The 6.4 mile of the Chester Valley Trail is expanding in both directions with construction starting this month. As mentioned in the other reviews this trail will become a significant part of the overall Philadelphia/SE PA region trail network in the future but the immediate "phase 2" expansion begins in April 2012 and will result in 15 miles paved from Exton to King of Prussia by 2013. Separately, King of Prussia has committed to complete their 2 mile connector section by 2013 which will connect the Chester Valley Trail to the 50+ mile Schuykill River Trail system. The result will be an amazing trail system for uninterrupted long trail rides. You can get to Valley Forge National Park either via The Schuylkill River Trail or via the trail system in Chesterbrook (being formerly developed as part of the Patriot's Path to Valley Forge). The Schuylkill River Trail stretches from Philadelphia to beyond Reading with many connecting trails which will result in an uninterrupted trail system easily exceeding 100 miles (after connectors are completed-check back in 2013 for that ride).

These trails are flat and family friendly and often have a shoulder for running or stepping off the trail. There are many township parks and Valley Forge National Park along the trail or that connect to the trail. There is also parking at businesses and small shopping centers including Worthington which includes Wegmans and Target at Route 29 (Morehall Road). Our cub scout troop rode the 6 mile section and added part of the unpaved "phase 2" section, parts of which requires hybrid tires until it is paved. Friends of the Chester Valley Trail has a Facebook page for current information, photos and quick responses to questions. Enjoy!

First envisioned in 1991, the numerous disjointed segments of the Chester Valley Trail are finally starting to come together.

As of late 2011, three major segments of the trail, which is being constructed along an abandoned rail line that once connected Downingtown to Norristown and allowed freight trains to bypass Philadelphia, have been built in Chester and Montgomery counties.

The westernmost segment runs for 0.8 miles in the vicinity of the Main Street at Exton shopping center. The bulk of this section parallels Commerce Drive from Iron Lake Blvd. west to the Exton Wal-Mart. It then continues for an additional 1500 feet before abruptly dead-ending at a clump of bushes. Despite helping to provide a pedestrian link between the area's many malls, shopping centers and office buildings, this segment appears to be underused. This will likely change once future segments are finished.

The middle segment, currently the longest, runs almost 4 miles from Ship Road east to Route 29. The westernmost portion, through the still largely undeveloped Exton Park, has an uneven, gravel and stone surface, which gives way to smooth asphalt next to the Valley Corporate Center and continues east to Route 29. Completed in 2010, this segment is already very popular with cyclists, in-line skaters, hikers, joggers, dogwalkers and parents pushing young children in strollers. Several new bridges have been constructed to carry the trail over local roads, while a few underpasses and culverts left over from the railroad, have been refurbished.

The easternmost segment, in Montgomery County, extends from Warner Road east across the Schuylkill Expressway to South Gulph Road, and was built during a major highway reconstruction project. Despite its current, short length, this trail allows residents from communities south of the Schuylkill Expressway and Route 202 to walk or bike to the King of Prussia Mall.

Save for the small, unpaved section between Ship Road and the Valley Creek Corporate Center, each completed segment is user-friendly. However, the fact that several major segments remain unbuilt, necessitating lengthy detours on busy roads, give the trail a low overall rating. Fortunately, this will likely change in the next few years, as major sections between Route 29 and Warner Road, and King of Prussia and Norristown, will close two of these gaps and create an unbroken trail from Ship Road to the Schuylkill River Trail. Construction of segments that will close the gap from Ship Road to Iron Lake Blvd. and continue the trail from the Exton Wal-Mart west to Downingtown are still in the planning stages. Once completed, the Chester Valley Trail will form a prominent link in southeast Pennsylvania's emerging greenway network, with connections to the Uwchlan and Struble trails, several local parks and Valley Forge via Patriot's Path, another multi-use trail currently in development.

Longer-term plans anticipate extending the trail even further west, to Atglen, where it will join the new Enola-Low Grade Trail. Once this occurs, the Chester Valley Trail will form part of the Schuylkill-Susquehanna Passage, a long-distance greenway that will connect Harrisburg and Philadelphia.

I did this trail about a month ago, I have no idea how they come up with 12 miles. I drove up from Wilmington De and it was close to a waste of time and effort. The trail is paved from Morehall rd to N Ship rd except for about a mile. I did find my way to where the trail starts up again at Commerce Dr. Getting across Rt 100 is a challenge. This trail dose have some potential, I have no idea how is managing it.