The Panhandle Trail

Looking to get outside via bike? Check out the almost 30 mile Panhandle Trail in Western Pennsylvania!

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Disclaimer - This is a sponsored blog post by the Washington County Tourism Promotion Agency. As always, my opinions are unbiased and my own. I want to thank Washington County for their generosity!

Panhandle Trail Overview

The Panhandle Trail is a 29 mile trail that runs from Burgettstown, Pennsylvania to just across the West Virginia border. This bike trail is an amazing way to explore Western Pennsylvania via bike.

• Trail Length: 29 miles
• Trail Surfaces: Paved (from McDonald to the PA/WV line) and crushed limestone (in WV and east of McDonald)
• Trail Accessibility: This trail is wheelchair accessible. Wheelchair users should be aware of gradual grades (1-3%) and that some of the path is crushed gravel.
• Connections to Other Trails: The Panhandle Trail connects to the Montour Trail, which can be connected to the GAP Trail
• Trail Usage: Biking, walking, running, and cross country skiing in winter conditions

Keep reading for more information on this awesome bike trail, including how to plan your trip!

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Table of Contents
- About the Panhandle Trail
- Best Stops along the Trail
- Planning Your Trip
- Panhandle Trail Trailheads
- FAQs about the Panhandle Trail

About the Panhandle Trail

The Panhandle Trail is a Rails to Trails bike trail that runs from Oakdale, PA to just outside of Weirton, WV. The trail is named for the “Panhandle” portion of West Virginia that the former Pittsburgh to St. Louis train route ran through on its way to Ohio. The land was purchased in 1999 as part of the “Rails to Trails” project and the trail’s first mile opened in 2000.

Unlike the Three Rivers Heritage Trail in Pittsburgh, most of the area around the trail is not particularly developed. This makes the Panhandle a great way to explore outside of Pittsburgh and escape the city without having to go particularly far. Multiple trailhead options with parking and amenities provide bikers the ability to choose your own adventure when heading out on trail.

Love exploring Washington County? Check out the best trails in Washington County!

Best Stops Along the Panhandle Trail

What’s great about the Panhandle Trail is the amount of interesting and unique stops along the route. Here are some of my favorites!

Paradise on the Trail

Nothing hits the spot better after a hot day of bike riding than ice cream. Paradise on the Trail, a new spot that opened in 2023, is literally right on trail at the Burgettstown trail head. This adorable little spot also has food or coffee if you’re hitting a wall and need an extra boost.

McDonald Trail Station & Welcome Center

The McDonald Trail Station feels like a train station, but for bikers. This visitor welcome center is worth a stop for the exhibit on local history during opening hours. It also serves as a venue for community events.

The Trail Station is open Saturdays and Sundays, April through October, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The Trail Station is located only three blocks from downtown McDonald, right off the Panhandle Trail, and less than a mile from where the Panhandle intersects the Montour Trail. For more information, check out their website. Trail users are welcome to use the parking lot anytime and don’t need to worry about operating hours if just parking for a bike ride.

Montour Trail Connector

This isn’t really a stop, but the Panhandle Trail connects to the Montour Trail via a one mile connector trail. If you’re heading from Allegheny County to WV, this trail will be on your right after you go under the train trestle bridge. This 47 mile trail (60+ with branch extension) is a great way to continue to explore the area via bike. The Montour Trail also connects with the Great Allegheny Passage (GAP) trail, giving tons of options for exploring southwestern Pennsylvania via bike.

Love biking in Washington County and want to explore more? Check out my guide to Biking the Montour Trail!

The Pennsylvania/West Virginia State Line Marker

This historic looking market is located 3.9 miles from the West Virginia start. It’s a remnant of the old railroad days, with the initials at the top marking old railroad companies. History buffs will enjoy this unique looking marker! The letters stand for Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Chicago, and St. Louis Railway, as multiple routes combined in 1860 to connect Pittsburgh to St. Louis.

Helicon Brewing

Helicon Brewing is located right along the Panhandle Trail in Oakdale, PA. This brewery has live music in the summer and a delicious section of beers. They also have food trucks if you want to grab a bite to eat.

Helicon also has a second location in McDonald in Washington County. It’s not right off trail the way the Oakdale one is, but is only a two minute bike away from the McDonald trail head.

Planning Your Trip

When planning to bike the trail, you’ll have to think about the distance you want to bike and what parts of the trail you want to cover.

An out and back is easiest to complete logistically. You can park at one trail head, bike out, and return the way you came to your car. I recommend picking a trailhead close to where fun to hang out afterward. McDonald would be a great place to park, as it’s close to a lot of local business such as Helicon Brewing’s second location and multiple pizza places.

I completed the whole Panhandle Trail as a point to point. We got dropped off in West Virginia and biked back towards the Allegheny County end. Since I live in Pittsburgh, this was the best way for me to do the entire trail and then end close to home without biking close to 60 miles for an out and back.

To ask a question about planning your trip, check out the Panhandle Trail Facebook group. This group often has the most up to date information about trail conditions and folks are very willing to help out a newbie.

Looking to get outside more in Washington County? Check out my guide to hiking at Mingo Creek County Park! 

Panhandle Trail Trailheads

These stops are listed by county in east to west from the furthest east stop in Pennsylvania to West Virginia. I’ve included the trailhead name, amenities, and notes as well as GPS coordinates to help you plan a smooth trip.

To navigate to the trailheads, I recommend using GPS coordinates instead of the addresses. This will help you get directly to the parking lot.

Note that trail amenities are subject to change based on trail maintenance. This was accurate as of May 2025.

Allegheny County Trailheads

Walker’s Mill

• Location: Walker’s Mill Rd, Oakdale, PA
• Coordinates: 40.3962, -80.1314
• Amenities: Large parking lot, port a potty, trail sign for the start of the Panhandle Trail

Gregg Station

• Location: just west of the intersection of Gregg Station Road and Franklin St
• Coordinates: 40.4088, -80.1652
• Amenities: Port a potties and parking lot
• Note: a bike maintenance station is a 2 min ride east from Gregg Station. It has a water fountain, but don’t count on it because it did not work.

Noblestown Trailhead

• Location: Just south of the intersection of Scotch Hill Road and Willow St, Noblestown, PA 15071
• Coordinates: 40.3922, -80.1980
• Amenities: Garbage cans, bench, and water fountain

Sturgeon Parking Lot

• Location: Arlington Ave and Station St, Sturgeon PA
• Coordinates: 40.3821, -80.2130
• Amenities: 2 bathrooms with flushable toilets and water refills

Washington County Trailheads

End of Washington County Parking Lot

• Location: Just south of the intersection of E Grove St and Laurel Hill Road
• Coordinates: 40.3707, -80.2246
• Amenities: 2 parking areas on either side of the road.
• Note: This is where the trail turns into gravel headed east into Allegheny County or paved headed west into Washington County. For a better trail experience and more amenities, it might be best to park at McDonald Trail Station (only 3 minutes away).

McDonald

• Location: 105 Railroad St, McDonald, PA 15057 – Just north of the intersection of S McDonald St and Johns Ave, south of Robinson Run
• Coordinates: 40.3673, -80.2347
• Amenities: Trail station, two port a potties, and a sign with a list of trail friendly local businesses to visit
• Note: There is a busy road crossing coming into McDonald Trail Station from the west (or leaving from the east). Use caution, make eye contact with drivers, and dismount your bicycle to be safe.

Primrose Trailhead

• Location: Intersection of Noblestown Road and Johns Ave
• Coordinates: 40.3589, -80.2612
• Amenities: 1 port a potty slightly further along, 10 parking spots, and super fun photo op spot with the Washington County Panhandle Trail sign

Midway

• Location: 209 Washington Ave, Midway, PA 15060
• Coordinates: 40.3944, -80.2950
• Amenities: 2 port a potties and 20 parking spots
• Note: While this is not the midway point of the Panhandle trail, the town used to be the halfway point between Steubenville, Ohio and Pittsburgh.

Bulger

• Location: 974-976 Bulger Candor Rd, Bulger, PA 15019
• Coordinates: 40.3850, -80.3247
• Amenities: Port a potty, gravel parking lot

Burgettstown

• Location: 1802 N Main St, Burgettstown, PA 15021
• Coordinates: 40.3996, -80.3880
• Amenities: 2 port a potties, picnic tables, gravel lot with 10 spaces, and Paradise on the Trail located right off trail (a casual restaurant with food, coffee, and ice cream)

Bertha Road

• Location: Intersection of Dinsmore Road and Francis Mine State Road in Paris, PA
• Coordinates: 40.3808, -80.4310
• Amenities: Port a potty and gravel parking lot

Bartleyville (Unofficial Trailhead)

• Note: this looks to be an unofficial trailhead as it is not labelled on maps – I added it to the list in case of an emergency pickup or bathroom scenario but recommend parking at one of the official trailheads in a real parking lot for your trip along the Panhandle!
• Location: Intersection of Bartleyville Road and Creek Lane Road
• Coordinates: 40.3662, -80.5096
• Amenities: Small parking area on grass and port a potty

West Virginia Trailheads

Colliers

• Location: Intersection of Brown’s Hollow Road and Harmon Creek Road
• Coordinates: 40.3711, -80.5255
• Amenities: Gravel lot with enough space for 10-15 cars and a picnic table across the trail from the parking lot

Trail Terminus – Weirton, WV

• Location: Close to Cove Road, Weirton WV
• Coordinates: 40.4146, -80.5680
• Amenities: Large gravel lot, picnic table, and sign about the trail

Note: For information on what is located where on the trail, the friend’s group has compiled a mileage chart. However, it has not been updated since 2007 so while most of the landmarks are correct, amenities are subject to change. To access, visit The Panhandle Trail Mileage Chart here.

Panhandle Trail FAQs

Are dogs allowed on the Panhandle Trail?

Dogs are allowed on the Panhandle Trail. To ensure safety for all trail users, keep your dog on a short leash and under control.

Is the Panhandle Trail paved?

The Washington County section of the trail is paved. The West Virginia and Allegheny County sections are crushed limestone.

Who maintains the Panhandle Trail?

The trail is maintained by different friends groups for different sections.

• Walkers Mill to Gregg Station is maintained by the Collier Friends of the Panhandle Trail. To volunteer or contact the group, visit their website.
• The West Virginia section is maintained by the Weirton Rail Trail Committee. To volunteer or contact, visit the City of Weirton site.

How long is the Panhandle Trail?

The trail is just over 29 miles long.

When is the best time of year to bike the Panhandle Trail?

The Panhandle Trail is great for more overcast days because large stretches of the trail are not shaded. It can get very hot in full sun. Spring is great to bike the trail to see the newly blooming flowers alongside and fall is great to see the leaves changing color.

Thank you so much to Tiffany @gotlost.onpurpose who was my second shooter for this trip and captured many of the photos in this blog post! If you're looking for dog-friendly adventures and unique stays near Western Pennsylvania, check out her account!

Have any questions about biking the Panhandle Trail? Let me know in the comments!

Updated September 7 2025