Outdoors & Trail
Casselman River Watershed Association Hosts July 11 River Float
The Casselman River Watershed Association hosts a River Float on the Middle Youghiogheny on July 11, with a look at its trout nurseries and stream health work.
Hearing June 15 on water authority sale
Public comment on the sale of the Indian Creek Valley Water Authority will be received at two public hearings. The Pennsylvania Public Utilities Commission will receive comment at hearings scheduled…
Mtn Watershed’s Weekly Swim Report: Ramcat Passes, Most Others Fail
The Mountain Watershed Association's weekly bacteria testing shows Ramcat Beach passed at 35.0 MPN heading into Memorial Day Weekend, while most other regional sites failed. Here is the full local rundown.
George Washington Paddled Our River – Come Watch Him Do It Again on May 21
On May 21, 272 years ago, George Washington paddled the Youghiogheny trying to chart a route to the Forks of the Ohio. On May 21, 2026, you can watch him do it again at the Outflow Campground in Confluence. Free, no registration required.
Who’s Supplying the Water for a New Fracking Well Near Laurel Ridge State Park?
Tapping deep rock formations for natural gas takes lots of water – over five million gallons to hydraulically fracture a well, according to the Mountain Watershed Association. But where is…
The 9/11 Memorial Trail Is Getting Closer to the GAP
A critical 1,500-foot segment of the September 11th National Memorial Trail connecting the Great Allegheny Passage to the Flight 93 National Memorial is now underway in Somerset County. The 1,500-mile trail links all three 9/11 sites - and our corner of Pennsylvania is the key connection.
The GAP Is More Than One Trail
The Great Allegheny Passage is a chain of locally maintained trails united under one name in 1996 — and it connects to an entire national network of trails, routes, and bikepacking corridors. Author Paul G. Weigman breaks it all down.
Trails Group Plans Plaque to Honor Larry Walsh
Larry Walsh found Confluence the way he found most things worth keeping: by paying attention. A four-decade newspaperman for the Pittsburgh Press and the Post-Gazette, he came chasing stories about…
Confluence Is the Gateway to One of the East Coast’s Largest Gravel Bike Networks
A new 60-plus route gravel and bikepacking network connecting 12 West Virginia mountain towns launches with a route that starts right in Confluence - 82.5 miles from the GAP trailhead at Outflow Campground to Parsons, WV, and into the Monongahela National Forest.
37.5 Miles of New Mountain Bike Trails Coming to Ohiopyle State Park
A $4 million, three-phase trail expansion will add 37.5 miles of purpose-built mountain bike singletrack to Ohiopyle State Park over the next three years - potentially making it one of the largest MTB trail systems in Pennsylvania. Phase one breaks ground in September 2026.