The Ghost Town Trail is a multi-use pathway in Pennsylvania traversing 36 miles from Ebensburg in Cambria County to Saylor Park in Black Lick, Indiana County. Along its route, the trail passes through land originally developed by mining companies — first iron ore and later coal. The crushed-limestone trail follows the former right-of-way of the Ebensburg and Black Lick Railroad, running parallel to Blacklick Creek. Designated a National Recreation Trail in 2003, the Ghost Town Trail has brought life back to an area once abandoned and neglected.
In 2009, Rails-to-Trails Conservancy (RTC) conducted this study of the users of the Ghost Town Trail under a grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. Designed to monitor trail user characteristics and economic impact, the survey utilized a methodology previously tested on Pennsylvania trails and documented in RTC’s Trail User Survey Workbook.
