Find the top rated trails in Bridgeton, whether you're looking an easy walking path or a long bike trail, you'll find what you're looking for. Click on a trail below to find trail descriptions, trail maps, photos, and reviews.
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The Cynwyd Heritage Trail is a 2-mile linear park and rail-trail that connects Lower Merion Township to the Manayunk Bridge over the Schuylkill River just outside Philadelphia. The bridge ends very...
Straight as an arrow, the Merchantville Bike Path runs through Merchantville Borough, paralleling Chestnut Avenue. The paved 0.75-mile trail provides a pleasant route dotted with tall pines and leafy...
The Wayne Gilchrest Trail, which opened on Earth Day in 2012, runs along the southern edge of the historic Maryland Eastern Shore community of Chestertown. The trail connects Washington College to the...
The John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge offers nearly 8 miles of crushed-stone trail in two wide loops to explore the scenic Tinicum Marsh, open meadows, and woodlands. The trail offers terrific...
United States Avenue Trail, which is also know locally as the "Green Trail" travels through a primarily wooded landscape between Foster Avenue and Egg Harbor Road in Gibbsboro, New Jersey. At the...
Less than an hour west of Philadelphia, the East Branch Brandywine Trail begins south of Downingtown and continues south along its namesake river. The paved trail passes through meadows and wooded...
The 7.5-mile Atlantic County Bikeway offers a relaxing escape from the crush of traffic surrounding Atlantic City, the beachfront gaming and resort town. The trail is situated 9 miles west of Atlantic...
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The Parkside Trail is one segment of the larger Camden Greenways network, a proposed system of trails currently under construction. When complete, the greenway will follow portions of the Delaware...
The Middle Township Bike Path runs for just shy of 5 miles, between Cape May County Park and the community of Whitesboro, following the former route of the Cape May Seashore Line. Along the way,...
This beautiful, pine-studded rail-trail winds through Cape Henlopen State Park next to wetlands and farmland, offering a break from the nearby beaches and eclectic shopping areas. The trail runs from...
Although less than 2 miles, the Port Richmond Trail—a key component of the North Delaware River Greenway—provides an important connection between northeast Philadelphia and the Delaware River. It's...
Phase 1 of the long-awaited Georgetown to Lewes Rail with Trail was officially opened to the public in October 2016. When completed, the trail, which parallels an active, but little-used freight...
Cobbs Creek Trail runs through the borough of Lansdowne, just west of Philadelphia. The paved pathway offers a scenic route along its tree-lined namesake creek from the 63rd Street Station to Cobbs...
Named after Dr. Ulysses Simpson Wiggins, a prominent doctor in Camden in the early 1900s, the Ulysses Wiggins Waterfront Park Promenade extends for 1.2 miles from the Ben Franklin Bridge to the...
Camden's Cooper River Park is found on both the north and south shores of Cooper River Lake. The urban park is open daily from dawn to dusk and offers a paved loop path for bikers and pedestrians, as...
The Tacony Creek Trail is a winding paved path along its namesake creek in the Juniata Park and East Oak Lane neighborhoods of Northeast Philadelphia. Situated entirely within scenic Tacony Creek...
Linking the communities of Palmyra, New Jersey and Tacony (a historic neighborhood within Philadelphia) is the over 3,600-foot-long Tacony-Palmyra Bridge. Built between 1928 and 1929 for about $4...
The historical Ben Franklin Bridge, opened in 1926, offers expansive city skyline views and is itself a stunning structure. The iconic suspension bridge once included two streetcar tracks in addition...
Maryland's Ben Cardin C&D Canal Recreational Trail links to Delaware's Michael Castle Trail; both run along the north bank of the Chesapeake and Delaware (C&D) Canal and meet at the state line. The...
The Manayunk Bridge Trail opened in late 2015 to great fanfare, and for good reason: the trail, which crosses the Schuylkill River, Schuylkill Expressway (Interstate 76), and active train tracks,...
The Little Jersey Trail loops through Lums Pond State Park on a wide, packed earth surface that accommodates hikers, cyclists and equestrians. The trail is the longer of two loops; the Swamp Forest...
The Manayunk Bridge Trail opened in late 2015 to great fanfare, and for good reason: the trail, which crosses the Schuylkill River, Schuylkill Expressway (Interstate 76), and active train tracks,...
The historical Ben Franklin Bridge, opened in 1926, offers expansive city skyline views and is itself a stunning structure. The iconic suspension bridge once included two streetcar tracks in addition...
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The Darby Creek Trail winds along a wooded creek through the western neighborhoods of Haverford Township, just outside of Philadelphia. The trail's southern end is anchored by Merry Place, a...
The Springlawn Trail travels on what was once Springlawn Road, connecting Chesterville Road (Rt. 841) and Strickersville Road. The 2-mile trail is comprised of dirt and gravel and makes for a good...
The Michael Castle Trail offers a scenic 12-mile route along the north shore of the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal in northern Delaware. The trail is named after the former governor and US...
The Pennypack Trail begins in Huntingdon Valley in Montgomery County and continues south through wooded Lorimer Park and on into Philadelphia County. A portion follows the former Fox Chase-Newton...
The Pinelands Nature Trail, Delaware's first National Recreation Trail, is a 1.5-mile loop that follows a gentle grade through pine forest and cranberry bogs on a loose sand surface. Old artillery...
The Gordons Pond Trail is located in Cape Henlopen State Park, where it skirts the western side of Gordons Pond, a 900-acre salt water lagoon. The finely crushed gravel pathway winds through coastal...
This 2.4-mile paved trail provides a quiet, scenic escape northwest of Philadelphia, from Encke Park at Radnor-Chester Road to the shopping center at Sugartown Road and Route 30. The trail travels...
The Monroe Township Bikeway is a 6.36-mile connection between the suburban communities of Glassboro and Williamstown. In Glassboro the trail passes through the dense forest of the Glassboro Fish and...
This community trail begins at the intersection of Main and Pearl streets in the town of Port Norris, near the mouth of the Maurice River. It connects Port Norris with Bivalve. At one time the area...
United States Avenue Trail, which is also know locally as the "Green Trail" travels through a primarily wooded landscape between Foster Avenue and Egg Harbor Road in Gibbsboro, New Jersey. At the...
Ocean City Bike Path offers a short, paved route through the center of Ocean City and allows visitors a glimpse into the history of this interesting seaside town. The trail parallels Haven Avenue...
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The Gloucester Township Health and Fitness Trail, formerly known as the Blackwood Railroad Trail, is a paved bicycle/pedestrian path in Blackwood, Gloucester Township. The bikeway is constructed on an...
The Schuylkill River West Trail will one day span 15.5 miles beginning in downtown Philadelphia and heading northwest through Lower Merion Township, West Conshohocken, Bridgeport, and Upper Merion...
The Woodbine Railroad Trail occupies the right-of-way of a former Pennsylvania and Reading Railroad line. The paved pathway traverses Woodbine as it parallels Dehirsch Avenue; a wide grassy median...
The James F. Hall Trail—a rail-with-trail—packs a lot into a short stretch: Its paved surface is great for bicycling, in-line skating, and strolling, and there are multiple playgrounds, picnic areas,...
The Northern Delaware Greenway Trail spans 10 miles of northern New Castle County from Bellevue State Park on the Delaware River to Brandywine Creek in Wilmington, Delaware’s largest city. The surface...
The Tacony Creek Trail is a winding paved path along its namesake creek in the Juniata Park and East Oak Lane neighborhoods of Northeast Philadelphia. Situated entirely within scenic Tacony Creek...
Redden State Forest, located just north of Georgetown in Sussex County, offers more than 44 miles of trails for hiking, mountain biking, birdwatching and hunting on several thousand acres. The most...
Although just 1.4 miles long, the 58th Street Greenway is an important connector in the southwestern Philadelphia neighborhood of Kingsessing. Although most of the greenway is off-road trail, note...
TRAIL ALERT: As of May 2018, The Wissahickon/ Green Ribbon Trail has been closed until further notice due to flooding, mud and debris. Once the water subsides staff will clean up the trail and...
The Wayne Gilchrest Trail, which opened on Earth Day in 2012, runs along the southern edge of the historic Maryland Eastern Shore community of Chestertown. The trail connects Washington College to the...
The Woodbine Railroad Trail occupies the right-of-way of a former Pennsylvania and Reading Railroad line. The paved pathway traverses Woodbine as it parallels Dehirsch Avenue; a wide grassy median...
United States Avenue Trail, which is also know locally as the "Green Trail" travels through a primarily wooded landscape between Foster Avenue and Egg Harbor Road in Gibbsboro, New Jersey. At the...
The Gordons Pond Trail is located in Cape Henlopen State Park, where it skirts the western side of Gordons Pond, a 900-acre salt water lagoon. The finely crushed gravel pathway winds through coastal...
The Elephant Swamp Trail is built on top of the former railroad bed that once ran from Glassboro to Bridgeton, NJ. Elk Township maintains the easement through Elephant Swamp, and the trail passes...
For birders and other wildlife watchers, the short West Deptford Scenic Trail offers an opportunity for a remote and tranquil stroll through a beautiful natural area. Located within a 90-acre area of...
Cobbs Creek Trail runs through the borough of Lansdowne, just west of Philadelphia. The paved pathway offers a scenic route along its tree-lined namesake creek from the 63rd Street Station to Cobbs...
Ocean City Bike Path offers a short, paved route through the center of Ocean City and allows visitors a glimpse into the history of this interesting seaside town. The trail parallels Haven Avenue...
As of late 2017, approximately 1 mile of the Pencoyd Trail has been completed. The paved, multi-use trail begins at Main Street and an on-street segment of the Schuylkill River Trail next to the UA...
Maryland's Ben Cardin C&D Canal Recreational Trail links to Delaware's Michael Castle Trail; both run along the north bank of the Chesapeake and Delaware (C&D) Canal and meet at the state line. The...
A work in progress, the Red Clay Creek Trail currently extends along the east branch of the creek for which it is named in Kennett Square. The trail, which has a crushed-stone surface of varying...
This is a true community trail: four small cities are tied together by this corridor, each maintaining their short section and calling it a different name. Starting in Somers Point, a few blocks from...
Although less than 2 miles, the Port Richmond Trail—a key component of the North Delaware River Greenway—provides an important connection between northeast Philadelphia and the Delaware River. It's...
This beautiful, pine-studded rail-trail winds through Cape Henlopen State Park next to wetlands and farmland, offering a break from the nearby beaches and eclectic shopping areas. The trail runs from...
The Parkside Trail is one segment of the larger Camden Greenways network, a proposed system of trails currently under construction. When complete, the greenway will follow portions of the Delaware...
Located in Media Borough in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, Ridley Creek State Park encompasses over 2,600 acres of woodlands and meadows. The park is only 16 miles from Center City, Philadelphia, but...
The nearly 3-mile long Chester Creek Trail is finally a reality after nearly two decades of planning. Phase 1 of the multi-use trail was opened to the public in late 2016. It follows the path of the...
The trail from the City of New Castle to the Christiana River is done and open. The bridge over the Christiana River is complete but, not open yet.
Visited in May 2018 & tried to walk from the Ocean Drive trailhead towards Herring Point. This is a nicely planned, well-maintained trail and a lot of cyclists were enjoying it. Unfortunately, the main attraction, Gordon’s Pond, was dry and foul-smelling; more of a caked mudflat than a body of water. After one mile, we turned back because the flies and hot sun made the experience more unpleasant than the smell. We’ll try again next time we’re in Lewes.
wind350 made a comment in Oct. 2013 (see below) and it's still the same. The trail has many joggers, walkers, pets and baby carriages and does not work well for bikers. The roads are ok (you do have to weave around drainage grates) but still no bike lanes and Cuthbert Blvd. has a lot of traffic moving at a pretty good clip.
I love this trail, however, the tree roots coming through the paving are now painful and dangerous. From Sweetbriar to Montgomery the bumps in the asphalt are getting bigger and are painful for bike riders. I would imagine they are a tripping hazard for walkers. There are also sections with lots of tree roots from Montgomery to the Falls Bridge.
Only discovered the trail last week and just rode it on 4/22/2018. I used a gravel/adventure bike with 35mm tires and no shocks. I did the full length, from the Lower Perkiomen Park to the Northern most part at Green Lane and then back. It's a great ride and mostly seems to follow old rail beds. Long stretches of it are flat with only slight changes in elevation. The only exception is a short, steep hill mentioned by a few others and clearly marked as you approach from either direction. At that point the trail deviates from the creek and goes up over a hill. The steepest part is paved and isn't long, probably less than an 1/8 mile.
Surface
The trail surface is inconsistent which is my reasoning for giving it four out of five stars, other reviewers have noted it as well. The trail ranges from nicely paved sections to muddy sections where they seem to be trying to figure out the drainage, to cinders and sometimes what appears to be crushed stone fill. The transitions in the surface can come about suddenly and if you're moving at a good pace they can throw you a bit. Even with 35mm tires there were a number of soft/deep gravel areas where my tires would sink in and throw the bike. I also kept hitting large chunks of rock and fill that would hop my bike a few inches to a side and send big chunks into the brush on along the trail. Weirdly, I noticed people riding road bikes with much narrower, smooth road tires and can't imagine that would be too pleasant and can't recommend trying it.
Crossings/Safety
There are a number of rode crossings as noted by others but only two or so actually had any amount of busy traffic and any major ones had signaling that appeared brand new and adequate. I only found two crossings a little awkward/dangerous. The first is where you have to cross route 29 at a random place along a wall in front of some houses and it isn't an intersection. It wouldn't be a problem except that, even though it's clearly marked as a crossing, there didn't appear to be signaling and drivers don't know what to do. Some stop and wave you on while traffic from the other direction, in the other lane, may not stop or slow down at all. I didn't notice signaling requiring them to yield to the crosswalk.
Be careful there, especially if you have kids. Fortunately it's along a straight piece of road so cars won't come around a blind corner and surprise you.
The second tricky crossing was just below Green Lane at Perkiomenville. There, going north you cross an old, crumbing stone bridge and then have to ride/walk a hundred feet or so down the shoulder of the road and like the first dangerous area, you cross where there's no intersection or signal. Again, just be ready if you have kids.
Continuity
There are a number of areas where it seems like they're still trying to figure out how to connect segments of the trail and although the trail is mostly well marked you will have to cut behind buildings and through alleys to find the connectors at a few places. I actually got confused coming back through Collegeville because I couldn't remember where the trail went and it looked different coming back the opposite way. It wasn't until I saw riders coming the other direction that I noticed a small sign and realized I had to cut through an alley behind a diner along a narrow area with a fence, once on it recognized where I was.
Popularity
I passed a lot of people on my ride and it seems a pretty popular attraction. There were many out for a casual stroll, a run, a ride or a group outing with scouts. All along the trail are smaller parks that make good shaded stops if you need a break and as others mentioned there is a great little park about halfway between Collegeville and Schwenksville. It's just below Graterford and has new, clean restrooms.
Overall the trail weaves through some pretty picturesque areas. Do yourself a favor and stop once in a while and have a look around.
I usually link this ride with the Schuylkill River Trail, as it links up with it at Oaks, PA, and there is parking available either at the Pawlings Road trailhead along the Schuykill River Trail, or the Lower Perkiomen Valley Park, where trail maps are also available at the parking lot. A good portion of the trail, after about 1.5 miles, is fine gravel or packed dirt, and goes along nicely wooded and scenic areas, which used to be a railroad. There are several road crossings in the Collegeville area that are stop light controlled. The crossing of Rte 29 is perhaps the least pleasant of the crossings, since vehicle traffic can be fast and heavy and it is not stop light controlled. Once crossed, you are on packed surfaces, and pleasant riding. There are quite a few parking areas along the trail, so with the trail map, one can easily schedule your journey as befits your skill or endurance level.
Once past Schwenksville, one does a brief climb, followed by a steep descent to the Perkiomen Creek. For me, that ends my journey on the trail and the last time I bicycled that far, it was all gravel down the slope.
I wasn't able to ride it for a number of years, but now, what nice improvements are there to be found. From Norristown to Valley Forge, mainly new macadam surface, plus the addition of several spots of racks of bike repair tools. And, the water fountain is about 1.2 miles from Valley Forge Park. There are areas of washboard type macadam around the Conshohocken area, and from Spring Mill to where it branches down to the Schuylkill River, relatively new macadam. Once you leave the tow path in Manayunk, it sort of tosses you into the street, which is crowded, so take the sidewalks, giving care for pedestrian traffic. Once you hit the Fairmount Park area, relatively decent trail surface, but expect heavy traffic all the way to what is now the end of the trail in Philadelphia. I take away one star due to the heavy Philadelphia traffic, and right now the detour around the Art Museum due to construction and confusing signage. The entire route is relatively level, so easy riding.
Since the upper end (above Philadelphia) is far less crowded, one may encounter cycling groups that travel at high speeds and can be annoying if they think they own the trail.
The trail here is all paved and runs adjacent to a bubbling Creek. It's good for a stroll, particularly with a stroller or dog. The nearby Merry Place playground is well maintained and great for small kids.
If you like ships, this trail offers a fantastic opportunity to view them up close and learn about shipbuilding and the development of the U.S. navy at the Independence Seaport Museum, which sits trailside.
This wide, easy trail puts you right next to the Delaware River, so the views of the waterway and the Ben Franklin Bridge are really nice. It's also right behind the Adventure Aquarium, which my 8-year-old daughter loved, especially the shark tunnel! Adjacent to the trail is also the USS New Jersey, a battleship that you can tour.
A nice trail that takes you though woods, open fields, and a stretch of marshy area with very vocal frogs! A few views of Lums Pond- probably better views on inside trail. Definitely wet & muddy in areas if you go after rain/snowmelt. Warning- I went a week after a nor’easter blew through and there were A LOT of downed trees covering the path. Not a huge deal for a runner to find a path around but the cyclist I met up with wasn’t pleased with the time he had to carry his bike. But, once again, this was after severe weather. Overall, a pretty, easy, & well marked trail!
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