Bridgehunter.com: Historic Bridges of the United States, http://bridgehunter.com/pa/huntingdon/ebt-rr-rays-hill-tunnel/, December 1, 2020: New photo from Geoff Hubbs, November 17, 2013: Updated by Luke Harden: Added categories "East Broad Top Railroad & Coal Co.", "Railroad", November 17, 2013: Updated by Jodi Christman: Added details on name. There’s no water or facilities on the trail. The future geocache location is marked. Hike To Abandoned Rays Hill Tunnel In Pennsylvania For A Unique Outdoor Adventure. Make sure to bring a flashlight, and a helmet wouldnât hurt in case anything falls from the ceiling of the tunnel. Rays Hill Tunnel (Bedford County, Pennsylvania) Begun ca. Sideling Hill Tunnel is one of three original Pennsylvania Turnpike tunnels abandoned (this one in 1968) after two massive realignment projects. Ray's Hill Tunnel: Ray's Hill Tunnel, western portal, 1980. We started this series last year and have been working through it slowly but surely. The road can get a bit nasty at points so a helmet is a must. Construction started in 1938 using the railroad bed and seven of the nine tunnels. There’s quite a bit of information about all this on the Internet. If you continue for another 3.5 miles, you come to the half-mile long Rays Hill Tunnel. The parking area for the abandoned turnpike near Breezewood. Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email. It's amazing that the tunnels look almost untouched after standing, unmaintained, for more than 40 years. If using the parking load at the western end, I highly recommend bringing a bicycle. The third abandoned tunnel, Laurel Hill, is 50 miles to the west. Click on the coordinates for a Google map. Actually, two is better. Laurel Hill Tunnel. It might be distance, difficulty, terrain, location, history or just the surroundings. The original design envisioned speeds of up to 100 mph. Before it was abandoned in 1968, my family had driven through it many times. From the earliest days of exploration to modern times, the Alleghenies have challenged those who tried to tame them with roads, canals and tracks. This left a 13.5 mile stretch of former Turnpike right-of-way abandoned along with the Rays Hill and Sideling Hill Tunnels. Steps, passageways, ventilators, control rooms and other assorted man-made features are waiting for the curious. A local bike shop does tours of the pike and the tunnels. Sideling Hill Tunnel is 6,782 feet (2,067 m) long. Rays Hill Tunnel lies about two miles east of this point. Take the right turn. Each one has a caption that identifies it. Our #2 cache made the list because of the unique geocaching environment it is located in – an abandoned highway tunnel on an abandoned section of the Pennsylvania Turnpike. The others are nearby Rays Hill Tunnel, and further west, the Laurel Hill Tunnel.It was less expensive to realign the Turnpike than to bore a second tube for four lane traffic. abandoned , Abandoned pa turnpike , abandoned turnpike , Pennsylvania turnpike , Rays hill tunnel , Sideling hill tunnel , turnpike turn pike One of three tunnels abandoned by the turnpike in 1964 and 1968. Urban explorers will like the elaborate graffiti. Just before reaching the Rays Hill Tunnel, youâll cross over Mountain Chapel Road via the short bridge pictured below. The two tunnels along the abandoned turnpike are the Sideling Hill Tunnel and the Rays Hill Tunnel. Believe it or not, 18 wheelers used to rumble through this tunnel in both directions. From July, 2011 – the Rays Hill Tunnel geocache. The second is a 12-mile stretch east of Breezewood, which is shown here. Also wear a headlamp, so you see what you are looking at as you look around you. This is the eastern portal of the tunnel. Rays Hill-Sideling Hill Tunnels. Here are coordinates for the beginning of the pike heading towards Rays Hill tunnel along with parking space: +39° 59' 59.72", -78° 13' 41.34" . By the late 1950’s, the flow of traffic was significantly inhibited and the Turnpike Commission embarked on an aggressive program to remedy the tunnel jams. Rays Hill Tunnel lies about two miles east of this point. The photos were taken by yours truly. The first 160 mile section from Carlisle to Irwin opened for business on October 1, 1940. Two small parking areas exist along Oregon Road about two miles from this intersection and provide simple access to a trail. The others included the Sideling Hill Tunnel, and farther west, the Laurel Hill Tunnel.. Rays Hill Tunnel is 3,532 feet (1,077 m) long. The first section of abandoned Turnpike is a two-mile stretch which includes Laurel Hill Tunnel. Sideling Hill Tunnel is 6,782 feet (2,067 m) long. This is the parking area for Rays Hill Tunnel and the southern end of the Abandoned PA Turnpike. At 3,532 feet, it was the shortest of the seven tunnels on the turnpike. Take your light and wear your helmet. The tunnels â Sideling Hill and Rays Hill, respectively â were closed in the 1960s in favor of a new route for the highway and travel plaza. Tunnel Dimensions Total length: 1,138.0 ft. Also called EBT - Rays Hill Tunnel Approximate latitude, longitude +40.22329, -78.05950 (decimal degrees) 40°13'24" N, 78°03'34" W (degrees°minutes'seconds") Approximate UTM coordinates 17/750199/4456688 (zone/easting/northing) Quadrangle map: Saltillo Inventory number BH 58825 (Bridgehunter.com ID) Parking here is limited, so I suggest doing what we did: There is a trucker motel (quality inn?) The turnpike was a victim of its own success. A small gravel parking area between Rays Hill and the town of Breezewood is a popular spot for bike riders to park and ride the abandoned highway. From the parking lot at U.S. 30 and Tannery Road, head east along the abandoned road to kick off this out-and-back (up to 7.3 miles each way). Tpk. The abandoned road that connects these two tunnels lives on as an easy â but incredibly intriguing and historic â hiking trail . Post was not sent - check your email addresses! You’ll also experience a 20 degree temperature drop, which is welcome on a hot July day. Headlights were required even during the day. In this case, the Sideling Hill Tunnel and Rays Hill Tunnel were bypassed, as was one of the Turnpike's travel plazas.The bypass is located just east of the heavily congested ⦠Recommended parking for this cache is the dirt parking lot behind the Ramada Inn in Breezewood. Reach the .7-mile-long Rays Hill Tunnel at mile 1 and the 1.3-mile-long Sideling Hill Tunnel at ⦠If starting on the west end, you will park in Breezewood. We sure did. The gold arrow points to the cache location. Sideling Hill Tunnel is one of three original Pennsylvania Turnpike tunnels abandoned (this one in 1968) after two massive realignment projects. The center 2/3 of the tunnel is pitch black and requires a strong bike light to negotiate safely. This cache will take you to Ray's Hill tunnel which is about 2 miles from Breezewood. (The third tunnel that was bypassed, the Laurel Hill Tunnel, was located further away and required only a two-mile bypass.) The coordinates for this parking area are 39.999881, -78.228380. The GPS coordinates of the Rays Hill Tunnel geocache are N40.02072 W78.19852. A parking lot exists on the trail at the eastern end of the turnpike off Pump Station Road north of US 30; the entrance is a service road just south of where a turnpike overpass was removed in 2005. Between 1964 and 1968, three of the tunnels were abandoned. At that time,the tunnels on the Turnpike had only one travel lane in each direction.The result was significant bottlenecks as traffic increased over the years.In order to alleviate these bottlenecks, additional relief tunnels were added at mostlocations. In fact, most of Pennsylvania is heavily wooded and mountainous. A photographer illuminated by a spotlight inside the Sideling Hill Tunnel. The Pennsylvania Turnpike (America's first "superhighway") was opened to traffic in 1940. The small dot of light in the center of the blackness is the other end. Mount a flamethrower on the handlebars. This took the Rays Hill Tunnel and the nearby Sideling Hill Tunnel out of action. East end of tunnel is 40.223386,-78.055207. Despite the constantly increasing rates to drive on the toll road that stretches from one side of the state to the other, itâs often the most convenient way to travel. There are over a dozen random header images that change with every click (most of the time). After parking, head up the hill along the dirt path. The highlights of this 13 mile-long site are two abandoned tunnels â the Sideling Hill Tunnel and the Rays Hill Tunnel. Roughly one-third of the way in, the temperature had ⦠Sideling Hill Tunnel is one of three original Pennsylvania Turnpike tunnels abandoned (this one in 1968) after two massive realignment projects. This is the longest stretch of abandoned freeway in America. A parking lot exists on the trail at the eastern end of the turnpike off Pump Station Road north of US 30; the entrance is a service road just south of where a turnpike overpass was removed in 2005. There you can get on the old turnpike and ride your bike to the cache. Over the course of 10 years, a lot of work was done on the railroad, including nine tunnels, and a lot of money was spent but the project was never completed. #9 – Nuke on a Mountain Cache, Sundance, WY, #8 – The Caves of the Door Bluff Headlands Cache, Door County, WI, #5 – Dragoon Springs Geocache, Dragoon, AZ, #4 – Civil War Entrenchments Cache, Snake Springs, PA. Enjoy. The original turnpike followed the right-of-way for the Southern Pennsylvania Railroad. The Abandoned Pennsylvania Turnpike is the common name of a 13-mile (21 km) stretch of the Pennsylvania Turnpike that was bypassed in 1968 when a modern stretch opened to ease traffic congestion in the tunnels. To make the list, there has to be something extraordinary or unique about the geocache under consideration. This is a simple bike ride or a short hike to the base of the tunnel. It has a geocache nicely tucked away in it. While not officially open to the public, the inner workings of the tunnels are accessible to the adventurous. However, for an 11-mile section of Turnpike that included Rays Hill Tunnel (0.7 miles)on the border of Bedford and Fulton Counties, and Sideling Hill Tunnel (1.3 miles; th⦠Parking is available in front of the orange snow fence at the bottom of the hill. When people think of my native Pennsylvania, they usually think Pittsburgh and Philadelphia – urban areas. 30 East and Tannery Rd. This segment includes the Rays Hill Tunnel, Sideling Hill Tunnel, and the former Cove Valley Service Plaza and was abandoned by the PA Turnpike Commission in 1968. Location of the Laurel Hill Tunnel. There are two main ways to access the tunnels. All these places were geocache locations. The original turnpike followed the right-of-way for the Southern Pennsylvania Railroad. Originally 1,228' but was reduced after a major rainstorm on June 26, 1919 caused a severe collapse. Four others had second parallel tubes drilled. Tunnel on abandoned alignment of Pennsylvania Turnpike Unofficially open to hikers and bicyclists Over the course of 10 years, a lot of work was done on the railroad, including nine tunnels, and a lot of money was spent but the project was never completed. "Red Bank Trail", which is signed and blazed red, extends from atop the large hill, crossing Oregon Road, and terminates directly onto the Abandoned Turnpike. Gate to the Abandoned PA Turnpike trail near Breezewood. Pro Tips: This is an abandoned tunnel area, and signs near the entrance let you know you are proceeding at your own risk. The others are nearby Rays Hill Tunnel, and farther west, the Laurel Hill Tunnel.It was less expensive to realign the Turnpike than to bore a second tube for four lane traffic. The Allegheny Mountains run northeast to southwest through the center half of the state. The eastern portal of the Rays Hill Tunnel on September 30, 1940 – the day before the opening. The Sideling Hill and Raya Hill Tunnels were routed around in 1968. I also recommend bringing a spare tube and a pump as we encountered a number of bikers with flat tires. The road was designed to maximize straightaways while minimizing curves and hills. 1885 by South Penn. Former east-west route of Interstate 76. Likewise, you’ll need a strong bike light to go through the tunnels. You’ll be biking in pitch black darkness for almost a mile. It’s also the only portal to not have ventilation fans above the opening. It’s a great introduction to the world of “urban exploration” or URBEX, which we dabble in occasionally. Photo by M. Dakelman : Shortest of the original seven tunnels on the Pennsylvania Turnpike. Plan to spend two to four hours on this trail, depending on how far you want to hike. Past more highway and the smaller, but better preserved, Rays Hill Tunnel is the Bedford County entrance to the abandoned turnpike. down the road next to the cemetery that you can pay to park over night. Check out Grouseland Tours. The nearby Sideling Hill Tunnel was the longest tunnel on the turnpike at almost 7,000 feet. You can still see the foundations of the old Howard Johnson’s Restaurant. A family friendly blog for explorers, educators, curiosity seekers and lifelong learners of all ages. Take a jacket and a flashlight. The Sideling Hill Tunnel is five miles east of the Rays Hill Tunnel. The eastern portal of the Rays Hill Tunnel in 1885 with the geocache location shown. A year before Pearl Harbor, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania opened a four lane concrete toll road through these mountains that would eventually run east-west from border to border – the Pennsylvania Turnpike. This is a schematic of the western end of the Pike2Bike. To Laurel Hill Tunnel - EXIT 9 The western portal of Laurel Hill tunnel is easily visible if you stop your car on the eastbound side of the turnpike at MP 99.2. Don’t let that fool you. That will light the way ahead. So here we are on a hot July day looking for tunnel geocaches compliments of Andrew Carnegie and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The entire abandoned section, along with its two tunnels, became the Pike2Bike Trail in 2001. This is where the tunnels came in, but that design parameter didn’t last long. The others included the Sideling Hill Tunnel, and farther west, the Laurel Hill Tunnel. Most of us have used, or use on a regular basis, the Pennsylvania Turnpike. The others are nearby Rays Hill Tunnel, and farther west, the Laurel Hill Tunnel.It was less expensive to realign the Turnpike than to bore a second tube for four lane traffic. You can’t see the other end because there’s a slight rise and fall built into the roadway. The line and its tunnels spent over 40 years in legal and financial limbo until the whole right-of-way was bought by the Turnpike Commission in 1937. Sideling Hill Tunnel is 6,782 feet (2,067 m) long. [ Rays Hill was the shortest of the tunnels and Sideling Hill the longest. The trip is relatively flat and easy to traverse. The man at the center of the photo with his foot on the railroad tie is Andrew Carnegie, the principal financial backer of the doomed venture. Over the course of 10 years, a lot of work was done on the railroad, including nine tunnels, and a lot of money was spent but the project was never completed. In fact, an entire 13 mile section of the roadway around Breezewood, PA was abandoned and reconstructed on a new right-of-way. Regardless of how or when you go, we think you’ll find this a unique off the beaten path experience. Southern Alleghenies Conservancy 814-623-7900 sacc@earthlink.net. ; bypassed and abandoned in 1968. In its first year of operation, two million cars traveled on it. If you go to the eastern end, you’ll pass the parking apron of the old Cove Valley Travel Plaza. Each tunnel has a virtual munzee. A couple of Google searches should get you what you need. Rays Tunnel is the shorter of the two tunnels at about 3500 feet long. West end of tunnel is 40.223288,-78.059499 Rays Hill Tunnel Rays Hill Tunnel is one of three original Pennsylvania Turnpike tunnels which were abandoned after two massive realignment projects. Summers here are hot and muggy, so plan accordingly. There are about a dozen geocaches along the 13 mile route. Length: 3,532 feet. This is between Donegal (exit 9[milepost 90.7]) and Somerset (exit 10). To clarify the name spelling: The ridge is known both as "Rays" and "Wrays". I called it Wrays as a result of reading this in Wiki and it's called this in East Broad Top Railroad & Coal Company's map showing the line from 1871-1956. The Rays Hill Tunnel is about a mile long, some 20 feet tall, and about two and a half lanes wide. This is the area where I grew up and it looks much as it did 250 years ago – trackless woods as far as the eye can see. By foot or by bike, the Rays Hill Tunnel is 1.5 miles from the Breezewood parking area. That is where the fun comes in for us. The west portal is arched rather than hexagonal. To the north of Broad Top Mountain it is most often spelled "Wrays" and to the south most often "Rays." There are pools of water everywhere, some torn up pavement and the occasional rock or branch in the way. Located east of Breezewood, Pennsylvania, near Interstate 70 (N40 00.000, W78 13.682) Access to the trail is up the embankment. It is located at the Westmoreland/Somerset County line and was bypassed in 1964. Modeled after the German Autobahn, it was the first high speed limited access superhighway in the United States. In the fall, the colors are spectacular. Both were sold to Southern Alleghenies Conservancy in 2001 for $1, and together they now form the Abandoned Pennsylvania Turnpike. There are a couple of trail heads and a service road called Oregon Road that allow access to the pike. The second is via Oregon Road. The western terminus of the trail is at Breezewood and there is something of a parking area at the intersection of Rt. After you bike through the tunnel, it’s up and over. The trail is safe from predators, both four legged and two legged, and is patrolled sporadically by state, county and local law enforcement. The tunnel is part of an unofficial bike trail on a 13 mile stretch of weather-beaten asphalt called the Abandoned Pennsylvania Turnpike. Basics of the Global Positioning System (GPS), NPS Passport Stamps – More Things to Hunt, Britain’s Day of Infamy – December 10, 1941, The Unbelievable Exploits of Captain Robert Stobo, The Palms aka Hoberg’s, Borrego Springs, CA, Tuzigoot National Monument, Clarkdale, AZ, Tumacácori National Historic Park, Tubac, AZ, Santa Elena Canyon at Big Bend National Park, The Caves of the Door Bluff Headlands Cache, Follow More Exploring Off the Beaten Path on WordPress.com, NPS Passport Stamps – More Things to Hunt, Tuzigoot National Monument, Clarkdale, AZ, Threat Centered Revolver Handgun Training. RR; completed 1940 by Penn. Both portals are concrete now with concrete wingwalls. All of these tunnels were dark and dingy, with cement lining and recessed lighting. The first is Rays Hill Tunnel which is about 1.5 miles from the start of the freeway. The first is the parking area located at the western end of the road. Here’s a link with their description and location. Tunnel biking can be challenging. It was the shortest of the seven original tunnels on Pennsylvania Turnpike. Off to the right side of the turnpike you'll see a ⦠This is Oregon Road. Construction and expansion have been ongoing ever since. Within 10 years, traffic jams at the tunnels became a regular occurrence. Built in 1881 as part of the failed South PA railroad. It was also bypassed and abandoned but everything was torn down. It has been off limits since it was taken out of service in 1964. Part of these mountains run through Somerset and Westmoreland counties and are called the Laurel Highlands. Footing can be treacherous. The road was four lanes but the tunnels were two lanes and very narrow and dark. Trying to nail down the Top 10 is a moving target because as we travel around, we run into a lot of potential Top 10’s. Construction started in October 1938. The eastern portal of the Rays Hill Tunnel in 1885 with the geocache location shown. 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