Greenwood Furnace is a small state park about half hour outside of State College, in northern Huntingdon county. Most nearby horse trails are in Rothrock state forest surrounding the park.
Since Greenwood Furnace was an iron-making complex powered by horses and mules 
, it seems rather appropriate to ride them there!
In 2026, a project spearheaded by Rothrock Trail Alliance will start construction of more than ten miles of new trails at Greenwood Furnace, designed to include horse riding. This follows new trails at Musser Gap (opened June 2025) and Whipple Dam state park (opening end of 2025).
In the meantime we are working to make sure trails around Greenwood Furnace park are open and documented for horse users in 2025!
August 2025: We cleared a bunch of trees and Tramway Trail is now open over its whole length!
Trail Overview
This view gives status of the main body of trails. Red means impassable (dots are two destroyed bridges you may be able to ford around). Yellow means overgrown. All other trails should be passable as of September 2025.
Get an overview map showing all the trails around the park at:
Waymarked Trails: Greenwood Furnace region
Download state forest public use maps at:
Bugs
We rode July 4th after a very wet spring and June and biting flies of all kinds were quite bad in the woods. A number of trails pass through hollows which are damp and shady; these are pretty bad for horse flies and deer flies. We strongly suggest bug covers like “Bug Armor” during damp periods in summer.
In August, flies were not a problem at all.
Ticks of all sizes are also moderately bad at times. Check yourself and your animal after visiting.
Parking
Good horse trailer parking is somewhat lacking. Your best bet is to park on the Blacksmith Shop loop in the park. A couple spots along the edge are damp, but most of it is well drained. Restrooms with running water are nearby, and a snack bar at the beach in summer. Make sure you examine the reconstructed mule wagons by the blacksmith shop. The best trail connection is Brush Ridge trail, reached by riding a short distance on (quiet) Broad Mountain road.
If the blacksmith shop loop is busy, gravel parking lots near the park office or across route 305 are your next best bets for enough space.
Broad Mountain parking lot is a remote parking lot which will hold 1 or 2 trailers. Unfortunately, both Dixon trail and Viantown/Main Ski trail which start at this lot end up at bridges that are destroyed as of 2025. Fording around them isn’t trivial.
Water Sources
There is a water hydrant by the blacksmith shop which may be used to fill buckets. It is in the bushes by the mule wagon, not very obvious!
If you go from the blacksmith shop loop past the volleyball court you cross a small bridge and can access an ice-cold stream for easily watering horses.
In the campground across route 305 there are multiple water hydrants, and a trailer dump station with two clean water hydrants and enough space to turn a horse trailer. Unfortunately that’s a fair walk from the blacksmith shop loop.
We are hoping it may be possible to add a drinking fountain with a faucet–maybe even a dedicated horse wash area–during 2026 trail upgrades. We are talking with park management about this!
Loop Trails
Although there are some trail issues in areas (discussed below), we have a couple fun riding loops which are open to ride as of summer 2025.
Loop 1
A pleasant six mile loop along Brush Ridge, with a loop down to Black Lick Run. Starting from Blacksmith Shop parking, take Broad Mountain road to Brush Ridge trail. Loop on Goose Club and Dixon trails. The last two trails have significant grades but they aren’t ridiculous. Footing is generally quite good, as the north slope of the ridge is shale. One modest stream ford. Some small trees down, all passable. Branches cut back. [verified May 2025]
Loop 2
This 7.3 mile ride starts the same as above but continues all the way out Brush Ridge road, returning on Tramway and Dixon trails. It is verified open in June 2025.
Although the elevation profile shows a steep climb on Dixon Trail, it’s really not that bad.
Brush Ridge road was cleared of low branches this summer (though it’s growing back really fast) and mowed in August 2025. It can be a bit damp in spots, especially at the far end. Tramway is a little rougher than many trails in the park, with some rocks and roots.
Loop 3
This new 6.4 mile loop goes through the park campground to reach Tramway trail, does the Goose Club/Dixon loop down to the stream, then returns atop Brush Ridge, with no backtracking.
From the blacksmith shop loop, turn right on Broad Mountain road. Ride past the park office, cross route 305, and use Monsell trail and parking areas to get to Turkey Hill road and then the campground. At the far end of the campground, pick up Dogtown trail just before the water treatment plant and take that to Tramway trail.
This stretch of Tramway is a little more challenging than most of the trails, a bit rougher with some rocks, roots, brush. The loop on Goose Club and Dixon and the return on Brush Ridge are easy. Broad Mountain road is paved, but has little traffic.
Please be aware the campground can be quite busy at times (e.g. holiday or football weekends), and some sites do allow dogs.
Loop 4
This 7.8 mile ride does a figure eight at the far end. Hills on Goose Club and Dixon trail are significant, but not really hard.
As of May 2025, all trails in this route are passable with brush cut back. Brush Ridge was mowed in late August 2025. Some downed trees on Dixon trail can be crossed or skirted; obviously that can change.
Tramway is a little rougher than many trails in the park, with some rocks and roots.
Other Loops
As of August 30, 2025, all of Tramway trail is now passable. Many trees have been removed.
Main Ski trail is clear as far as the bridges at the west end (the second bridge is destroyed). There are numerous trees down on Main Ski, but they can be crossed or bypassed. After considerable rain, some of the bypasses get flooded.
We will try to add more loop options soon. New trails are coming in 2026!
Major Trails
Brush Ridge Trail
This is a two-track woods road which leads out the small ridge behind the park’s lake. Footing is mostly dirt and grass and it’s an easy ride. There are some sunny areas. Woods are mixed. We cut back a lot of low branches this spring, but with all the rain they have regrown insanely fast. There can be a few damp areas, especially near the far end; these can usually be skirted. Brush Ridge was mowed in late August 2025.
Brush Ridge connects with a number of other trails and is a connector spine that will eventually be part of multiple trail loops.
Goose Club Trail
From route 305 or Tramway trail to the top of Brush Ridge the trail is in good shape, dirt with a few rocks. The climb is not excessive. Brush is fine.
From Brush Ridge road over the summit and down to Black Lick Run we cut tons of low branches in May 2025, which were making the trail unusable on horseback. Some of it is like riding in a tunnels of trees now! Trail footing is quite good, shale and grass. The descent to the stream is considerable, but not unreasonable, and there are some fun ups and downs.
Views of Goose Club trail:
Dixon Trail
The southern end of this trail from route 305 to Brush Ridge road is good single track, mostly dirt with some rocks where it passes through the former iron mining area. It is a climb to Brush Ridge, but not unreasonable. There is low brush growing in with prickers, but it’s not too bad. Regular traffic would help!
From Brush Ridge road north to the stream we have cut tons of brush; this segment is entirely passable as of May 2025. There are still seedlings on the trail in places. A handfull of downed trees can all be stepped over, bypassed, or jumped! The hill down to the stream is fairly steep and a bit washed out, probably a bit steeper than Goose Club trail.
A stream ford near the bottom has a big tree down in the middle of it, but it is now passable on horseback. The ford is relatively easy.
At Black Lick Run, the trail connects to Goose Club for a nice loop. The bridge across Black Lick Run at this point is destroyed. Dixon trail north of the run is currently not recommended due to being wet and muddy.
Parts of Dixon trail are signed “Ski trail”, which is rather confusing. Hopefully all that will be fixed in 2026 trail projects.
Viantown East Trail
This trail is in good condition from Brush Ridge road down to Broad Mountain road, with one tree down that can be bypassed. There is a significant wooden bridge over Black Lick Run, which is decked with treated lumber and has railings. It can be EXTREMELY slippery! The main span seems well supported, although the approach ramps could use an additional stringer under the center; use a little caution with heavy horses.
We are talking to the park about upgrades to the bridge with the 2026 trail projects.
Tramway Trail
This trail is the grade of a former animal-drawn railway which carried iron ore from the mines. The iron company owned more than 140 mules and horses (info), and some of them would have worked this route. It is a single track with dirt footing and a few rocks.
As of August 2025, all of Tramway is open after removal of quite a few downed trees. Branches are cut back pretty well, although there is low brush with thorns in places. Volunteers are working on cutting the low brush in fall of 2025.
Tramway is an important connector spine trail for coming trail builds, and we are pleased to see its condition improving.
We are talking with park management about using part of Dogtown Trail in the park to connect from the campground to Tramway Trail. That would give another loop option for horse riders.
Trail Problems
Tramway Trail
At the very east end of Tramway the trail ends somewhat abruptly short of Dogtown Trail, with a steep bank down to the highway. Hopefully we can get that improved with 2026 trail projects.
Dixon Trail
The north end of this trail, north of Black Lick run, should probably be considered unusable with horses as of May 2025.
The bridge across Black Lick Run is in very bad shape and impassable with horses. It’s sometimes not easy to ford the stream nearby, depending on water level and amount of mud. The trail from there to Main Ski trail is also pretty wet and rough.
At least one of the bridges over Black Lick Run will be replaced in 2026 trail projects and we are working to make sure a new one is horse-friendly.
Main Ski Trail
As of September 2025, the trail is clear from Dixon Trail west as far as the second bridge. The second bridge is totally destroyed. You may be able to ford the stream, but it isn’t trivial. We have not yet cut brush on the climb from the bridge to Brush Ridge Spur.
Signs on this trail show it as Viantown trail and sometimes Ski Trail. We hope to get all the trail names and signage straightened out in 2026.
Brush Ridge Spur
This is a two-track extension of Brush Ridge Road. It did not get mowed in August 2025 and is a little brushy, though we cut back low branches.
It’s easy to miss the turn from this trail onto Main Ski Trail. There is a small brushy clearing at the junction, with Main Ski going off at the north edge of the clearing. There is a signpost, but it’s hard to see.
Viantown West (Three Ski) Trail
This trail is impassable except on foot. Many low branches, high brush, trees down. Forget about biking or horse riding on it for now. You can hike it if you are up for a challenge! This trail will probably be abandoned during 2026 upgrades.
The climb up to Brush Ridge road is quite considerable. The signpost at Brush Ridge still says Viantown trail, even though big chunks of Viantown trail are defunct.