Within 10 years, traffic jams at the tunnels became a regular occurrence. Both portals are concrete now with concrete wingwalls. At 3,532 feet, it was the shortest of the seven tunnels on the turnpike. We sure did. Summers here are hot and muggy, so plan accordingly. 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. Tpk. "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. 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. RR; completed 1940 by Penn. We started this series last year and have been working through it slowly but surely. A couple of Google searches should get you what you need. Before it was abandoned in 1968, my family had driven through it many times. Reach the .7-mile-long Rays Hill Tunnel at mile 1 and the 1.3-mile-long Sideling Hill Tunnel at … There are two main ways to access the tunnels. Between 1964 and 1968, three of the tunnels were abandoned. Take the right turn. Just before reaching the Rays Hill Tunnel, you’ll cross over Mountain Chapel Road via the short bridge pictured below. To the north of Broad Top Mountain it is most often spelled "Wrays" and to the south most often "Rays." There’s quite a bit of information about all this on the Internet. 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 trip is relatively flat and easy to traverse. (N40 00.000, W78 13.682) Access to the trail is up the embankment. Each one has a caption that identifies it. Likewise, you’ll need a strong bike light to go through the tunnels. Rays Tunnel is the shorter of the two tunnels at about 3500 feet long. Make sure to bring a flashlight, and a helmet wouldn’t hurt in case anything falls from the ceiling of the tunnel. To clarify the name spelling: The ridge is known both as "Rays" and "Wrays". The GPS coordinates of the Rays Hill Tunnel geocache are N40.02072 W78.19852. This is where the tunnels came in, but that design parameter didn’t last long. The turnpike was a victim of its own success. The west portal is arched rather than hexagonal. The first section of abandoned Turnpike is a two-mile stretch which includes Laurel Hill Tunnel. 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. It’s also the only portal to not have ventilation fans above the opening. A family friendly blog for explorers, educators, curiosity seekers and lifelong learners of all ages. The eastern portal of the Rays Hill Tunnel in 1885 with the geocache location shown. Construction and expansion have been ongoing ever since. Parking is available in front of the orangesnow fence at the bottom of the hill. 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. The tunnels — Sideling Hill and Rays Hill, respectively — were closed in the 1960s in favor of a new route for the highway and travel plaza. When people think of my native Pennsylvania, they usually think Pittsburgh and Philadelphia – urban areas. The road was designed to maximize straightaways while minimizing curves and hills. 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. Check out Grouseland Tours. The western terminus of the trail is at Breezewood and there is something of a parking area at the intersection of Rt. Part of these mountains run through Somerset and Westmoreland counties and are called the Laurel Highlands. Construction started in October 1938. Recommended parking for this cache is the dirt parking lot behind the Ramada Inn in Breezewood. This is the parking area for Rays Hill Tunnel and the southern end of the Abandoned PA Turnpike. Pro Tips: This is an abandoned tunnel area, and signs near the entrance let you know you are proceeding at your own risk. Plan to spend two to four hours on this trail, depending on how far you want to hike. In its first year of operation, two million cars traveled on it. All of these tunnels were dark and dingy, with cement lining and recessed lighting. Post was not sent - check your email addresses! The eastern portal of the Rays Hill Tunnel on September 30, 1940 – the day before the opening. 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. In fact, an entire 13 mile section of the roadway around Breezewood, PA was abandoned and reconstructed on a new right-of-way. This took the Rays Hill Tunnel and the nearby Sideling Hill Tunnel out of action. The abandoned road that connects these two tunnels lives on as an easy — but incredibly intriguing and historic — hiking trail . It might be distance, difficulty, terrain, location, history or just the surroundings. Four others had second parallel tubes drilled. The second is via Oregon Road. The highlights of this 13 mile-long site are two abandoned tunnels – the Sideling Hill Tunnel and the Rays Hill Tunnel. The eastern portal of the Rays Hill Tunnel in 1885 with the geocache location shown. The Rays Hill Tunnel is about a mile long, some 20 feet tall, and about two and a half lanes wide. The Allegheny Mountains run northeast to southwest through the center half of the state. There are over a dozen random header images that change with every click (most of the time). The nearby Sideling Hill Tunnel was the longest tunnel on the turnpike at almost 7,000 feet. While not officially open to the public, the inner workings of the tunnels are accessible to the adventurous. ; bypassed and abandoned in 1968. The tunnel is part of an unofficial bike trail on a 13 mile stretch of weather-beaten asphalt called the Abandoned Pennsylvania Turnpike. This is Oregon Road. There you can get on the old turnpike and ride your bike to the cache. Parking here is limited, so I suggest doing what we did: There is a trucker motel (quality inn?) 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. Photo by M. Dakelman : Shortest of the original seven tunnels on the Pennsylvania Turnpike. The first 160 mile section from Carlisle to Irwin opened for business on October 1, 1940. There are a couple of trail heads and a service road called Oregon Road that allow access to the pike. Laurel Hill Tunnel. Tunnel on abandoned alignment of Pennsylvania Turnpike Unofficially open to hikers and bicyclists It is located at the Westmoreland/Somerset County line and was bypassed in 1964. Sideling Hill Tunnel is 6,782 feet (2,067 m) long. You’ll also experience a 20 degree temperature drop, which is welcome on a hot July day. The gold arrow points to the cache location. It was the shortest of the seven original tunnels on Pennsylvania Turnpike. Sideling Hill Tunnel is 6,782 feet (2,067 m) long. Don’t let that fool you. 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. The eastern portal of the Rays Hill Tunnel in 1885 with the geocache location shown. 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. Rays Hill-Sideling Hill Tunnels. The original turnpike followed the right-of-way for the Southern Pennsylvania Railroad. The first is the parking area located at the western end of the road. All these places were geocache locations. Take a jacket and a flashlight. The road can get a bit nasty at points so a helmet is a must. down the road next to the cemetery that you can pay to park over night. You can still see the foundations of the old Howard Johnson’s Restaurant. Slow and easy does it, both inside the tunnel and out. That is where the fun comes in for us. Urban explorers will like the elaborate graffiti. A local bike shop does tours of the pike and the tunnels. Southern Alleghenies Conservancy 814-623-7900 sacc@earthlink.net. Headlights were required even during the day. 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. Hike To Abandoned Rays Hill Tunnel In Pennsylvania For A Unique Outdoor Adventure. 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. The two tunnels along the abandoned turnpike are the Sideling Hill Tunnel and the Rays Hill Tunnel. So here we are on a hot July day looking for tunnel geocaches compliments of Andrew Carnegie and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Tunnel biking can be challenging. 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… Actually, two is better. Sideling Hill Tunnel is one of three original Pennsylvania Turnpike tunnels abandoned (this one in 1968) after two massive realignment projects. This cache will take you to Ray's Hill tunnel which is about 2 miles from Breezewood. The road was four lanes but the tunnels were two lanes and very narrow and dark. This is the longest stretch of abandoned freeway in America. The parking area for the abandoned turnpike near Breezewood. Parking is available in front of the orange snow fence at the bottom of the hill. Location of the Laurel Hill Tunnel. Sideling Hill Tunnel is one of three original Pennsylvania Turnpike tunnels abandoned (this one in 1968) after two massive realignment projects. If you continue for another 3.5 miles, you come to the half-mile long Rays Hill Tunnel. Steps, passageways, ventilators, control rooms and other assorted man-made features are waiting for the curious. From the earliest days of exploration to modern times, the Alleghenies have challenged those who tried to tame them with roads, canals and tracks. It was also bypassed and abandoned but everything was torn down. West end of tunnel is 40.223288,-78.059499 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. After parking, head up the hill along the dirt path. Each tunnel has a virtual munzee. This is the eastern portal of the tunnel. The others included the Sideling Hill Tunnel, and farther west, the Laurel Hill Tunnel. Rays Hill Tunnel lies about two miles east of this point. The original turnpike followed the right-of-way for the Southern Pennsylvania Railroad. The second is a 12-mile stretch east of Breezewood, which is shown here. Although little has become of the Pike2Bike, the route is a popular and fairly easy 26 mile ride round trip. Believe it or not, 18 wheelers used to rumble through this tunnel in both directions. After you bike through the tunnel, it’s up and over. If using the parking load at the western end, I highly recommend bringing a bicycle. The original turnpike followed the right-of-way for the Southern Pennsylvania Railroad. The small dot of light in the center of the blackness is the other end. abandoned , Abandoned pa turnpike , abandoned turnpike , Pennsylvania turnpike , Rays hill tunnel , Sideling hill tunnel , turnpike turn pike That will light the way ahead. Construction started in 1938 using the railroad bed and seven of the nine tunnels. Rays Hill Tunnel Rays Hill Tunnel is one of three original Pennsylvania Turnpike tunnels which were abandoned after two massive realignment projects. Former east-west route of Interstate 76. Take your light and wear your helmet. 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. 1885 by South Penn. 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. This is between Donegal (exit 9[milepost 90.7]) and Somerset (exit 10). Since then, our Top 10 have changed a bit as we have been to some really cool places. Most of us have used, or use on a regular basis, the Pennsylvania Turnpike. It has been off limits since it was taken out of service in 1964. 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 … The original design envisioned speeds of up to 100 mph. The third abandoned tunnel, Laurel Hill, is 50 miles to the west. Ray's Hill Tunnel: Ray's Hill Tunnel, western portal, 1980. Off to the right side of the turnpike you'll see a … Rays Hill Tunnel is one of three original Pennsylvania Turnpike tunnels which were abandoned (this one in 1968) after two massive realignment projects. The  photos were taken by yours truly. This left a 13.5 mile stretch of former Turnpike right-of-way abandoned along with the Rays Hill and Sideling Hill Tunnels. Rays Hill Tunnel lies about two miles east of this point. 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. The first is Rays Hill Tunnel which is about 1.5 miles from the start of the freeway. You can’t see the other end because there’s a slight rise and fall built into the roadway. 30 East and Tannery Rd. Despite the constantly increasing rates to drive on the toll road that stretches from one side of the state to the other, it’s often the most convenient way to travel. 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. (The third tunnel that was bypassed, the Laurel Hill Tunnel, was located further away and required only a two-mile bypass.) 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