• Photo of Lemon House, Level #6, and Engine House on a beautiful summer day.

    Allegheny Portage Railroad

    National Historic Site Pennsylvania

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  • Road Closure

    Beginning June 10, a section of Mineral Point Road near Staple Bend Tunnel will be closed for a few weeks for road work.

  • Road Closure

    Please be aware that part of the public area loop has been closed until further notice as the park starts preparatory efforts for this summer's paving project on the Picnic Area Road.

Nature & Science

 

Allegheny Portage Railroad National Historic Site is located between Johnstown and Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania. It is situated in the Allegheny Mountains with elevations ranging from 346 m (1,135 ft) to 734 m (2,408 ft) above mean sea level.

The Allegheny Portage Railroad played a vital role in the nation's industrialization during the first half of the nineteenth century by linking the eastern United States to the west. Ten inclined planes allowed the railroad to overcome grades up to 5-6/8 degrees along the rugged terrain of the Allegheny Mountains, as the boats from the Pennsylvania Mainline Canal were portaged over the mountains.

Stretching across 36.6 miles, the park is narrow and linear. Natural resources common to the northeastern Appalachian region, such as oak forests and white-tailed deer, can be seen along the historic railroad trace and throughout the surrounding lands.

Did You Know?

Railroad track attached to a 'sleeper'

When the Portage Railroad opened on March 18, 1834, it was a single track line. The rule was when 2 drivers met the one who had passed the center post had the right to go on. The other driver had to back up. Some sat nose to nose until a magistrate determined who got to the center first.