Mt Jewett to Kinzua Bridge (MJ2KB) Trail Club (home)

Allegheny National Forest Visitors Bureau announces Trail Challenge:
Four Clubs, One Crown to Honor America 250

Public invited to participate in Trail Challenge, recording mileage to earn $1000 for McKean County Trail Club

To celebrate America250, the McKean County trail organizations are transforming the PA Wilds into a high-stakes arena. Beginning May 3 through July 4, the friendly competition begins, pitting four local trail powerhouses against one another in a 63-day race for Trail Central bragging rights and vital trail funding. The Trail Challenge kick off coincides with National Travel and Tourism Week, which is a reminder that McKean County’s trail system, including the Allegheny National Forest’s more than 500 miles of trails, is a strong tourism driver for the region.

The McKean County Trail Challenge is a friendly competition, highlighting the 21 trails maintained by five volunteer trail associations. The trail challenge is open to the general public; participants are not required to be members of any trail club. The Allegheny National Forest Visitors Bureau is sponsoring the Trail Challenge, which is free to participate.   

The Allegheny National Forest Visitors Bureau is using Challenge Hound, an app and web based program to track the challenge. To participate in the Trail Challenge, participants must choose one of four trail club teams and register at www.visitanf.com/TrailChallenge. McKean County Trail Clubs include: 

• Tuna Valley Trail Association (TVTA): Defending the Bradford loops.

• Mt. Jewett to Kinzua Bridge (MJ2KB) Trail Club: Protecting the historic path to the Kinzua Bridge State Park.

• KVTC (Kinzua Valley Trail Club): The legends of Westline and the deep woods.

• TAMED: (Trail Association of McKean/Elk Divide) The powerhouse trail titans of the Kane area.

“This isn't just a personal fitness goal; it is a quest for the McKean County Trail Central Crown,” said Rustin Lippincott, Allegheny National Forest Visitors Bureau. “Participants are invited to choose a side and log miles to help their preferred trail club secure the grand prize of $1000, provided by the Allegheny National Forest Visitors Bureau. Every mile hiked, biked, or ran acts as a direct contribution toward the winning club's future trail maintenance and development. We have purchased the credits on Challenge Hound to make it free for everyone to participate.”

Everyone is invited to participate in the Trail Challenge, from competitive mountain bikers to families taking casual evening walks. Every move counts as miles can be logged via running, walking, hiking, cycling – including E-bikes and wheelchair or handcycling. The McKean County trail club with the highest cumulative mileage at the end of the Trail Challenge will be awarded the $1000 prize.

Participants can manually log their miles or sync their favorite fitness apps (such as Fitbit, Strava, Garmin, Map my Fitness, or Health Connect) directly to Challenge Hound for automatic updates. By logging miles, participants help motivate their neighbors and teammates to stay active, ensuring McKean County remains the heart of Trail Central for the next 250 years.

McKean County, PA known as Trail Central, offers hundreds of miles of multi-use trails through the Allegheny National Forest and the Pennsylvania Wilds. The America 250 Trail Challenge is a collaborative effort between the TVTA, MJ2KB, KVTC, and TAMED to promote outdoor recreation and historical preservation. Tourism is a $193.8 million industry, employing 1262 people in McKean County.

For more information on the Allegheny National Forest Visitors Bureau’s Trail Challenge, contact the Bureau, 800-473-9370 or visit www.VisitANF.com/TrailChallenge. 

What about that stone wall?

If you’ve been on the Knox & Kane Rail Trail between Mount Jewett and Kinzua Bridge State Park, you no doubt have noticed this large cut-stone wall along the trail not far from the Center Street trailhead. And you may have wondered what it’s doing there.

According to the book Ghost Rails VIII The Northern Sub by Wayne A. Cole, the abutment is where the Bradford, Bordell and Kinzua (BB&K) railroad crossed over the Knox & Kane (formerly Erie) Railroad.Cole explains there was just the one stone wall on the east side of the crossing, with a timber trestle on the west bank.

Today, the active Buffalo & Pittsburgh railroad runs just on the other side of the embankment behind the stone wall. The abutment is a great place to stop for a photo and to take in a scene from the area’s railroading past.

Kinzua Bridge State Park Skywalk rehabilitation project

Please note that while work on the bridge is occurring, users cannot go to the very end of the trail at the Skywalk. The northernmost trail access point now is onto the park road near the entrance to the overflow parking area. Visit the park’s website for updates. You can also click on the image below right right for a downloadable/printable version of the information sheet.

Important update:

Effective November 1, 2025, Skywalk and hiking trail into the valley are again closed until August 2026.

Attention off-road vehicle operators!

Side-by-sides, four-wheelers and dirt bikes are NOT PERMITTED on any portion of the Knox & Kane Rail Trail. The MJ2KB section of the trail is under camera surveillance. If we identify you from a photo or video, we have the option to turn this information over to the Pennsylvania State Police for prosecution. Vehicle use damages the trail surface and endangers other users. Thank you for your cooperation!

Become a member!

MEMBERSHIP FORM Click Here. Or send us an email and we will send you a membership form. Email us at mj2kbtrail@gmail.com. Scroll to bottom to find out more information about the trail club, including our Mission Statement, “By-Laws” and Fundraisers. Your support helps us to maintain the Knox & Kane Rail Trail.

The Knox & Kane Rail Trail is open for trail users

Go to our Trail Safety page to see cautions and trail user updates. This is your rail trail - be safe & enjoy!

Who can use the Knox & Kane Rail Trail between the Kinzua Bridge State Park and Lantz Corners? SEE PICTURES ABOVE. Walkers/hikers, Disabled persons with or without motorized mobility aids, bicyclists and e-bikes (not to exceed a 36-inch maximum width and maximum speed of 10 mph; class 1 e-bikes - 750W, 1hp), joggers/runners, equestrians and also skiers, snowshoers and snowmobilers (max speed limit 25 mph) during snowy times of the year. Trail users should obey all signs posted on the trail (click HERE to see signs). For more, visit the Plan Your Visit page.

ADOPT A SECTION OF RAIL TRAIL

The Trail Club Allows trail users an opportunity to adopt sections of the Knox & Kane rail trail (from Lantz Corners to the Kinzua Bridge State Park). We will sign you up for your preferred section of trail, and you will be responsible for light maintenance of that portion of rail trail. If you or your family has donated benches, you may like to make their location your adopted area. You may plant flowers, bulbs, and decorate around your bench. We prefer you become a trail club member, so that you are covered under our insurance for doing any type of maintenance on the rail trail. (See below for membership forms)

We still have sections of trail available for adoption. Just send us an email if you’re interested in adopting a section of trail: mj2kbtrail@gmail.com. See the Join / Volunteer / Donate page for more information.

WHEN THE KNOX & KANE RAIL TRAIL IS COMPLETELY DEVELOPED, IT WILL BE 73.8 MILES OF ADVENTURE FROM CLARION COUNTY TO MCKEAN COUNTY. SOME SECTIONS ALLOW EQUESTRIANS, SOME ALLOW SNOWMOBILES. PEDESTRIANS AND BICYCLISTS ARE ALLOWED ON THE ENTIRE KNOX & KANE RAIL TRAIL CORRIDOR.

STARTING AT THE SOUTHERN END IN CLARION COUNTY - The 20 mile corridor of the Knox & Kane rail bed aka Rail 66 Country Trail starts at Clarion Junction (Rt 322) in Paint Township and stretches north along Rt 66 to the Clarion/Forest County line in the Village of Vowinckel Go to https://rail-66.com/ for information.

FROM THERE, TRAVEL THROUGH FOREST COUNTY - Volunteers have completed 8 miles of rail trail along with support from Jenks Township. https://www.co.forest.pa.us/residents/forest_county_municipalities.php

TAMED COMES NEXT (Trail Association of the McKean/Elk Divide) - Starting at the Elk & McKean county lines, TAMED has 23 miles of Rail Trail, stopping at US Route 219 in McKean County Go to https://www.tamedkkrt.org/ for more information & pictures.

FINALLY, MJ2KB (Mt Jewett to Kinzua Bridge) TRAIL CLUB - Our group maintains 8 miles from US Route 219 to the end of the Knox & Kane Rail Trail at the Kinzua Bridge State Park’s Skywalk. Contact us at mj2kbtrail@gmail.com or visit our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/mj2kbtrail.club.

2025 PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE: I want to take this opportunity to thank the MJ2KB Board of Directors and our active members for all the work you do, making our part of the Knox & Kane Rail Trail a beautiful outdoor adventure for all types of trail users.  And to all our members, we sincerely thank you for your support. Memberships, donations, fundraisers & grants are so valuable to the success in keeping the rail trail in top condition for the enjoyment of our community and visitors to McKean County. As our memberships continue to grow, we look forward to welcoming new members in 2025.

Although 2024 was not as busy as previous years, MJ2KB still managed to accomplish many projects along our section of the KKRT between US Route 219 and the Kinzua Bridge State Park. We received funding from the ARPA grant monies for a project at our Mt Jewett (Center Street) parking lot.  We separated the rail trail from the parking lot and filled it in with TSA material, making it a smoother surface for trail users.

We also applied for the Act 13 Greenways grant in December and will be awarded those funds this year to continue making improvements to the rail trail.

Just a reminder we are now meeting at our new location at the Jackson Building in Mt Jewett. 48 W Main Street every 4th Thursday of the each month @ 7:00 PM (we normally do not meet in December). For more information about the trail or our trail club, you can contact us at mj2kbtrail@gmail.com or give me a call – 814.778.5170.

Carolyn Stroup,

President

PS – If you’d like to share your pictures with us while visiting the rail trail, send them to our email address and we can put them on our website or Facebook page.