WELLSBORO, PA — Pennsylvania designated the Pine Creek Rail Trail as its 2026 Trail of the Year on Friday, recognizing a 65-mile recreational corridor that draws more than 44,000 visitors annually and generates more than $5 million in local economic activity across Lycoming and Tioga counties.
Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn joined the Tioga County Planning Department in Wellsboro for the recognition. The trail extends from Jersey Shore in Lycoming County to Wellsboro in Tioga County through the Appalachian Mountains.
The designation follows the completion of a 3.2-mile extension, also known as the Marsh Creek Greenway, that connected the trail’s former northern terminus directly to downtown Wellsboro. The project received $3.1 million from DCNR and $2.5 million from the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation.
The extension includes a new trailhead, visitor center and amenities, as well as a pedestrian and bicycle connection into downtown Wellsboro. PennDOT’s investment included money from the state Multimodal Transportation Fund and federal Transportation Alternatives Set-Aside funding. 30002_dcnr_pineCreek
“We’re honored to celebrate the Pine Creek Rail Trail as Pennsylvania’s 2026 Trail of the Year,” Dunn said, adding that the recognition helps support local businesses while drawing attention to recreational opportunities in the Pennsylvania Wilds.
The corridor has evolved from a transportation route into a regional tourism asset. It was used historically by the Iroquois Nation before becoming a railroad corridor in the late 19th century. Rail service ended in 1988, and the corridor was converted into a nonmotorized trail between 1995 and 2007.
Tioga County Commissioners Marc Rice, Sam VanLoon and Shane Nickerson said the designation gives the county an opportunity to expand tourism and generate additional activity for local businesses.
“Outdoor recreation is quickly becoming a new front door to Tioga County,” the commissioners said, pointing to connections between trail visitors, downtowns and businesses.
The economic role of the trail comes as outdoor recreation accounts for a reported $20.4 billion industry in Pennsylvania. According to U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis figures cited by DCNR, the sector supports more than 177,000 jobs, represents 2% of the state’s gross domestic product, and generates $9.5 billion in wages and salaries.
Pennsylvania has more than 14,000 miles of trails. The Pennsylvania Trails Advisory Committee, a 20-member panel appointed by DCNR, selects the annual Trail of the Year to raise awareness of the state’s land and water trail network and advises the commonwealth on state and federal trail funding.
The state recently allocated more than $8 million to 29 trail projects through DCNR’s Community Conservation Partnerships Program as part of an $82 million investment covering 295 recreation and conservation projects statewide.
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