Ernst Trail

Ernst Trail French Creek Recreational Trails, Inc. http://ernsttrail.org/ Despite the involvement of some of Meadville’s best-known citizens, the railroad did not flourish.

History of Ernst Trail
The Meadville-Linesville Railroad was built from 1880-1892 by a group of Meadville entrepreneurs to gain access to the Pennsylvania Railroad at Linesville. In 1891, the Bessemer & Lake Erie Railroad Co. leased the right-of-way and for a time it’s most profitable use was as a passenger line, transporting visitors to Exposition Park (renamed Conneaut Lake Park in 1920). With t

he rise of the automobile, passenger service declined, and in 1934, rail service to the park was discontinued. The Bessemer abandoned the line in 1976. In 1996, Calvin Ernst, the right-of-way’s owner, donated the property to French Creek Recreational Trails and the Ernst Bike Trail was born.

Enjoying the sunshine on the Ernst Trail walking west from the Mercer Pike trailhead...
05/31/2026

Enjoying the sunshine on the Ernst Trail walking west from the Mercer Pike trailhead...

College alumni rode the Ernst Trail during the annual alumni weekend at the college. It was a great time to not only re...
05/29/2026

College alumni rode the Ernst Trail during the annual alumni weekend at the college. It was a great time to not only reconnect with their academic roots, but to also enjoy the beautiful scenery that the Ernst Trail has to offer.
Looking forward to you returning again in the future!

The French Creek Recreational Trails, Inc., the non-profit parent organization of a group of trail volunteers, recently ...
05/28/2026

The French Creek Recreational Trails, Inc., the non-profit parent organization of a group of trail volunteers, recently received a large monetary gift from Mercer County State Bank to be applied to the Ernst Trail current capital campaign. The campaign is currently raising funds to asphalt pave the rest of the Ernst Trail from Route 19 in Vernon Township all the way to the current trailhead located next to Conneaut Cellars Winery in Sadsbury Township. The fund-raising goal is currently set at $1,000,000, $200,000 of which has been raised through the volunteers of the Ernst Trail and private donors.

Pictured in the photo is Scott Patton, president of MCSB, Calvin Ernst, president of Ernst Conservation Seeds, Inc., and Ed Easley, vice-president of FCRT. If you are interested in more information regarding the fund-raising efforts for The Ernst Trail, please contact Dr. Dennis M. Finton, 814-720-6631, or [email protected] for further information.

More work done on the trail... A sign base is up at the Mercer Pike trailhead on which a new Ernst Trail map will be pl...
05/27/2026

More work done on the trail... A sign base is up at the Mercer Pike trailhead on which a new Ernst Trail map will be placed soon (photo). Also, a stop sign was replaced, as well as 2 flood warning signs. All completed by David Steele, Brad Stallsmith, Jerry Boyle, Cameron Guffy, Keith Knighton, and Bill Dross. Thank you gentlemen!

05/26/2026
We are very thankful for Mike Gagean, who cleared the trail today of a tree that had recently fallen on it. Mike and hi...
05/25/2026

We are very thankful for Mike Gagean, who cleared the trail today of a tree that had recently fallen on it. Mike and his wife are two of our dedicated volunteers who keep the trail in top condition so it can be enjoyed by the community.

05/25/2026
We wish many years of happiness to Logan Hovis and Pearl Carpin who recently found the covered bridge on the Ernst Trail...
05/24/2026

We wish many years of happiness to Logan Hovis and Pearl Carpin who recently found the covered bridge on the Ernst Trail the perfect place to become engaged!

Today before the rain came, our hardworking crew put up one of the new Trail Map bases at the Beans Trailhead. The upda...
05/20/2026

Today before the rain came, our hardworking crew put up one of the new Trail Map bases at the Beans Trailhead. The updated map will be on it soon, and another at the Mercer Pike Trailhead, as well. Heartfelt thanks to David Steele, Brad Stallsmith, Keith Knighton, Jerry Boyle, Cameron Guffey, and Bill Dross!

Address

18757 Smock Highway
Meadville, PA
16335

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