Allegheny River Trail in Clarion County (ARTinCC) is the member supported nonprofit dedicated to building the biking-hiking trail between Emlenton and Foxburg, and then later further south. We own the trail up to one mile north of the Rt 58 bridge in Foxburg, and construction will begin as soon as we have raised enough money to buy necessary materials. We need your help NOW – both in terms of volunteering, and also re donations. ARTinCC is an all volunteer group of trail enthusiasts dedicated to closing two gaps in the much larger Erie to Pittsburgh Trail – first, the three miles from Emlenton to Foxburg, and second, the six plus miles from the Parker Bridge to Upper Hillville. The North Country Trail parallels ARTinCC north of the Parker Bridge. Other Trail groups are focused on other Gaps between Erie and Pittsburgh.
Not only does ARTinCC own the right of way one mile north of the Foxburg Bridge, but DCNR and DCED have awarded several major grants, which will enable repair of the Richey Run Bridge connecting Emlenton, but also the purchase of two acres along the river on the north edge of Foxburg. This land will be the Trailhead traveling northward with abundant parking, and the remainder of the land will support a small public park, including such things as a boat launch, fishing, possibly a gazebo, and other ideas. This park should become a launching point for bikers, hikers, runners, kayakers, canoers, cross country skiers, and other recreational activities. We have scheduled ground-breaking for April 24, 2021 at 10:00am at the Foxburg bridge. Join Us As We Celebrate This Beginning!
Construction depends on us recruiting volunteers with time, labor and possibly some equipment. If you can help in any way, please fill out our Volunteer Form. The data from the form will be loaded to a Google spreadsheet on a secure fileserver, so ARTinCC can schedule work days. Some government agencies award construction grants, and give a nonprofit credit for the value of time provided by volunteers. Your volunteer efforts have real value, and can help ARTinCC meet match requirements set by a grant. The same applies to the provision of construction equipment (e.g., backhoe), or construction materials (gravel, asphalt, etc.). In addition to labor and materials, ARTinCC needs donations to help pay for specialized contractors, engineering designs, and materials. We will shortly be starting a major fundraising campaign, probably in May, to help raise needed funds. If you would like to donate now, please visit our Donation Page which allows for secure credit card and paypal donations. Any amount you donate will be greatly appreciated.
Donations, be they modest, major or recurring monthly, also serve to persuade foundations, corporations, and other funders that ARTinCC has broad support, and deserves to receive additional funds. Please invite friends, neighbors and family to support ARTinCC and join our Facebook page and group, and become a member of ARTinCC – eligible to help elect Board members. Finally, we intend to support sponsors and affiliates, and urge you to give them your business as well. With their help and yours, this Trail will provide free healthy recreational opportunities to thousands, and broad economic benefits to our riverside communities.
Our Vision
Allegheny River Trail in Clarion County is a volunteer 501c3 non-profit organization. For almost 20 years a changing cast of characters has tried to get this project rolling. At last, we are making a great deal of progress. Thanks to a generous donor and a grant from the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources in 2020 we have purchased almost 2 acres of land in Foxburg adjacent to the Rt 58 bridge crossing the Allegheny River. Volunteers have pitched in hundreds of hours to help clear brush and small trees from the trailhead in preparation for preparing the ground. We have big plans for our trailhead and trail from Foxburg to Emlenton. And, we will be cooperating with Foxburg Borough in creating a municipal park at the river’s edge. We are preparing a major grant application to DCNR for the next phase of the project. This will require a significant match by our sponsors, donors, and volunteers. We have a long way to go and we need help in the form of VOLUNTEERS and DONORS. For the latest updates, be sure the check the NEWS page.
A slideshow summarizing our vision for the park and trailhead, our construction challenges and our progress to date is below. The slideshow will proceed to the next slide every thirty seconds. To proceed before 30 seconds, use the arrows below the slideshow on the left- doing so will disable the automatic advancement. Please feel free to share this slideshow with other trail enthusiasts!
