Somerset County seeking Great Allegheny Passage trail maintenance funds

SOMERSET, Pa. – Somerset County officials are aiming to update sections of the county's portion of the Great Allegheny Passage.

The Somerset County commissioners voted 3-0 Tuesday to apply for a $1 million state Department of Community and Economic Development grant for trail maintenance.

A total of 42 miles of the 150-mile GAP trail run through Somerset County.

The goal is to repair paved approaches at the trail's roadway crossings and resurface the crushed limestone path through the Big Savage Tunnel, Somerset County Parks and Trails Director Cathie Beal said. She said it was too soon to tell when grant awards will be announced.

The Greenways, Trails and Recreation Program funds was established through the Marcellus Shale legacy fund, which is managed by the Commonwealth Financing Authority, DCED's website shows.

While there are numerous state and federal programs to support the development of new trails in Pennsylvania, securing funds to keep those trails maintained over time is a far bigger challenge, Commissioner Pamela Tokar-Ickes said.

She credited Beal for taking a proactive approach to finding trail upkeep funds – not just for the GAP, but also for Lake Somerset's nature trail.

"When you're dealing with nature ... you can't predict" how it might impact trails, Tokar-Ickes said.

The county recently invested in repairs addressing a rock slide on one portion of the GAP south of Rockwood.

Beal said a separate project is progressing to repair an erosion- driven landslide on another section of the GAP after the 2026 hiking season ends. Design work is already complete on that repair project, she said.

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This story was originally published May 20, 2026 at 6:38 PM.