The Stavich Trail

So with the arrival of a sun-filled fall weekend, we took the kids out for a longer foray with their new bikes. A great venue for small kids with new bikes is the Stavich Trail.

The trail starts near New Castle at these coordinates: 40.99846,-80.40638. It runs nearly directly due west and crosses into Ohio, ending in the small town of Lowellville on the outskirts of the industrial bases of Youngstown and Struthers, Ohio.

The trail runs on a former line for an electric trolley that linked Youngstown with New Castle, which were one time busy manufacturing sectors. But with industry's decline, the rail line likewise fell into disuse. So back in the early 1980s it became a rail-trail--a true pioneer for today's modern rail-trail.

Because the line served a trolley, it is hillier than for a typical railway corridor because trolleys are lighter and can climb easier than freight trains. But the minor hilliness of the trail adds to the charm. One thing we really like about this trail is that the trail runs next to (less than 20 feet away in some spots) an active freight rail line.

The trail is on the undulating "slope"; whereas the freight line is in the flatter "valley" portion of the land, closer to the Mahoning River. The quaint Mahoning meanders gently along the valley, adding a nice counterpoint to the massive freight trains that periodically roar by the Stavich. Seeing / hearing / feeling a thundering train is common, and it adds to the visceral experience. The kids especially love when a train roars by, and we all stop to wave.

An earthshaking freight train along the Stavich

There is also a calm wetland near the PA trailhead. We have seen turtles and lots of birdlife. Shaw and Weil report in their excellent book on area trails, Freewheeling Easy in Western Pennsylvania, that this wetland is a beaver pond. Despite 25-30 rides over the last decade on this trail, I've yet to see a beaver; although, the Mahoning river meets the Shenango river to form the Beaver river only a few more miles downstream. So...maybe there are beavers around. The Pennsylvania portion--basically the majority of the trail--was repaved only last year. This repaving really enhances the riding experience. When arriving in Lowellville the kids love to have an ice cream treat from the local deli mart in town.

Riding next to the wetland

It is 9 miles to Lowellville, so total distance today was 18 miles. The Stavich is a four star trail...