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Print Friendly MapThe 202 Parkway Trail, part of The Circuit (Greater Philadelphia's trail network) connects three towns—Montgomery, Warrington, and Doylestown—on its 8.4-mile route paralleling the scenic byway. The paved 12-foot-wide pathway is separated from the roadway by split-rail fences and grassy strips, and offers numerous access points and ample parking. Some rolling hills can be expected, as well as views of farmland and wooded areas through Bucks and Montgomery counties.
Five trailheads offer parking along the 202 Parkway: at Knapp Road, Route 309, Stump Road near the County Line Road intersection, Bristol Road, and New Britain Road.
I do enjoy having this trail in the area, but it is extremely dangerous. At least once a year someone is struck by a car crossing at an intersection and no updates are made to protect pedestrians/cyclists. Despite the various incidents in which someone is hit by a car, it being the longest stretch of paved trail in the area, and the frequency it is used by non-motorists every intersection prioritizes cars with left turning cars getting the right away when the light changes and nothing has ever changed to improve safety. The lack of delayed green lights that prioritize non-motorists, bike lights and bike boxes, and no turn on red signs, in addition to the countless design flaws (i.e. islands at Limekiln intersection and constant shifting of what side of the road the trail is on) it is hard to be thankful for this poorly planned trail. Please make the necessary improvements to keep the community safe and healthy before this trail is lined with ghost bikes and memorials.
Although the trail is noisy because of its proximity to Rt. 202, it is beautifully maintained, asphalt all the way and offers pleasant views. Very hilly headed south but fun downhills on the northward journey.
This is a good trail for inline skating. Asphalt is very smooth. It's up and down the whole way so good cardio and fun downhill.
I worked for every mile of this trail. I lucked out and started at the north end traveling south and back. I found the return trip to be easier...oh there was still climbing but not nearly as much as the first half. I was glad I saved my legs for the return trip. There’s a 6.5% grade near the LA Fitness. Yes, it follows 202 so it can be noisy but if you get in your head, you won’t care. There are porta-potties at the north end and a Wawa at the south end. I didn’t see any in-between. Just sayin’ so you’ll be prepared. I was really happy with this ride. I’d peg this for advanced beginners on up. You’re going to work continuously for this one.
Positives: paved and hilly so good cardio, side trails peaceful Negatives: noisy alongside busy road
Awsome trail, the hills were very challenging, clean pathways, beautiful area for some nice pictures, will be riding again....
Great trail that connects to other trails... hills are challenging but met with the reward of a downhill. Wide enough for social distancing
Great path, all asphalt, smooth and no roots, and pretty high speed on the down slopes. Be careful, though, and keep very alert when you have to cross the several big and busy streets. Riding toward Doylestown (going west to east) is easier than heading away from Doylestown.
Plenty of low grade hills so it's good for a workout.
This trail is well-separated from the cars, so they're not a hazard, but there are a handful of crossings (with lights and pedestrian signals), which are annoying but easy and safe to do. This trail isn't in the woods (although the offshoots to Neshaminy Creek Trail are), so it's not somewhere to explore the beauty of nature, but it has two key virtues: (1) it is well-maintained asphalt with gentle turns and (2) the southern half is at a higher average elevation (200-250 feet) than the northern half.
Thus, heading south is a good workout with a lot of long-but-not-impossible climbs, while those same hills become long descents when heading north, a great place for people to develop confidence at higher speeds, using drop-bars, or practicing their lean for a high-speed turn. If you're just starting out cycling, or you're preparing for a 10- or 20-mile event, this is an excellent trail to develop your skills and improve your fitness.
Its a good trail for slight inclines. 17 miles round trip. The constant stopping at lights is annoying. I enjoy other trails in our area more for the continuity and scenery, but this is a nice biking trail. Wish we had something....anything in Northampton Township!
Coming from our home area of the SRT from KOP to Philly, this trail is pretty much running with the traffic. If your looking for a bit more solitude and having to avoid start/stops at major traffic intersections (numerous) avoid this one. Overall not bad, but expect a generally downward grade toward Doylestown, and the exact opposite heading back. Probably not good for small kids for the long uphill gradients.
Nice distance with smooth asphalt. Lots of long inclines and gear changes to challenge legs and wind. Starts at 202 & Welsh Rd. Ends at a beautiful and large park in Doylestown. Offshoots into a couple of short scenic rides.
I want to like this trail more cause of convenience to my house.. but...
(-)
You can't get a rhythm going, you need to cross over RT 202 back and forth along the trail at various traffic lights.
You have a lot of traffic on RT 202, hence breathing in fumes from the many cars and trucks.
The scenery for a good part is boring although there are some nice stretches.
(+)
It's it paved which is nice.
Sort of hilly which is a good workout
This is a great trail if your looking for a workout. Lots on hills | gear changing. The scenery was boring. Heavy 202 traffic road. Be extremely careful crossing roads.
I agree with many of the comments posted earlier. This is a beautiful ride and I took a few turns off the path and found some gorgeous scenery. There is a strawberry field at one turn....pick your own! There are benches along the way. At the end in Doylestown, there is a wide open field and a large port-o-potty(big enough to bring your bike in with you). It was clean believe it or not. I definitey got a good workout because of the hills. I parked in the Giant parking lot which is 1/2 mile in from the end. Next time I'll park in Wawa at the very end and cross the highway.
Great trail for biking! It would be very helpful to have signs on the parkway showing where to turn off for trail parking and also pointing the way into the entrance of each lot. Especially the Stump Rd lot which is the most hidden. I only found that once I saw the black wrought iron gate on the Bristol Rd lot and remembered passing the same type of gate when looking for Stump lot. Thanks for a great local trail.
The parking lot entrances are located just off the parkway at each of the intersections mentioned in the trailhead access list on this site.
Starting at the end of the trail at Welsh rd, you'll be heading North on the parkway trail, you can park at Wawa on Welsh at 1286 Welsh rd, North Wales, LAT: N 40° 13' 07", LONG: W 075° 14' 47").
The next parking area headed North is 1133 Knapp Rd. North Wales, LAT: N 40° 13' 37", LONG: W 075° 14' 36".
Next is at 934 Bethlehem Pike (309), Montgomeryville, LAT: N 40° 13' 56", LONG: W 075° 14' 20".
Next is at 49 Stump Rd., Chalfont, LAT: N 40° 15' 18", LONG: W 075° 12' 22" and entrance has a wrought iron gate.
Next is at 3807 Bristol Rd., Chalfont, LAT: N 40° 16' 50", LONG: W 075° 10' 55" and has a wrought iron gate at entrance.
Next is at 425 Wells Rd.(off New Britain Rd.), Doylestown, ("Walter C. Berry Trailhead" in Central Park), LAT: N 40° 17' 28", LONG: W 075° 08' 29".
Happy Trails!
I have searched this website at length (maps are no help) and have driven by the trail and I have not yet found one place to park and access the trail for walking. I'm not really familiar with the area so if anyone can help (please be specific), I would appreciate it. Thanks!!
Lengthy, beautiful Trail. Difficult to find any access on foot for safe, visible, scenic, paved trail Walking. trailheads and parking obscure, no facilities. Is lovely rolling Trail. But Hard to safely access for walking.
The trail winds through 8 miles of the most beautiful scenery around! Great for walking or biking.
Good news:
*Smooth trail for walking/biking.
*Great views, especially at dawn/dusk
*You'll see falcons, hawks, deer, etc.
*Lots of friendly folks.
*Several challenging hills.
Bad news:
*No bathrooms (unless you run into Costco, near 309)
*Cars drive ridiculously fast. Not worth risking riding on the road/bike path, stick to the walking trail.
Nice, wide trail for walking during a weekday. It's good that I was alone and not trying to have a heartfelt talk with a pal. I think this trail is probably best for cyclists, who are generally not trying to chat it up.
On the other hand, some thoughtfulness went into some of the plantings on the side of the trail, and for them I am grateful!
Rode this trail on June 2, 2014, (a Monday) starting at about 1 pm. While we've been riding trails for several years, we usually stick to the flat rail trails, so were surprised to find several hills on this one. Gave us a decent workout tho!! As mentioned by others, there are several places where the trail crosses the road, so if you're in a big hurry or trying to do a speed trial, this isn't a good trail for you. But there are lights at every crossing, so there's no real danger if you cross according to the lights; so the crossings aren't bad for us leisure riders. The surface of the trail is GREAT! Nice smooth asphalt all the way. Several trail heads with ample parking. Not many folks on the trail the day we rode. Only problems with the trail are that there is absolutely no shade for the entire length and there aren't any bathroom facilities (or even a gas station) so come prepared!
If possible, cycle the route during the daytime, Monday through Friday. The surface is smooth and wide with limited pedestrian traffic. It's not too scenic going towards Montgomeryville but more so towards Doylestown. The ratio of rise to run roadway is evenly balanced so that a good workout is ensured if the entire route is completed. You do encounter some major intersections along the way but the lights are adequately timed for your safe crossing. There is some traffic noise along the entire route and there could be more seated areas to rest but otherwise this is a great ride!
Overall the trail is a good place for "adults" to bike, rollerblade and run. The trail is very hilly and is about 8.5 miles from Welsh to the New Britain trailhead. It is all paved asphalt and roughly 10 feet wide.
At the southern end near the malls, traffic is congested and intersections are busy. The bridge over route 309 has a very steep grade and is somewhat unsafe. Heading north of County Line Road there is a half mile long downhill. The flattest portions of the trail are generally just a few feet from the roadway. North of Bristol Road there are more undulating hills.
The trail is appropriate for intermediate to advanced exercise and training. There are several significant safety flaws in the meandering roadway and trail design. Bikers utilize the path instead of the designated roadway bike lane. The landscaped areas have been done well and are properly maintained. Personally I wouldn't call it a parkway but there are a few areas of peacefulness and solitude.
This is a good trail for bicycle exercise as the rolling hills are a little bit of a challenge. And it is not too crowded with people walking and jogging that makes it a nuisance. The people walking and jogging are spread out because it "limited access". And joggers and people walking are comfortable with bikes at speed because the path is 12 feet wide.
The only 2 negatives that come to mind is that there is no shade, and there is car noise.
So all in all, for trail use everyone I think is comfortable in using the trail.
Now if we could only get rid of the cars, it would be perfect! So only 3 stars (no shade and car noise)
This is a very nice trail. Divided from the road so I felt very safe. As the other reviewers mentioned there are a few places where you have to cross some roads but there are cross-walks and they aren't too busy so not bad at all. I was very relieved that there is an overpass over 309 so you don't have to worry about crossing that busy road. I usually skate trails in Florida so for me, the hills were a nice change of pace for a good workout. I went on a very windy day so the trip from North Wales to Doylestown was easy with a tailwind but the trip from Doylestown back to North Wales was a nice challenge going into a stiff headwind. The only downside was that I encountered a bunch of autumn leaves which made for some slick terrain on skates. Again, not something I usually think about in Florida. Fortunately, this was only the case for an approximate 0.5 mile stretch near the Doylestown end. All in all, great scenery and I even saw 2 deer which was a nice surprise. I'll definitely plan on skating there again on my next trip to the area.
I live a mile from this trail and it's an excellent workout. Lots of hills and valleys to make it interesting. Beware. Do not ride your bike on the rode, please!! Previous post is correct. This is a commuter route for locals to and from different towns and they do not respect cyclists in this area. I have had to ditch several times in the past and actually fell. But the trail itself is a great workout and interconnects with other paths if you know your way around. Stop at DelVal college to use the bathroom or Kids Castle Park for a rest and bathrooms. Extremely safe environment, no worries any time of the day. Locals are friendly and helpful. It also will take you to the DTown YMCA which is open year round for shelter and facilities if needed. Only drawback is the traffic noise and NO SHADE, hence the three stars.
I have ridden my bike on this trail a few times and have these comments.
The bike lane that is a lined off section of the roadway I has a good surface, but the cars have little respect for the bicyclists. In general drivers travel much faster than the 40 mph speed limit. The plus to the bike lane is you are traveling with the traffic flow and the traffic patterns are predictable.
The multi use trail also has a good surface and is separated from the traffic. The problem with this trail is the multiple places where it crosses the main roadway. The drivers turning onto the feeder roads do not respect the bicycles or pedestrians in the crosswalks. The good things about this trail are the easy to access traffic controls and the wide smooth trail. I think an improvement to this trail would be signs to remind motorists to respect the riders and walkers.
The 202 trail is a great addition to the region's trail system. As an early season "treat" we combined our bike ride with a SEPTA. We started at Knapp Road and went to Lower State - about 10 miles. Go up the hill into Doylestown - enjoyed the shops, stopped for coffee then took SEPTA to North Wales (another nice village) and rode to Knapp via North Wales and Welch Roads. On weekends bikes are welcome on the trains. At Doylestown you have to lift them into the train, but North Wales is a level platform. Enjoy.
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