10 Great Trails Located Nearby Beaver
When you’re looking for ways to Get Outside this summer, hiking is a great outlet. The activity provides many physical and emotional benefits, from improving balance to boosting memory skills. It’s also a great way to meet new people thanks to numerous hiking organizations and digital communities like Facebook groups. Luckily, there are many great trails nearby that are worth exploring.
The summer season provides gorgeous sunny days to be outside, but the weather still poses its challenges. Stay hydrated, drink lots of water, and wear sun protection. Be familiar with the signs of heat exhaustion and heat stroke to protect yourself and those you’re hiking with.
Before we get into our list of hikes, we want to highlight the North Country National Scenic Trail. The entire trail stretches 4,700 miles from North Dakota to Vermont, but parts of it run close to Beaver. An easy stretch of the trail that’s about 2.8 miles long runs from Pancake Rd to Rt 170 in Negley, Ohio. The trail then continues northeast until it starts at the Ohio-Pennsylvania border at Blackhawk Rd. A 10.9 mile stretch of the trail runs from Watts Mill Rd to Booth Hill through State Game Land 285. From there, the trail continues on through Darlington, New Beaver, McConnells Mill State Park, and Moraine State Park. Parking is available along many points in the trail. Visit northcountrytrail.org to see the full map.
We’ll start our list with some easier hikes with low elevation grades that can be walked with no obstacles.
BRADYS RUN HEALTH AND WALKING TRAIL
Beaver Falls, PA
Length: 1 mile
Elevation Gain: 22 ft
This loop trail is a local favorite with its gorgeous forest setting. Since the trail is asphalt, it’s
great for all ages and abilities, including wheelchairs and strollers. There are also two designated handicapped- accessible parking spots.
MEEKS RUN AND OIL WELL TRAIL LOOP
Montour Woods Conservation Area
Length: 1.8 miles
Elevation Gain: 141 ft
This is another loop trail. Parts of it meander along a river, providing you the opportunity to see a variety of animals and plants.
HIGH MAINTENANCE TRAIL VIA WALKER PARK
Sewickley, PA
Length: 2.4 miles
Elevation Gain: 534 ft
Hike, walk, or go for a run on this loop trail. Depending on the time of year you go, you may be able to glimpse some wildflowers!
MONTOUR TRAIL – CORAOPOLIS TO BEAVER GRADE
Coraopolis, PA
Length: 6.4 miles
Elevation gain: 177 ft
Because of this out and back trail’s crushed limestone surfacing, it’s a great place to hike, walk, run, or mountain bike.
If you’re looking for a trail that has a little bit more distance and/ or difficulty, take a look at these moderate trails nearby.
HOLLOW OAK LOOP
Montour Woods Conservation Area
Length: 3.2 miles
Elevation Gain: 423 ft
This is a popular loop trail best used for activities such as hiking, walking, and bird watching. You may spot some old building foundations and a cave along your journey! As this trail is located within the Montour Woods Conservation Area just like the Meeks Run and Oil Well Trail Loop previously mentioned, it meanders around parts of a river as well.
VONDERGREEN TRAIL
Beaver Creek State Park
Length: 6.2 miles
Elevation Gain: 692 ft
This out and back trail is located within Beaver Creek State Park, a 2,722-acre public recreation area in Columbiana County, Ohio. It follows along the Little Beaver Creek River for most of the hike. Keep an eye out for remnants of old farming equipment and canal locks!
More experienced hikers can check out these hard hikes!
SLIPPERY ROCK GORGE TRAIL
McConnells Mill State Park
Length: 15 miles
Elevation Gain: 1,535 ft
This out and back trail follows along Slippery Rock Creek in McConnells Mill State Park and is great for hiking, running and bird watching.
FOREST, APPALOOSA, AND HERITAGE TRAIL
Raccoon Creek State Park
Length: 11.8
Elevation gain: 1,541 ft
Overall, Raccoon Creek State Park has 44 miles of trails and this loop hike highlights three popular ones. You’ll follow some of the first wagon roads from the 1800s, see several streams that feed Raccoon Lake, and pass by an old homestead and spring house. You can extend your hike by completing the full loop, which we’ll cover next.
RACCOON CREEK EXTENDED LOOP
Raccoon Creek State Park
Length: 19.4 miles
Elevation Gain: 2,936
If you’re up for a challenge, consider hiking the Raccoon Creek Extended Loop! It’s estimated this hike takes about nine hours total, but it’s worth the time as you see all the wonders mentioned in the Forest, Appaloosa, and Heritage Trail and then some!
To learn more about these hikes and others nearby, we recommend downloading the AllTrails app which is free for iOS and in the Google Play store. It has a large collection of GPS trail maps that allow you to explore trails around you and filter them based on difficulty level, trail length, elevation gain, wheelchair accessibility, pet friendliness, and trail traffic levels. Some maps are available to download offline so you won’t miss a step when you’re in an area without good cell service.
