PATTON — Hundreds of all-terrain vehicle enthusiasts are flocking to a new 50-mile trail through a 6,000-acre area of Western Pennsylvania's scenic forests and grasslands, bringing tourism dollars to the rural region.

The $8 million Rock Run Recreation Area, touted as the best ATV trail east of the Mississippi, runs through the Allegheny Mountains in Cambria and Clearfield counties. It is part of a broader plan to increase the trails by another 100 miles and build 250 campsites, snowmobiling areas and walking and biking paths.

Rock Run, which opened in early May, has so far averaged about 150 riders on the weekends, most of them from the Pittsburgh area. But people have also come from other states, including Connecticut, Virginia and Washington.

The prospect of increased tourism has energized nearby rural communities, including Patton, a small town of just over 2,000 people, where bed-and-breakfasts and a new restaurant have popped up.

"People are really excited about the energy that it has brought to town. There is a lot of traffic," said David LaSota.