A Hiker’s Travelogue to the Panhandle Trail

Spring is in the air and it’s a great time to hit the hiking trails. Collier Township boasts one of the most scenic stretches of the , a former Conrail railroad line that snakes its way from Collier to Weirton, W.Va.

The path from Walker’s Mill in Collier to Gregg Station in Rennerdale is nearly 3 miles, and it’s a the perfect round-trip length for a quick walk in the woods. The main trail is flat and well maintained, great for anyone with special needs. Along the way, however, there are more adventurous trails for experienced hikers.

If you stick to the Walker’s Mill trail, you’ll find that it is friendly and safe. There are usually people milling about, and the trail is peppered with several park benches for weary travelers. There are also several portable toilets along the way should the need arise.

Unusual art installations dot the path, several Easter Egg colored birdhouses are propped up on poles at Gregg Station. Around the mid-point of the 2.8-mile section is a group of brightly-colored shoes upended on PVC pipes. The art piece is dedicated to Kim Rutkowski, with a memorial plaque that reads, “Always put your best foot forward.”

On a sunny day, the path is clogged with hikers, bikers, joggers and dog walkers. Don’t let that stop you, the fresh air is invigorating, and it beats walking in place on a treadmill at a local gym.

If you park at Walker;s Mill, one of the first attractions on the path is the quarry. The escarpment includes a large slice of the cliff that broke off and fell beneath next to the stream. The thick slab of stone occasionally doubles as an entertainment venue as it did at the “Rock the Quarry” event last August. There is also a fire pit and pavilion nearby, both of which make it a lovely spot for a picnic.

A few feet away, a windmill hums a steady beat. The windmill aerates the stream near the quarry to add oxygen to the water. Fresh oxygen increases the appetite, growth and spawning of the fish as it rids the quarry of harmful gases and pollutants.

If you want to get off the beaten path, try the Fossil Cliffs trail. This verdant hillside path gives children a chance to hunt for geological treasures. Maybe your child will find the next fedexia striegeli, a 300 year-old amphibian fossilized skull found in southwestern Pennsylvania last year. The path warns of its difficulty, but it has just a small hill in a thicket of gnarled tree branches and isn’t too treacherous.  

On a bright sunny weekend day, parking can be a bit tricky at the Walker’s Mill entrance, but you can always drive over to Rennerdale and start at Gregg Station, which is considerably less congested.

So go hit the trail. It’s a great way to spend an hour or two enjoying the sunshine.