East Broad Top Trail

The East Broad Top Railroad is the most in-tact narrow-guage railroad in the United States

The Broad Top Mountain produced much of the semi-bituminous coal that powered the industrial revolution and more for more than a century.  It led to the development of a narrow-guage railroad to haul the valuable mineral from the coal fields to the Pennsylvania Mainline Canal and the Pennsylvania Railroad.  On the East Broad Top Trail, Scouts will explore this rich and unique heritage, while getting to ride on the rails behind a steam locomotive, and/or on a historic trolley.

This trail starts at the East Broad Top Railroad, where Scouts can learn first-hand how a railroad operated from the late 1800s through the 1950s, and still operates today.  They can travel by train, or maintenance of way speeder at the East Broad Top Railroad, or they can cross the street to the Rockhill Trolley Museum to take a ride on a restored streetcar.

After leaving Rockhill, Scouts will hike up the side of Jack's Mountain to the Standing Stone Trail (formerly the Link Trail), hike along the ridge, and descend into the town of Saltillo.  Special arrangements may be made for camping in Saltillo, or a few miles away in Three Springs by contacting their respective municipal offices.  There is a community pool in Three Springs that Scouts may enjoy after a long day of hiking.

The hike up and down Jack's Mountain is strenuous, and earns this trail a challenging rating, along with its overall distance.  An alternate route would be to bicycle this segment using Monroe Valley Road and Hill Valley Road.

After camping for the night, the trail continues to follow minor roadways into Robertsdale.  In Robertsdale, Scouts can explore the Broad Top Area Coal Miners Museum, the Reality Theater, and the Friends of East Broad Top Museum.

Detailed maps and history along the trails can be found in the Scout Out Huntingdon County - 100 Miles of Heritage Guidebook.  The book can be purchased at Fort Roberdeau, Indian Caverns, Lincoln Caverns, Huntingdon County Historical Society, Swigart Antique Automobile Museum, East Broad Top Railroad, Broad Top Area Coal Miners Museum, Raystown Reflections Gift Shoppe, and the office of the Juniata Valley Council of the Boy Scouts of America.

The Broad Top Area Coal Miners Museum is a great place to learn about the history of coal mining

Ride an historic trolley at the Rockhill Trolley Museum