Allegheny Portage Railroad National Historic Site
The first railroad to cross the Allegheny Mountains, the Allegheny Portage Railroad was the final piece of the Pennsylvania Main Line Canal. "The Portage" opened in 1834, marking the first time that there was one, direct route between Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. All things to all people, it served merchants, passengers, slaves in pursuit of freedom, and soldiers from the Mexican War.
About 1.5 hours from Pittsburgh by car.
Alerts
- ClosureStaple Bend Tunnel Closure
Due to a rockfall, the interior of the Staple Bend Tunnel is closed. The trail is still open. From the Mineral Point Trailhead, visitors can bypass the tunnel, via a path around the right side of the tunnel structure.
Fees & passes
Free. No entrance fee here.
Hours
| Allegheny Portage Railroad National Historic Site | Daily · Sunrise to Sunset |
Hours by date. Standard hours apply on every date not listed.
| Dates | Hours |
|---|---|
| Standard hoursNow | Sunrise to Sunset |
| Nov 26, 2026Thanksgiving Closure | Closed |
| Dec 25, 2026Christmas Day Closure | Closed |
| Jan 1, 2027New Year's Day Closure | Closed |
When to go
July draws the most visits here and January the fewest, averaged over 2021 to 2025.
Visitor centers
- Summit Level Visitor Center ↗Passport stamp
Located immediately off of US Route 22 at the Gallitzin Exit, this is the best place to start your tour. The Visitor Center has a 20-minute orientation movie shown on demand, interactive exhibits, and a bookstore. The passport stamp station is also located in the Visitor Center.
No campgrounds, no webcams or events in Park Service data. What is here comes from the official page. The rest lives there.
Checked nightly. Modules appear as soon as the Park Service publishes the data.
Explore
Things to do
- Allegheny Portage Railroad Van Tours
Please check back for 2026 van tour dates!
Opens on the Park Service site - Summer Programs
Costumed rangers conduct a variety of program offerings throughout the summer season.
Opens on the Park Service site - Evening on the Summit
Attend an Evening on the Summit program select Tuesday evenings during the summer months.
Opens on the Park Service site - Guided Hikes
Heritage Hikes are led by a park ranger during the summer months. The distance varies by hike. Reservations are required.
Opens on the Park Service site - Living History Day
Living History Day is an annual event at the park!
Opens on the Park Service site - Engine House 6 Exhibit Shelter
Visitors to Engine House 6 Exhibit Shelter can view full scale models of the mechanisms that would have originally been in all ten Engine House structures.
Opens on the Park Service site
Show all 12Hide
- Lemon House
The Lemon House tavern, built by Sam and Jean Lemon in the early 1830s, was a stop along the Allegheny Portage Railroad for travelers to rest and eat.
Opens on the Park Service site - Explore the Summit Level Visitor Center
The Visitor Center has exhibits and a 20-minute park movie that is shown upon request. The Allegheny Portage Railroad, part of the Pennsylvania Main Line Canal, was the first railroad to cross the Allegheny Mountains.
Opens on the Park Service site - Participate in the Junior Ranger program!
The Junior Ranger program is available in the Visitor Center. Ask the Ranger on duty for a booklet. The number of activities required is based on age. Upon completion of the booklet, participants will earn a Junior Ranger badge!
Opens on the Park Service site - Hike or bike to the Staple Bend Tunnel
The Staple Bend Tunnel, the first railroad tunnel in America, can be accessed from the trailhead on Beech Hill Road in Mineral Point.
Opens on the Park Service site - Hike the Inclines 6 to 10 Trail
The Inclines 6 to 10 Trail follows the route of the Allegheny Portage Railroad. The hiking sections of the trail are located on or near the original route of the Allegheny Portage Railroad.
Opens on the Park Service site - Summit Level Visitor Center bookstore
The bookstore at Allegheny Portage Railroad National Historic Site is operated by America's National Parks and is located in the Visitor Center.
Opens on the Park Service site
News
- Evening on the Summit: Gallitzin Tunnels ↗2026-07-14
Join Allegheny Portage Railroad National Historic Site for an Evening on the Summit program about the Gallitzin Tunnels. The presentation takes place on Tuesday, July 21, 2026, at 7 p.m. in the visitor center auditorium…
Map
Interactive map by the National Park Service
Historic landmarks nearby
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Guidebooks for the Mid-Atlantic
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Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject.
Reference
Wildlife
Seen this monthBelted Kingfisher 1× · American Black Bear 1×Research-grade observations within 25 km, last 30 days, via iNaturalist
Full checklist: 121 birds, 33 mammalsHide
Raptors & owlsBroad-winged Hawk · Cooper's hawk · Eastern Screech Owl · Great horned owl · Northern saw-whet owl · Red-shouldered hawk · Red-tailed hawk · Turkey vulture · barred owl
Waterfowl & wadersCanada goose · Great blue heron · Tundra swan
Shorebirds & seabirdsAmerican woodcock · Killdeer
Gamebirds & dovesMourning dove · Rock dove · Ruffed grouse · Wild turkey
WoodpeckersDowny Woodpecker · Hairy Woodpecker · Northern flicker · Pileated woodpecker · Red-bellied woodpecker · Yellow-bellied sapsucker
Hummingbirds & swiftsChimney swift · Ruby-throated hummingbird
Also on the checklistAcadian flycatcher · American Tree Sparrow · American crow · American goldfinch · American redstart · American robin · Baltimore oriole · Bay-breasted Warbler · Belted Kingfisher · Black-and-white warbler · Black-billed cuckoo · Black-capped chickadee · Black-throated Blue Warbler · Black-throated Green Warbler · Blackburnian Warbler · Blackpoll Warbler · Blue jay · Blue-gray gnatcatcher · Blue-headed vireo · Blue-winged Warbler · Brown creeper · Brown thrasher · Brown-headed cowbird · Canada Warbler · Cape May Warbler · Carolina wren · Cedar waxwing · Cerulean Warbler · Chestnut-sided Warbler · Chipping sparrow · Commen raven · Common Redpoll · Common grackle · Common yellowthroat · Dark-eyed junco · Eastern bluebird · Eastern kingbird · Eastern meadowlark · Eastern phoebe · Eastern towhee · Eastern wood-pewee · European starling · Field sparrow · Fish crow · Golden-crowned kinglet · Gray catbird · Great crested flycatcher · Hermit thrush · Hooded Warbler · House Finch · House Sparrow · House wren · Indigo Bunting · Kentucky Warbler · Least flycatcher · Louisiana Waterthrush · Magnolia Warbler · Mallard · Mangrove Warbler · Mourning Warbler · Myrtle Warbler · Nashville Warbler · Northern Parula · Northern Waterthrush · Northern cardinal · Palm Warbler · Philadelphia vireo · Pine Siskin · Pine Warbler · Purple Finch · Red-eyed vireo · Red-winged blackbird · Rose-breasted grosbeak · Ruby-crowned kinglet · Savannah sparrow · Scarlet tanager · Song sparrow · Swainson's thrush · Swamp sparrow · Tree swallow · Tufted titmouse · Veery · Vesper sparrow · Warbling vireo · White-breasted nuthatch · White-crowned sparrow · White-eyed vireo · White-throated sparrow · Willow flycatcher · Wood thrush · Worm-eating Warbler · Yellow-billed cuckoo · Yellow-breasted chat · Yellow-throated vireo · ovenbird
Small mammalsGapper's Red-backed Mouse · North American Porcupine · deer mouse · eastern chipmunk · eastern cottontail · fox squirrel · gray squirrel · masked shrew · meadow vole · northern short-tailed shrew · red squirrel · smokey shrew · southern flying squirrel · white-footed mouse · woodland jumping mouse · woodland vole
Predatorsblack bear · bobcat · common raccoon · gray fox · long-tailed weasel · red fox · striped skunk
Hoofed mammalswhite-tailed deer
BatsNorth American Hoary Bat · big brown bat · little brown bat · northern long-eared bat · red bat · tricolored bat
Also on the checklistVirginia opossum · feral cat · woodchuck
Activities
Activity guides for this park Hiking in the national parks
Weather & climate
The park is located in Cambria County, PA, and is at the summit of the Allegheny Mountains. Therefore, the park often takes on winter extremes. If planning on traveling from a long distance, please contact the park beforehand to ensure that the facilities are open. Please consult weather forecasts to ensure conditions are safe to travel in. Spring, summer, and fall are generally uneventful, but severe thunderstorms can occur.
Questions people ask
Does Allegheny Portage Railroad charge an entrance fee?
No. Allegheny Portage Railroad is free to enter.
Source: National Park Service
What are the hours at Allegheny Portage Railroad?
Standard hours are Sunrise to Sunset, every day. Dated exceptions are listed under Hours.
Source: National Park Service
Is anything closed at Allegheny Portage Railroad right now?
1 active alert as of October 14, 2026: Staple Bend Tunnel Closure.
Source: Alerts
How busy is Allegheny Portage Railroad?
162,905 recreation visits in 2025, number 185 of 387 units that report visitation.
Source: Most visited parks
Is there cell service at Allegheny Portage Railroad?
At the park's reference point, FCC coverage maps show Verizon 5G and AT&T 5G. No reported coverage for T-Mobile. Coverage inside the park varies by location.
Source: FCC Broadband Map
When was Allegheny Portage Railroad established?
1831.
Source: Wikipedia
What is the weather like at Allegheny Portage Railroad?
The park is located in Cambria County, PA, and is at the summit of the Allegheny Mountains. Therefore, the park often takes on winter extremes.
Source: Weather & climate
Follow this park
- Alerts feed (RSS)
- Every active Park Service alert for this unit, one item each, rebuilt with the nightly data refresh.
- Add dates to your calendar (.ics file)
- Fee-free entrance days that apply here and each published hours exception, as all-day events.
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