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Sandy Creek Trail-Van Trailhead
4.8 ★★★★★ 36 Google reviews · Running trail in Cranberry, Pennsylvania · Hours vary
Runner's snapshot
- Surface
- Paved
- Distance
- Not reported
- Shape
- Not reported
- Shade
- Not reported
- Access
- Not reported
Confirmed from Sandy Creek Trail-Van Trailhead's own listing, the park or land manager's website, and runner reviews. Blank cells mean we could not verify that fact — we would rather say "not reported" than invent one. There is no Easy / Moderate / Hard rating on this page on purpose: a one-word difficulty score tells you nothing about whether a trail suits your run. Surface, distance, shade and hours do.
What runners say about Sandy Creek Trail-Van Trailhead
“This is part of the north country trail I hiked it from belmar Bridge to van gorgeous scenery planty of places to go swimming along the way.”
A bit out of the way, but fully paved with an amazing tunnel 5 miles in. One of the prettiest trails ive seen in the greater Pittsburgh area
I love this graffiti whoever did it did an excellent job. I liked this side of the trail but the thing is nobody ever goes on this side. It's isolated. All open and a little spooky because all of the shade. It is a very nice however.
A must do bike trail. Seen a bear. lots of deer. And beautiful scenery
This trail is incredible. The lack of traffic and the shade make it a hidden gem. If it's not long enough for you, you can descend to the river trail below to continue your journey towards Oil City. However, I can't rate this trail at 5 stars because its bridges are starting to deteriorate.
Trail conditions & character
“This is part of the north country trail I hiked it from belmar Bridge to van gorgeous scenery planty of places to go swimming along the way.”
“Van trailhead is maybe the most unremarkable trailhead I've ever seen (second to the Sligo Spur), it's got parking and signs, don't expect much.”
“Beautiful paved trail through the forest passing over multiple bridges and through an impressive tunnel.”
“I got a flat tire from one of these bridges, as the splinters from the boards must have punctured it.”
Plan your run at Sandy Creek Trail-Van Trailhead
The practical stuff
- AccessHours vary — hours are not posted for this trail, so check before an early or late run
- SurfacePaved — asphalt or concrete. Fast and predictable, runnable year-round, and fine with a stroller
- DistanceNot reported. Trail systems often quote total path mileage rather than a single loop, so measure the route you actually want before you drive out.
- ShadeNot reported. Assume some of it is exposed and carry water in summer.
- At the trailheadparking, restrooms — reported by runners
- Websiteavta-trails.org
- Social Facebook
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