7 miles west of Ebensburg. Three non-electric tent sites are available, but the registration form along with a check must be mailed to the park, which may make confirmation difficult. When the C & I loop is complete, this campground will be right off the trail and will hopefully be upgraded. Camping at the Hipcamp option (two sites) will involve travel on 422. You could both access and depart the campground downhill by leaving the eastern part of C&I Extension at 422 (via Shawnee, then Station Rds), and rejoining it at the western segment off 422.
Indoor Accommodations
Creekside Cabin Rentals is expected to have their first cabin ready next to the Vic Miller Rd trailhead on the C&I in spring/summer 2026. There are a few hotel options in Ebensburg, with the Comfort Inn on 22 (Cook Rd.) appearing most promising as of 2025. The rooms and breakfast are fine. Some other chain locations have abysmal ratings. A small inn exists at the top of the hill in downtown. The flattest route (a few shorter hills) to access the Comfort Inn is via New Germany Rd from downtown Ebensburg. Beulah Rd is more direct but is a long, sometimes steep climb, and bypasses some trail. However, it is fun to rip down this in the morning as you head back to the trail! Access to food and beer is somewhat limited if you stay in this hotel. A couple of "bar and grill"-type places are within a mile of the hotel (on New Germany Rd), and fast food is available. We were unable to source Lyft or Uber in this area on a rainy evening and the only beer option was a Sheetz across from the hotel (and official pedestrian crossings at 22 don't exist and seem to be officially prohibited). Of course, your bike is a vehicle... There are a number of hotel options in Indiana, PA.
Close-Up View of Eastern Forks of the Ghost Town Trail Showing the Duman County Park Campground Route, etc. Clipped from: https://cambriaplanning.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/connecting-cambria-2.0_april-draft.pdf
Existing trails are shown in red, with the newest segments in red and black. Future trails are in green, but note that this map is older and the northern spur from Nanty Glo to Ebensburg is complete. The purple trail is basically a dirt road extension of the C & I that you would use for a short distance to reach the rustic spur leading to Duman County Park. As of 2025, the C&I Extension is complete to a segment parallel to the western bit of Railroad Ave, ending near Cardiff Rd. See above for potential access from Cardiff. Additionally, a new segment east of Ebensburg has been cleared for development, but current rideability is unknown.
Existing trails are shown in red, with the newest segments in red and black. Future trails are in green, but note that this map is older and the northern spur from Nanty Glo to Ebensburg is complete. The purple trail is basically a dirt road extension of the C & I that you would use for a short distance to reach the rustic spur leading to Duman County Park. As of 2025, the C&I Extension is complete to a segment parallel to the western bit of Railroad Ave, ending near Cardiff Rd. See above for potential access from Cardiff. Additionally, a new segment east of Ebensburg has been cleared for development, but current rideability is unknown.