Trout Island Trail

Sharpsville to Shenango River Reservoir in Mercer Counties

This recreational trail will run from Sharpsville to Orangeville along the abandoned Pennsylvania Railroad and Erie Railroad lines. It will be an 8′ wide blacktop surface and will cross two railroad trestles over the Shenango Reservoir.

2.5 miles of the planned 13 mile trail are now open. Approximately 2 miles are asphalt pavement with a short .5 mile section of unimproved gravel in the middle section.

Trout Island Trail

Location [[Sharpsville to Orangeville, Mercer County

Trailheads Sharpsville

Length, Surface 2.5 miles total, 2 miles paved, 0.5 packed crushed stone

Character [[Uncrowded, wooded, flat]]

Usage restrictions [[chose from No motorized vehicles, No horses,
Snowmobiles permitted, No Snowmobiles]]

Amenities none

Driving time from Pittsburgh 1 hour 20 minutes N

[[narration in order of mile posts, except GAP]]

[[narration]] with xhecking the spacing to a photo

[[style questions : do we say 6th or 6th (the former, I think)]]

[[Style rules: Routes: I79, US119, PA51, PA978, SR3027, T217. Capitalize Bridge, Road, etc only as part of proper name]]

[[[Vocabulary for surface: paved, packed crushed stone, crush cinders, some segments on road, on road, on road shoulder, dirt, gravel, coarse gravel, small gravel, original ballast, packed ballast, heavy ballast, tar-and-chip double-track, single-track, undeveloped (and combinations); possibly add parallel treadway for horses/buggies/xxx

Various qualifiers: mostly, some ]]].

[[[Vocabulary for busy-ness: little-used, uncrowded, uncrowded to busy, busy, busy to crowded, crowded; possibly modified by usually or sometimes; if on road or shoulder, say auto traffic]]].

[[[Vocabulary for setting: wooded, rural, suburban, residential, urban, industrial, park setting; also xxx to yyy, or mixed xxx and yyyy]]].

[[[Vocabulary for sun: (mostly) sunny, (mostly) shady, mixed sun and shade]]].

[[[Vocabulary for profile: flat, mostly flat, flat with gentle grade, flat to rolling, gently rolling, some hills, hilly, rugged; options for % of grade, exceptions; also, find “level” and replace with “flat”, short steep hills at road crossings]]].

Table styles

Local history, attractions

[[[find. Check for Important Bird Areas, historic Indian Trails, major landmarks]]].

Extensions of the ride

[[The northern connection to the next Erie to Pittsburgh Trail segment is …]]

[[The southern connection to the next Erie to Pittsburgh Trail segment is …]]

[[[connection to parent trail, trail network, spur trail, other networks]]].

[[[local low-traffic road loop, route to local attraction, road connection to park loop]]].

Development plans

There is available 13 miles of trail right of way, of which 2.5miles is open. The project will be completed in phases as funding becomes available. A possible future section could also link to Transf

Access Points

<< Need access points>>

Amenities

Rest rooms, water: [[[find]]]

Bike shop, rentals: [[[find]]]

Restaurant, groceries: [[[find]]]

Camping, simple lodging: [[[find]]]

Swimming, fishing: [[[find]]]

Winter sports: [[[find]]]

Wheelchair access: [[[find]]].

Oganization

Mercer County Trails Association, Inc.

P.O. Box 1553

Hermitage, PA 16148

Phone: 724-704-0432

www.mctrails.org/trout-island-trail

USGS Topographic Maps:

Version

Text version from 2002 edition. Conditions will have changed; you are responsible for your own safety. Oldest segment check 1/1990.