Great Allegheny Passage Hike 25

Rockwood to Confluence

Now headed southwest, the Great Allegheny Passage continues to hug the Casselman River. After six miles you pass the village of Markleton. Once a hub of activity, it is now a small cluster of houses and a post office (ask for water here). Next is the Pinkerton Tunnel, restored in 2015. Fort Hill is passed unnoticed to the north and the segment ends at the town of Confluence after two grand crossings of the Casselman.

 

Trip Planner

Start: Rockwood
End: Confluence
Miles: 18.0
Points of Interest: Rockwood, Markleton, Pinkerton Tunnel, Confluence.
Parking: Rockwood (0.0 mi.), Markleton (6.0 mi.), Fort Hill (12.0 mi.), Confluence (18.0 mi.)
Water: Rockwood, Markleton, Confluence
Restroom or privy: Rockwood, Markleton, Harnedsville, Confluence
Provisions: Rockwood, Confluence
Camping: Confluence

 

Hike Data

Mile	Navigation
0	Rockwood. Turn right at Bridge St. (PA 653) and follow across the river and the CSX Line to Main St. Restaurants, small stores and B&B's along here about 1 mile from trail. B&B at trailhead has bike rentals and snacks on weekends.
6.0	Markleton. There is a B&B here.
8.0	Pinkerton Tunnel. Restored in 2015 and originally built for 2 tracks, though the second track was never built.
12.0	Fort Hill. There are no services here. Cluster of houses up the hill from trail at first road crossing west of Markleton.
16.0	Harnedsville. No supplies here, but there is a B&B less than 1 mile from the trailhead.
18.0	Confluence. The town has all services, including a campground, a bike shop and paddling school. To access them turn right on the old Route 281 bridge (now a pedestrian bridge) to cross the Youghiogheny River. All attractions are within a few blocks.

 

Explore the PHT

Markleton
Once there was a pulp mill here that was said to be the largest of its kind in the world. This was one of many "company towns" in the area, in which a company (usually related to logging or mining) laid out a town right at the work site. Houses were leased by the workers and most left when an operation closed down. Markleton included 15 houses, a store, a church, and a stop on the B&O Railroad.

Pinkerton Tunnel
This is a fascinating place to linger. The trail crosses a long trestle toward Pinkerton Tunnel, followed by a second even longer trestle. The tunnel was restored in 2015, and trail users can still access the 1.5 mile detour around the Pinkerton Horn; rail was laid in 1879 by the B&O after the tunnel collapsed during a fire. The track was used until 1885 when the B&O rebuilt the tunnel with brick. This was an unusual place for track workers because the two railroads, Western Maryland and B&O, had side-by-side tunnels. This made it sound as if a "ghost" train was in your tunnel because it was literally only a few feet away behind a wall when on the other line.