Northwest River Trail (Charles Greenway):
Pennsylvania
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Description:
The Northwest River Trail in Lancaster County is a planned 14-mile trail corridor that will follow the east bank of the Susquehanna River between Columbia and Falmouth. Today, only a few segments of the trail are complete. This segment, locally called the Charles Greenway, is 3.7 miles long and runs from Dacatur Street in Marietta to beyond Riverfront Park, ending near the railroad tracks. The trail is subject to river flooding, so use caution in spring and following heavy rains.

Another completed section of the Northwest Lancaster County River Trail to date (autumn 2011) is the Conoy Canal Trail in Bainbridge.

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Parking & Trail Access:
Parking for the trail is available at both endpoints. In Marietta, park at Decatur and Hull streets. Riverfront Park is by Vinegar Ferry Road and Old River Road.

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Reviews: [4 trail ratings]
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Good trail for rollerblading
By kyleb813 in November, 2011
My wife and I were pleasantly surprised to "stumble" upon this great trail for rollerblading.
We went in mid-November. The western part of the trail was clear, and great for rollerblading on. The eastern half had a lot of leafs and twigs covering the path, so at times it felt like we were roller-hiking. The best part, though, was because the leafs had fallen, we had a clear view of the river on almost the entire trail!
flood cleanup in progress
By bikerbabe69 in March, 2011
Heavy rains in early March caused high river flow which flooded many areas of this trail. Barriers were recently set up across the Marietta access to the parking area, although walk in access was not restricted. Since both access roads go through rail underpasses which flood easily, this is common after heavy rains or when river flow is high. I have no problem passing the barricade on foot, however, use caution if ice or standing water is present. The trail itself is not damaged, but many areas of debris and dried mud are visible. It appears some equipment was brought in to clear the trail. Vegetation growth will eventually cover much of the flood damage. Even so, I passed only one other person on a sunny Saturday afternoon.
A great trail for everyone ... especially for beginners
By kkf420 in September, 2010
We rode this trail on a delightful Labor Day Monday. The most difficult part was finding it! (I know now to print out the map and directions from this site and take them along). This was the first time I had climbed on my bike in more years than I care to remember, and this trail was the perfect first step back. The surface is beautifully smooth and the whole trail is relatively flat, although I think it qualifies as a 'workout'. There were very few others using the trail, which made the ride quite easy and pleasant. My only disappointment was with the river view. While the trail runs alongside the Susquehanna, the growth of underbrush and trees was so thick that the river was not really visible except at the end at River Front Park. We were hoping to see some bald eagles, but that didn't happen. We are already planning to return in the fall when the leaves have all dropped, hoping that then we will have a better view and maybe even see our eagle.