The Crook Farm Loop Trail is a 3-mile loop trail which rests upon the manicured banks of the Bradford Flood Control Project which was authorized in 1949 to prevent the Tuna Creek from flooding the City of Bradford. The trail is eight-foot-wide with a crushed stone surface. The Tuna Creek flows in a northerly direction to the Allegheny River. There are three formal trailheads. Two trailheads are located on Bolivar Drive, one on each side of the Tuna Creek, and the third trailhead is located on Seaward Avenue at the Historic Crook Farm.
If you begin your walk, run or ride on the Crook Farm Trail at the trailhead on Bolivar Drive on the side with the granite retaining wall and head north along the Tuna Creek, you will cross under the north and south bound lanes of US 219. As you continue north along the Crook Farm Trail you will see a windsock swinging in the breeze above the fence which surrounds the Bradford Sanitary Authority sewage treatment plant. If you are someone who frequently walks the Crook Farm Trail, you will notice that the wind usually blows from the west to the east. Not far beyond the windsock you will see a wooden bench next to the trail. The crushed stone path behind the bench leads directly to the Historic Crook Farm trailhead. If you continue walking north past the bench, you will walk across a bridge which crosses over a stream called Latchhaw Creek. Not far beyond the bridge you will see where the trail intersects with Tuna Cross Roads. The trail then crosses over the Tuna Cross Roads bridge to the east side of the Tuna Creek. To complete the loop trail, head south towards Bolivar Drive. Along the way, you will cross a narrow foot bridge which passes over a stream called Foster Brook which actually flows under the Bradford Mall. Beyond the bridge, the trail continues south again crossing under the south and north bound lanes of US 219 and returns to the trailheads at Bolivar Drive. If you need to cross the Bolivar Drive bridge, please exercise caution and beware of oncoming traffic.
Wildlife frequently seen on the Crook Farm Loop Trail include birds of prey such as bald eagles, osprey, hawks and buzzards. Throughout the spring, summer and fall a wide variety of waterfowl such as Canadian Geese, mergansers, mallards and wood ducks can be seen swimming and feeding on the Tuna Creek. During the late spring and summer months, when the water level is at its lowest level, you will likely see a variety of herons and egrets feeding along the banks of the Tuna. Many people have also reported seeing snapping turtles, whitetail deer, fox and an occasional black bear while walking this trail.
The Crook Farm Loop Trail is one of the many trails constructed and maintained by the Tuna Valley Trail Association (TVTA) a 501 (c) (3) organization founded in 1998 by a group of community volunteers. For more information check us out at tunavalleytrail.com or contact us at: