6 to 10 Trail

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This information is a public record of the 2009 NRT application and may be out of date if it has not been updated by a trail manager --
check with the trail manager for updated details before visiting.

6 to 10 Trail

National Park Service Backcountry Trail Frontcountry Trail Rail Trail
  • Length
    7.85 miles
  • Elevation Gain
    --
  • Route Type
    out & back

The 6 to10 Trail follows the route of the Allegheny Portage Railroad, an engineering landmark that lifted canal boats over the Allegheny Mountains from the 1830's to the 1850's. This trail, a part of the Allegheny Portage Railroad National Historic Site, has two distinct tread surfaces: 3.75 miles for hiking only and 4.1 miles of rail-trail. This trail is one segment of the Pittsburgh to Harrisburg Main Line Canal Greenway.

  • The hiking section of the 6-To-Ten Trail climbs through the wooded Allegheny Front.
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Location: At the Allegheny Portage Railroad NHS west of Altoona, PA

  • States: Pennsylvania
  • Counties: Blair
  • Cities/Townships: Allegheny, Juniata Townships

The 6 to 10 trail follows the remnants of the Allegheny Portage Railroad. The railroad, an engineering landmark, lifted canal boats on the Allegheny Mountains in the 1830s, 1840s, and 1850s. This trail allows the visitor to connect to the difficult terrain traversed by the railroad.

The 6 to 10 Trail climbs (or descends) almost 600 feet along the path of the historic Allegheny Portage Railroad on the eastern side of the Allegheny Mountains. From the 1830s to the 1850s, the Allegheny Portage was an engineering marvel that raised and lowered canal boats over the mountains using a series of ten incline planes and stationary steam engines. The boats, loaded on rail cars, were pulled by mules or locomotives on level stretches between the inclines.

The trail has two distinct segments: a 3.75-mile hiking-only section with some relatively steep grades and a 4.1-mile rail-trail section built on the abandoned corridor of the New Portage Railroad.

You'll find cut stone culverts and other remains of the Allegheny Portage Railroad along the path of the 6 to 10 Trail while detailed interpretive materials can be found at the Allegheny Portage Visitors Center and the Engine House 6 Exhibit Shelter.

The 6 to 10 Trail is a component of the Pittsburgh to Harrisburg Main Line Canal Greenway, Pennsylvania's designated Millennium Legacy Trail.

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Allowed Uses:

Bicycling Dogs, on leash Hiking/Walking Snow, cross-country skiing

Other Activities

  • Heritage and history
  • Snow, snow play general
  • Wildlife viewing / observation

Public Contact

Keith Newlin
Allegheny Portage Railroad National Historic Site
110 Federal Park Drive
Gallitzin, PA 16641
[email protected](814) 886-6121
www.nps.gov/alpo

Contact the trail manager for current maps and visiting details.

More Details

  • Elevation (low): 1860
  • Elevation (high): 2430
  • Elevation (cumulative): --

  • Part of a Trail System? No
  • National Designations: Millenium Legacy
  • Surface (primary): Rock, crushed
  • Surfaces (additional): Grass or Vegetation, Rock, boulders, Rock, crushed, Soil

  • Tread Width (average): 96"
  • Tread Width (minimum): --
  • Running length (minimum): --

  • Tread Grade (average, percent): 5
  • Tread Grade (maximum): 20
  • Running length (maximum): --

  • Cross-slope (average, percent): 0
  • Cross-slope (maximum): --
  • Running length (maximum): --
  • Certified as an NRT
    May 25, 2009
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