he Allegheny Ridge Corporation (ARCorp) was created to manage the Allegheny Ridge Heritage Area, which was designated by the Commonwealth in 1992, in a cooperative program involving all levels of government and the private sector. The

Allegheny Ridge Corporation is a private, non-profit corporation that develops, interprets, and restores the historic, cultural, and natural resources of the Allegheny Ridge Heritage Area in central/western PA (specifically Blair, Cambria, Somerset, and Huntingdon Counties). Allegheny Ridge Heritage Area will soon expand its service area to include those counties that fall within the 320-mile corridor of one of its projects. The Allegheny Ridge Heritage Area is part of the statewide Heritage Areas Program administered by the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. Pennsylvania was the third state in the U.S. to develop its own system of heritage areas. Many other states are now following suit. Pennsylvania's heritage areas are large geographic regions or corridors of the Commonwealth that span two or more counties. These areas contain a multitude of cultural, historic, recreational, natural, and scenic resources of state and national significance that collectively exemplify the industrial heritage of Pennsylvania. Through regional partnerships and public grassroots planning strategies, these resources are identified, protected, enhanced, and promoted to strengthen regional economies through increased tourism, creation of new jobs and stimulation of public and private partnerships for new investment opportunities. The foundation upon which the Heritage Parks Program is structured involves the building and strengthening of regional coalitions of community leaders, non-profit interest groups, the private sector, state agencies, and the federal government. ARCorp provides numerous opportunities in economically struggling communities in central/western Pennsylvania. Through the development and promotion of various heritage- and recreation-related amenities, ARCorp projects not only improve resident quality-of-life, but also advance regional tourism. As Pennsylvania's second largest industry, tourism can provide consistent funding to developing communities. To fulfill these goals, ARCorp has developed two projects, the Pittsburgh-to-Harrisburg Main Line Canal Greenway™ and Project RidgeRIDER™, both of which are in an intense implementation stage that will result in the development of unique recreation, conservation, and heritage development projects.

Projects listed on this site have been financed in part by grants from the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Bureau of Recreation and Conservation.

 

Website Funding and Support Provided By the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission

 

Allegheny Ridge Corporation: 1421-1427 Twelfth Avenue P.O. Box 348, Altoona, PA 16603 Phone: (814) 940-1922 Fax: (814) 940-1423

Trail Headquarters: 1040 Dry Run Road Duncansville, PA 16635 Phone: (814) 696-2900 Fax (814) 696-8906

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