Abandoned Turnpike ride in Central PA

Rat Rod Bikes Bicycle Forum

Help Support Rat Rod Bikes Bicycle Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
Joined
Sep 13, 2006
Messages
1,438
Reaction score
4,513
Location
southern PA
Rating - 100%
2   0   0
Got to participate in a great ride yesterday. A group from Philadelphia organized a ride along the Abandoned Turnpike between Sideling Hill, PA and Breezewood, PA. There were over 30 riders, with folks coming from from Philly, Pittsburgh, New Jersey, Maryland, and probably more. I'll let the pictures tell the story.

This is the parking area at Sideling Hill, the east end of the 13-mile stretch.
20201122_191315.jpg

20201122_124653.jpg
20201122_124702.jpg
20201122_124949.jpg


A friend commented that this shot looked like a scene from Stranger Things.
20201122_135905.jpg


The two tunnels are easily the coolest part of this ride. The eastern one is over a mile long and the western one is something like 2/3 of a mile. Be advised: YOU WILL WANT A LIGHT for the tunnels. Particularly in the eastern tunnel, where you can't see through from one end to the other because of the slight crown at the center. Also, this stretch of highway was closed in 1968, so the condition of the pavement ranges from slightly broken to extra chunky. Best to bring a bike with wide tires that can handle it.
20201122_142412.jpg
20201122_142420.jpg

20201122_142614.jpg
20201122_140528.jpg
20201122_191730.jpg
20201122_191641.jpg
20201122_191027.jpg


This is the western end of the ride, at Breezewood. The steep road down to the left leads to a small parking lot.
20201122_145122.jpg
20201122_160359.jpg
20201122_192407.jpg
20201122_195122.jpg


I would definitely do this ride again, but probably on a multi-geared bike, since there are long, gradual ups & downs that are just enough to make you wish you could drop a gear.

More information:
https://pabucketlist.com/exploring-the-abandoned-pennsylvania-turnpike/
 
Last edited:
oh dang, that's on my bucket list now for sure. Great pictures. Thanks for sharing.
 
Wow, that is cool! As a kid, we would drive from New Jersey to visit my dad's family in Indiana. I remember driving through those long tunnels. And we would drive over the Y-Bridge spanning the Licking River and the Muskingum River in Zanesville, Ohio. Boy, that was road trip excitement!
 

Latest posts

Back
Top