Volunteers sought for Buffalo Valley Rail Trail cleanup Saturday

Volunteers will fan out along the Buffalo Valley Rail Trail Saturday to clear litter from one of Union County’s most-used recreation corridors, a 9- to 9.5-mile route that links Lewisburg and Mifflinburg. The cleanup runs from 8:30 a.m. to noon, with participants able to report to either trailhead.

The work carries a practical payoff that trail users will notice fast: cleaner access points, safer-looking shoulders and a corridor that feels cared for by the community that relies on it. The Buffalo Valley Rail Trail is a protected spine of asphalt and gravel that has drawn thousands of walkers, runners and cyclists since it opened in 2011, and even a short stretch of neglect can change how families and casual users experience the route.

Trail leaders are asking volunteers to help preserve that experience before spring use ramps up. The trail authority’s volunteer program includes an Adopt-A-Trail effort and encourages community organizations, church groups, businesses, families and individuals to take part. The goal is not only to pick up trash but to keep the corridor attractive and usable for daily recreation, commuting and tourism.

The rail trail also has deeper local significance than a simple path for exercise. A Union County trail listing says Phase II was completed in October 2015, extending the trail into the heart of historic Lewisburg. The route runs through Buffalo Valley, where interpretive signage points visitors toward local history and the surrounding farmland, turning a former rail line into a public landscape that blends recreation with heritage.

The Union County Board of Commissioners created the Union County Trail Authority in 2018 to own and manage the Buffalo Valley Rail Trail and advance future trail development in the county. The trail itself is the product of years of work by the Buffalo Valley Recreation Authority, Union County, the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources and the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation.

That layered investment is part of why a cleanup day matters. The rail trail is not just a place to walk or bike; it is a county asset that ties together Lewisburg, Mifflinburg and the communities in between. Saturday’s volunteers will cover a visible stretch of that shared ground, removing the litter and wear that can accumulate on a heavily used public corridor and leaving behind a trail that looks ready for the season ahead.