By KATHY MELLOTT
ST. MICHAEL — A popular Cambria County hiking trail is about to get some national recognition, which should open the door for future federal funding.
U.S. Rep. John Murtha, D-Johnstown, will be joined by officials of the National Park Service on Tuesday for a ceremony at the South Abutment of the Johnstown Flood National Memorial.
Officials will be dedicating the “Path of the Flood Trail” as a National Recreation Trail following the recent designation by the U.S. Department of the Interior.
The designation, which includes 2.5 miles of trail owned by the National Park Service and 6.5 miles owned by the Cambria County Conservation and Recreation Authority, starts at St. Michael and runs to the Staple Bend Tunnel.
“This recognizes the importance and significance of trails that contribute to the history and the recreational opportunities of the nation,” Keith Newlin, deputy superintendent of the National Parks in western Pennsylvania, said Friday.
“So it’s a big deal. It’s good stuff,” he said.
Path of the Flood is one of 22 trails to be given the national designation in 13 states, officials of the Interior Department said.
It is adding 525 miles of trail to the nearly 12,000 miles of trail previously designated nationwide, according to information provided by the department.
Started in 1971, the national trail system recognizes existing trails that link people with local resources and improve the quality of life, officials said.
The Cambria County trail will be equipped with trail markers noting its designation, Newlin said.
The designation is being hailed by the seven municipalities making up the Forest Hills Alliance, where much of the trail is located, alliance Executive Director David Knepper said.
“This is like becoming a national historic site. This designation increases the opportunities for grant money,” Knepper said. “Very few of the trails are designated as this one is.”
The trail is one of eight to receive the designation in Pennsylvania.
Three trails were designated in New York and one each in the states of Alabama, California, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Massachusetts, Nebraska, New Jersey, Texas, Virginia and Wisconsin.
