Golden Trails: Scenic Fall Walks & Hikes in WashCo

As the country’s longest suburban rail trail extending a total of over 60 miles from its beginning in Coraopolis all the way down to the Monongahela River with connectors to the Great Allegheny Passage, the C&O Canal Towpath and beyond, the Montour Trail is certainly a jewel of Washington County. It’s especially beautiful in the fall as colorful leaves begin to fall on the crushed limestone surface that makes it a popular fixture for bikers, runners, walkers and other users of the trail.

While some parts of this former-railroad-turned-trail (aka a “rail-trail”) runs through suburban neighborhoods and along roads, in others it follows the gently flowing Brush Run Creek near Cecil, borders beautiful rural backdrops in McDonald or is canopied by red and orange trees in Peters Township. If you want to see the best of fall from the back of a bike or on your own two feet, the Montour Trail should certainly be on your fall to-do list.

Mingo Creek County Park receives a lot of attention in the fall for two reasons: One, it’s the host site of not one, but two covered bridge sites (Ebenezer and Henry) during the EQT Washington & Greene Counties’ Covered Bridge Festival, and two, for how stunning the park becomes during the fall season. Much of this park is canopied by a variety of colorful trees like the chestnut oak, red maple, black locust and shagbark hickory, so if you’re into collecting fall leaves, this park is for you.

A bit of a hidden gem here in WashCo, Hillman State Park is our county’s only state park, but it sure is beautiful, especially as the temperatures begin to drop. This state park has a bit of a storied history that we’ll cover one day in another blog, but it’s become a destination for hikers, mountain and gravel bikers, runners, nature enthusiasts and more since it first opened to the public as a park in the 1960s. Much of this park is undeveloped, so it’s a true haven for those who live for wild and natural spaces, but it does have a few walking trails alongside other key features like bike trails, a radio-controlled flying field, horseback riding and more. Because this park is covered in pine trees, it’s a popular destination in the fall and winter for those who need a little greenery back in their lives.

Once a critical railroad connecting Pittsburgh to the panhandle of West Virginia (its namesake) to places like Ohio, Indiana and Illinois, the Panhandle Trail is another Washington County rail-trail worth exploring. Just like the Montour Trail, it connects to the GAP and the C&O Canal Towpath. Its 29 miles take you not only on a scenic journey, but on a bit of a historical one, as the path leads through areas that hint at the oil boom of the late 1800s and still carry evidence of the railroad’s impact on the area.

A highly scenic spot on the Panhandle Trail is the McDonald Trestle, where the Panhandle and the Montour Trail connect. It’s a popular photo spot for trail users, photographers and anyone looking to capture the magic of fall here in WashCo.

Nestled right on the border between Peters and North Strabane Townships (the lake is actually divided right down the middle between the two), Peters Lake Park is a beloved spot all year round, but especially as the summer begins to wane into fall. With a huge variety of native oak and maple trees dropping leaves that have the ground looking like a rainbow blanket all around this tranquil lake, people from all over the county visit in the fall to walk their dog, go on a short hike, savor the last of kayaking season or take some beautiful fall photos.