From staff reports
The Allegheny National Forest will be closing all motorized trails for the summer season Monday, Sept. 25.
However, the Marienville ATV trail in the Allegheny National Forest will be temporarily closed from Monday through Friday next week for the completion of a stream restoration project on the East Branch of Spring Creek. This project is designed to reduce flooding on the trail and to improve aquatic habitat, according a press release from the U.S. Forest Service. The trail should reopen Saturday, Sept. 23. For more information, people may contact Chuck Keeports, forest hydrologist at ckeeports@fs.fed.us or (814) 723-6169.
If these work projects conclude prior to the current schedule of work, the trail will reopen sooner. To inquire about current status of the trail, people may visit the National Forest’s website or call (814) 927-5700.
Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 30-Oct. 1, several Forest Service roads and portions of the Marienville Bike Trail will be open for the Marienville Volunteer Fire Department’s Tour De Forest fundraising event. Roads will be open at 12:01 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 30, through 6 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 1. Access will be restricted to registered event participants. More information on this event can be found at www.marienville-fire.com.
The Timberline and Marienville ATV trails will be open for enthusiasts to enjoy the fall colors over the Columbus Day holiday. Trails will be open from 8 a.m. on Friday, Oct. 6, until midnight on Monday, Oct. 9.
In support of Tour De Forest and leaf peepers, the Marienville District office will be open from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Sept. 30, Oct. 1, and Oct. 7-9. For more information about the ATV trail system or the fall trail events, people may contact the Marienville District office at (814) 927-6628.
The winter ATV trail season should open Wednesday, Dec. 20, if temperatures are cold enough to freeze the ground. The only trails that will be open for the winter season are Rocky Gap, Timberline and Marienville ATV trails.