Explore the best rated trails in Bridgeton, NJ, whether you're looking for an easy walking trail or a bike trail like the Elephant Swamp Trail and Springlawn Trail . With more than 126 trails covering 452 miles you're bound to find a perfect trail for you. Click on any trail below to find trail descriptions, trail maps, photos, and reviews.
Q: If I bike ride the short 1.8 mile Ben Cardin trail in Maryland, should I bother continuing on to Delaware's Michael N. Castle trail?
A: Most definitely! Why stop after just two miles?
Q: Is it as flat and easy as the Ben Cardin trail?
A: It's mostly long, flat and occasionally curves as it parallels the not perfectly straight canal, but there are three places where the trail leaves the canal and climbs up the side of the hill. There it's curvier and takes you through woodlands and by a marina.
Q: Are the hills strenuous?
A: For regular, fit bikers and old guys like me with a Swytch pedal assist system, no. For others I would say yes.
Q: How strenuous?
A: One is steep enough to warrant two switchbacks. I also encountered a middle aged couple at the top of one of the hills resting, recovering, and acting like, What have we gotten ourselves into? I also observed another young, fit woman jogging who had to stop halfway up the hill, bend over, and put her hands on her knees.
Q:Is it picturesque?
A: Yes, lots of interesting photo ops of bridges, the canal, birds, woodlands, salt marshes, watercraft, charming homes, and historical sites.
Q: So if I start in Maryland and reach 5th Street in Delaware City, that's where I turn around?
A: Technically, that's the end of the Castle Trail, but why stop there? Cross the road and continue for another mile or so along quiet Canal Road and the Delaware City Marina to old, historic Delaware City, Battery Park, and Delaware Bay! You'll regret it if you don't!
Q: Are there any rest stops or restrooms?
A: There are restrooms at South Lums Trailhead on the trail and at Battery Park. There are also benches consistently along the canal about every 250 yards!
Q: Is it safe? What are the trail users like?
A: The friendliest and most polite you could ever hope for!
Q: As a former educator, what grade would you give this trail?
A: An A, but not an easy A. You'll have to work hard to complete those six inclines (assuming you're traveling the entire distance and doing a round trip).
Officially, this Maryland trail is only 1.8 miles, perfect for the fine folks of Chesapeake City or tourists to take a stroll out to the state line with Delaware and back. In fact, as I sat on the deck of the Ship Watch Inn across the canal from the path's trailhead the evening before I rode it, I saw so many people doing just that.
The 3.6 miles round trip is perfect for walkers since it is flat, quiet, and picturesque. When I started my bike ride the next morning at sunrise, all I encountered were runners and friendly dog walkers.
However, those of us on bikes aren't going to stop after two miles, so be sure to combine this with the Delaware portion of the canal trail for an additional twelve miles.
AND . . . don't stop after those twelve miles. Since you've already gone that far, continue across 5th Street in Delaware City into the park and then bear right toward Canal Street to travel another mile or so to historical Delaware City, Battery Park, and Delaware Bay! Total round trip of thirty miles.
WARNING: If you decide to continue on to Delaware City, there are three hills on Delaware's Ben Cardin Trail. Thank goodness for my Swytch pedal assist!
This was just completed in the last couple of years. A bit narrower than what I like to jog on, but this part goes all the way to the county line. The trees are set far back, which means this is in the sun most of the day. Would recommend going out early or late in the day. Have to cross a couple of roads with light traffic, and then Rt 83. Connects to the trail in Middle Township at the county line.
Actually a small network of multi-use trails, the Smyrna-Clayton Bike Path gives residents of both of these communities a great alternative to walking or biking along busy local roads.
The trail is comprised of two main branches, starting from Duck Creek Parkway on either side of the High School and Middle School campus. The northwest branch separates the high school from adjacent mini-storage facilities and a residential subdivision, while the northeast division follows a powerline that runs along a branch of Duck Creek and connects to the west side of Smyrna via a footbridge. Both branches of the trail wrap around the campus and converge just south of a small cow pasture. The trail continues southeast of here, crossing the creek on a footbridge and ending at the intersection of Routes 6 and 300.
In addition to giving local residents a chance to enjoy nature, the trail gives students at the high and middle schools a safe means to walk to and from school . Unfortunately, I noticed some minor deterioration on the footbridge northwest of the Route 6 and 300 intersection. People who are sensitive to loud noises should also be aware that the local fire company's emergency alert siren is just north of the junction between the northwest and northeast branches of the trail.
We ride this trail a few times a year. Its very straight, smooth and mostly flat. Just a few very slight inclines. From Rt. 47 you ride a good distance before there are any road crossings. After that there are a few but only one or two that have a lot of traffic. Most of the trail goes through mature woodlands that give a lot of shade. My only complaint is that there don't seem to be any public bathrooms on the trail or at the trailheads. Otherwise, this is an easy, pretty trail.
Loved the trail, but the bridge being out added maybe 3/4 hilly mile on Rt. 29 to our bike ride. Hills also entering Green Lane Park, but the trail itself (not in the park) is very nice and mostly shady. Plenty if trailheads and parking. Meanders alongside the Perk. Creek.
Todays walk was very enjoyable. It was 5 ladies walking and everyone we encountered was friendly. The walk was clear and even. We did 4 miles and I would have completed more. I would return to this trail again.
A tributary of the Schuylkill River, the Wissahickon Creek carves a lush, forested ribbon through the bustling urban and suburban areas of SE PA. The section of the valley in Northwest Philly was the city's original industrial area, being home to numerous mills from the city's earliest days in the late 1600's until the late 1800's, when officials began buying up this land to preserve the quality of the Schuylkill River, which supplied most of the city's drinking water. The land subsequently reverted to forested open space and was incorporated into Philly's growing park system. The transition from industrial zone to parkland was completed in 1920, when city officials agreed to close a road that ran through the valley to then-new automobile traffic.
More than a century later, the Wissahickon Valley is considered a vital part of Philadelphia's park system. The lush forests are home to a wide variety of wildlife and the serenity of the park gives one the feeling that they are far outside one of the nation's major cities.
A series of multi-use trails follows the banks of the creek, extending through the heart of Northwest Philly. The southernmost of these is the Lincoln Drive Trail, which extends from Ridge Ave. in Manayunk north to Rittenhouse Historic Village. See this trail's entry elsewhere on this database for more info.
Heading north, the next link in this greenway system is Forbidden Drive. Starting at a trailhead off Lincoln Drive just south of Rittenhouse Historic Village, this trail follows the route of the aforementioned road that once followed the creek and is so named because cars were forbidden from driving on it. Now over a century old, Forbidden Drive is one of the oldest multi-use trails in PA, if not the nation.
Wider and broader than your typical multi-use trail, Forbidden Drive has some gentle slopes, but no steep grades. Its packed, crushed stone surface makes it suitable for cycling, walking, baby strollers and wheelchairs. Forests line the trail's entire length and the numerous stone arch bridges and culverts, most of which were built in the 19th or early 20th centuries, give it a rustic vibe. Remnants of the trail's history as a road, including the remains of several old watering holes and horse troughs, can be seen at various points, while small dams in the creek are all that's left of the numerous mills and early factories that once existed here. There is even a restored privy (basically an outhouse and no longer used as such) off the trail near Gorgas Creek. Located at about midpoint along Forbidden Drive, the Valley Green Inn was originally built as a roadhouse, basically a forerunner of a motel or truck stop, now houses a full-service, but pricey restaurant, while a snack bar outside offers more affordable faire. Trail users will also find restrooms with flush toilets, public parking and tables on the banks of the creek, one of which has a chessboard built into the top, at this location.
Moving north from Valley Green, Forbidden Drive passes the Thomas Mill Covered Bridge, the last remaining wooden covered bridge in the city of Philadelphia and crosses Bells Mill Road to its northern terminus at Northwestern Ave. just southwest of the Northwestern Stables. The Cedar House, housed in a quaint cottage just south of the trailhead, has a small cafe that provides refreshments in the warmer months of the year. Trail users are also encouraged to explore the numerous footpaths that branch out from Forbidden Drive along its length that connect to other features in the park, including the Toleration Statue and the Tedyuscung Statue, which commemorate the region's Quaker and Native American heritages, respectively, Monastary Stables, Glenn Fern mansion, Fingerspan Bridge and the Wissahickon Environmental Center, among others.
The next segment of trail begins about a quarter mile up Northwestern Ave., at the intersection with Germantown Pike. This asphalt trail follows the western side of Northwestern Ave., passing across from Chestnut Hill College, a large, castle-like building that looks like it could have been built in the Middle Ages. After briefly veering onto a narrow boardwalk that curves through the woods, this segment of the trail crosses the creek and continues past a community garden and the Morris Arboretum, ending at the intersection of Northwestern and Stenton Ave's. There is a 2-mile gap from here to the next segment of the trail, which begins at the intersection of Stenton Ave. and Valley Green Road at the south end of Fort Washington State Park. Although Montgomery County officials eventually plan to connect these trail segments, there is currently no easy way to cross this gap. Stenton Ave. is a busy road and its narrow shoulders are not suited to bike or foot traffic.
The trail transitions from an urban to suburban environment north of Stenton Ave. in Fort Washington State Park. Known as the Wissahickon Green Ribbon Trail, it's narrower than Forbidden Drive, this segment of the trail has an asphalt surface and passes through woodlands very similar to the ones further south. A short, connector trail that passes over the creek on an old, restored RR trestle links to the Flourtown suburb and trailhead. This pathway will eventually become part of the Cresheim Trail, a proposed rail trail that will arc through some communities of north Philly and connect to Forbidden Drive to the south.
Trail users that continue further north will pass next to another picturesque old bridge on Valley Green Road and beneath a stone RR trestle, coming out to crossings at either State Park Road or Route 73. Although the multi-use greenway ends at Route 73, the Wissahickon Green Ribbon Trail itself continues along the creek through the Montgomery County suburbs as a dirt footpath. It is part of Montgomery County's greenway network and will eventually connect to the Liberty Bell Trail when that trail is built.
Featuring breathtaking scenery, numerous historical sites and connecting the city of Philadelphia to the Montgomery County suburbs, the Wissahickon Valley Park Trail System is a valuable asset that protects local wildlife from encroaching sprawl. It already connects to the Schuylkill River and Lincoln Drive trails to the south and will eventually link up the Liberty Bell and Route 202 trails to the north. Like those trails, it is also a vital link in The Circuit, the system of trails that will crisscross the Philly Metro Area.
The beginning of the trail was easy to find after parking in the alternate parking area since the main parking was closed. The recent storm made the trail somewhat muddy with one fallen tree blocking the way about 1/4 mile from the trailhead. The narrow path along the water's edge on one side, and corn field on the other was fine to bike on, but ended at just over a mile due to a small stream that needed to be crossed. Instead of trying to find an alternate way across, we just turned around and headed back to the parking lot.
Note that bikes, scooters and skates are not allowed on the Seawall. Walking trail only.
Wish they'd extend it somehow. It's a decent workout and somewhat nicer in the colder months since it dumps you into del Rec. Not as many walkers in the winter
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