See fall’s splendor on a driving tour of Greene County
Photos courtesy of Ben Moyer
The best fall color in Greene County often develops about a week after peak color in the mountains to the east.
Ben Moyer
Leaf-viewers following the described tour can take a short side-trip on Roberts Run Road to see the White Covered Bridge over Whiteley Creek in Whiteley Township.
Ben Moyer
The described tour route leads viewers past relics from bygone days in Greene County’s agricultural heritage, often festooned with fall foliage.
Ben Moyer
The Pennsylvania Game Commission maintains a wildlife viewing area on State Game Lands 223 along Kirby Road. Waterfowl and wading birds can often be seen in the marshy wetlands along Whiteley Creek.
Photos: Ben Moyer
Much of the described Greene County fall foliage tour follows the route of Warrior Trail, a 47-mile footpath linking the Monongahela River with the Ohio River. Most of the route passes through Greene County. The Warrior Trail Association maintains several camping shelters for backpackers.
Ben Moyer
Greene County’s diverse forests and varied topography combine to offer some of the region’s most appealing fall foliage viewing.
Editor’s note: Due to a production error, some of the directions for a leaf peeping tour of Greene County were omitted in Sunday’s Go Xplore magazine. The full directions appear below.
On any nice fall weekend, traffic climbs eastward on Route 40, over the Summit in a steady stream, headed into the mountains to leaf-peep. It’s a good plan. Forests of the Laurel Highlands are known for fall glory.
But those peepers could just as well head west, cross the Monongahela into Greene County, and enjoy a blaze of autumn color, minus the gridlock.
One advantage Greene enjoys over the mountains to the east is that its woodlands are more diverse, favoring a mix of trees that, in fall, can produce riotous color. Maples flare yellow, orange, red, or scarlet. Tulip poplars ooze buttery yellow. Black gum is winey-purple, and hickories torch gold.
The county’s topography and land use also favor premium leaf-peeping, with a more open landscape that offers peepers better views of fall’s colorful palette from more varied perspectives.
Seasonal timing also favors an excursion in Greene. Color generally peaks there a week or two later than the mountains, from late October to early November. So, foliage fans can enjoy the mountain show, then savor what’s arguably the region’s best foliage a week or two later in the Greene County hills.
A Greene autumn circuit
Described below is one suggested route for a fall foliage tour of Greene County. It leads to a blend of ridge top and valley viewing, through some of the county’s most appealing landscapes and public lands are conserved for outdoor recreation. If followed as described, the tour traverses 85 miles, and takes about 2 1/2 hours to complete. The route is best experienced by starting out mid-morning, clockwise around the circuit, heading west in the morning and east in the afternoon. In that way, the sun will backlight the landscape throughout the tour, providing optimum viewing.
The route
Begin at what’s known as Bailey’s Crossroads, just southeast of Carmichaels where Route 21 intersects with West George Street and Glade Run Road. Proceed west on Route 21 for one-tenth of a mile and turn south (left) onto South Branch Muddy Creek Road. Proceed southwest for 2.6 miles and continue left at a big curve onto the Carmichaels Road. Continue due south on Carmichaels Road, over a ridge for 2.8 miles to Garards Fort Road.
Turn right (west) on Garards Fort Road and head up the valley of Whiteley Creek through State Game Lands 223. At Roberts Run Road on the left you can make a brief diversion to a scenic landmark. Within sight of Garards Fort Road is White Covered Bridge, spanning Whiteley Creek. Return to Garards Fort Road and turn left (west).
Just beyond Roberts Run Road and White Bridge, Garards Fort Road continues north toward Waynesburg. Make the sharp left (west) turn here onto Kirby Road.
Kirby Road skirts the base of a ridge, with views to the south over state game land fields and wetlands. The Pennsylvania Game Commission maintains a wildlife viewing platform with parking nearby. When the Game Commission floods the fields below, migrating ducks and geese, and wading birds are drawn to the wetland habitat.
Continue west on Kirby Road, passing under Interstate 79, to the village of Kirby on Route 19. Turn left (south) on Route 19, go south for one-half of a mile to a right turn (west) onto Dairy Farm Road.
Dairy Farm heads south along the side of a ridge, with good views across the valley to the east. Maples and hickory are abundant here.
Continue south, crossing over Fox Ridge Road at the top of the ridge. Dairy Farm Road becomes Vandruff Road at the ridge crest. Continue south without turning. From the Fox Ridge intersection, go south 1.5 miles to Big Shannon Run Road and turn right (northwest). Big Shannon climbs gradually through a continuous forest tunnel to the tiny village of Luke. At the top, turn left (west) onto Claughton Chapel Road at the Claughton Chapel Cemetery.
Claughton Chapel Road follows the ridge crest, with excellent views of valleys and hills to the south. Look for circular yellow discs affixed to trees. These indicate the route of the Warrior Trail, a continuous hiking trail that follows a ridge spine from the Monongahela River, west to the Ohio River.
Continue west on Claughton Chapel to Drift Ridge Road, then turn left (south). Go south on Drift Ridge for 1 mile to an extremely sharp right turn (northwest) onto Strawn Hill Road (some maps call this School Road). On Strawn Hill, descend through hairpin turns a short distance to Route 218.
Turn right (north) onto Route 218 and drive north for 1.9 miles to a very sharp left turn (west) onto Bluff Ridge Road. As its name suggests, Bluff Ridge follows the heights for miles, with wide views. The road here again tracks the Warrior Trail.
Continue on Bluff Ridge, crossing Oak Forest Road. From Oak Forest Road junction, stay on Bluff Ridge, heading west for 2.9 miles and passing through colorful hickory trees lining the road, to the village of Bluff. Just beyond Bluff, the maps sometimes conflict. You’ll pass Hargus Creek Road on the right, and your GPS may change the name of Bluff Ridge Road to Warrior Trail Road. Stay on the main route, headed downhill and west to a right (northwest) turn onto Toms Run Road.
Follow Tom’s Run, gradually climbing, for 2.1 miles to Route 18. Turn left (south) onto Route 18 and proceed south for 1.8 miles, then turn right (west) onto Aleppo Road.
Aleppo Road gradually turns northward, traveling through intimate valleys whose streams converge to form the headwaters of the South Fork of Dunkard Fork of Wheeling Creek. Sycamore trees dominate the stream corridors. Their leaves turn bright yellow at peak, then fade to brown. The yellow foliage, against the sycamores’ gleaming white bark is stunning.
Here, a couple of intersections are potentially confusing. Just stay in the valley and avoid any route that appears headed uphill. Two miles west of Route 18, Aleppo Road’s state route number changes from 3012 to 3005 at the intersection with Long Run Road. Bear left there to stay on Aleppo. From this point, some maps identify Aleppo Road as Valley Road. Stay in the stream valley, headed north. At a white church on the left, bear right, or straight, to stay on Aleppo/Valley Road. Nine miles north and west from Long Run Road, Aleppo/Valley Road intersects Route 21.
Turn right (east) on Route 21 and go one-eighth of a mile to a right turn (east) on Bristoria Road. This road immediately enters attractive Ryerson Station State Park, with the former lakebed on the right (south). The park now manages the former lake as a unique wetland. Restrooms and picnic facilities are available in the park.
Continue through the state park to a left turn (north) onto Poland Run Road. Poland Run climbs up through a long hollow and becomes Dividing Ridge Road, which follows the ridge and becomes Jacobs Run Road for the gradual descent back to Route 21 at the village of Rutan.
From Rutan, if time is short, you can head back to the beginning on Route 21, crossing I-79 at Waynesburg.
The tour, though, suggests two brief detours that offer good views. Continue east from Rutan on Route 21 for 1 mile to a left (north) turn onto Scott Run Road. Follow Scott Run “up the hollow,” to Hopewell Ridge Road, turn right (east), and follow the ridge for 3 miles to a right (south) turn on Rush Run Road. Follow Rush Run “down the hollow” back to Route 21. The Hopewell Ridge span, with long views toward the north, suggests the Greene County of decades ago, when sheep farming was at its peak and flocks grazing their pastures kept the landscape more open than it is today.
East of Waynesburg, drivers can enjoy a similarly attractive leaf-viewing “leg” by turning left (north) on Spotted Pony Road, then returning to Route 21 via Ridge Road and Eaton Run Road.
Turn left (east) on Route 21 and complete the circle to the Bailey Crossroads beginning.
Notes on preparation
This route is rural. Make sure your vehicle has sufficient gas and be aware there are no public restrooms until the route reaches Ryerson Station State Park, but then offers numerous options for dining and facilities later in Waynesburg. Snacks and drinking water will enhance the trip. Cell service is erratic in some areas, and up-to-date GPS sometimes uses different road names than printed maps. Importantly, the driver should always remain alert to the road. Much of the route is hilly, with continual curves. Large trucks that service the Marcellus natural gas industry use many of these routes. Stay alert. Despite those cautions, the tour reveals the rural appeal of Greene County’s foothill forests, aflame in autumn display.