Get the Eff Outdoors! Volume 1: The Butler/Freeport Trail

The Awesome family enjoys their time outdoors.  Although we live in rural Butler County, Pennsylvania and the area is not known for it's active population we do out part to stay active and enjoy God's playground.  No kidding about the "non active" population comment though, there was a study done when I was in high school that determined that Butler County was the second FATTEST county in the nation...THE NATION!  I could not find anything to back that up but take a walk down Main St. and the study will be more than justified. 

On to what we can control though.  There are actually lots of things to do outdoors in Butler County, and I'll highlight a few of the places we particularly enjoy.  The first volume of the summer series pertains to something very close and accessible to our home:  The Butler/Freeport Trail. 

The Butler/Freeport Trail (BFT) is a "Rails-to-Trails" link from the city of Butler, PA, to the city of Freeport, PA.  The actual traintrack has not been in use since 1987 and portions of the trail have been available for use by the public since 1992.  There have been many legal battles that have ensued since the trails inception but all of those have been withdrawn and they look forward to the completion of the trail this year (2010). 

I recall as a kid, my neighbor The Goat and I would ride our bikes over to the newly "unrailed" trail and have to manuver around blockades, barbed wire, and guard dogs that were put there by the owners of the trail corridor in protest of the trail being in their back yards.  Why they considered a few bicyclists and hikers worse than a locomotive still bewilders me, but luckily someone struck them with the "What the Eff" stick and they withrew their lawsuits. 

The trail takes you through some wonderful farmland, a few historical towns, along Buffalo Creek, and then eventually to and along the storied Allegheny River in Freeport.  The trail is not complete for the final 6 or 7 miles stretch into the city of Butler, but it was announced in the Spring of 2009 that they received a grant that was going to allow them to complete the trail.  The proposed trailhead location has been moved because of them finding arsenic in the ground from a now non-existent glass factory, but the plans are still on schedule for completion in 2010. 

It is a flat, easy trail, that has been groomed and maintained well enough that anyone from the experienced biker to the family pushing a stroller can enjoy.  If you can handle it the distance from the Herman Trail Head to Freeport is only about 16 miles, and from there you can grab a beer and a bite to eat to recharge for the trip back. 

If short trips are what you prefer you can stop at Serene Valley golf course (the trail goes right through it) and grab some grub and watch the golfers at the 1st tee and 18th green. 

From Turkey and Cow farms, to old Monestaries, to century-old train stations and corner stores, there is a little of everything for everyone to enjoy.  So get the eff outdoors and enjoy a local trail that is rich in beauty and history.  Best of all...it's free!

For more information visit the Butler Freeport Trail website: http://www.butlerfreeporttrail.org/.