Find the top rated trails in Colonial Park, 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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This trail is not offically part of the Lancaster County Park system. It runs next to the Conestoga River at Sunnyside. The one end of the trail is at Lancaster County Central Park. Although there is...
J. Manley Robbins Trail is a short trail with a long history. Quite possibly it is the oldest documented rail-trail in the country. The trail leads through a beautiful deciduous forest high above the...
The Enola Low-Grade Trail (formerly the Atglen-Susquehanna Trail) is open for nearly 29 miles in disconnected segments between the Susquehanna River and Atglen in southeastern Pennsylvania. It follows...
Originally the Reading & Columbia Railroad, this branch of the Reading Railroad was built to haul anthracite coal to Columbia where it was loaded into barges on the Susquehanna and Tidewater Canal for...
Lykens Valley Rail Trail is nearly half-way complete with 9 miles of trail open out of 20 miles planned. Those 9 miles are available in three disconnected segments. In Millersburg, a 0.4-mile segment...
The Warwick Township Linear Park Trail is a joint project of Warwick Township and Lititz borough. The pathway extends from Market Street north, following the Santo Domingo Creek, to Newport Road....
Note: Per the York County website, "A section of the Heritage Rail Trail County Park will be closed starting March 21, 2016. The closure will begin at the Colonial Courthouse in York, south to...
Reading's Neversink Connector Trail is a short paved pathway that branches off the Thun Trail, a 18-mile section of the Schuylkill River Trail. It begins near the Reading Area Community College and...
The Torrey C. Brown Rail Trail is one of the best hiking and biking trails in the Mid-Atlantic region. It allows for nearly 20 miles of flat travel, punctuated by a number of access points and an...
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Just short of a mile in length, the Mill Creek Trail follows the south bank of the stream for which it is named in the suburbs east of Lancaster. Paved with a surface of compact woodchips, the...
This lovely, relatively flat dirt path runs through the Roaring Creek Tract of the Weiser State Forest. Here, the south tributary of Roaring Creek cuts through the forest, pooling into three large...
The Thun Trail (pronounced "tune") is part of the Schuylkill River Trail System. Large railroad bridges, built in 1918, provide impressive views of the Schuylkill River and the surrounding hills....
The Hollow Creek Greenway follows its namesake waterway through scenic woodlands and valleys, offering a quiet oasis in the suburbs. The trail provides an important link between neighborhoods, schools...
Part of Manheim Township's growing network of multi-use greenways, the Manheim Township Bikeway begins off Kissel Hill Road, immediately north of the intersection with Landis Valley Road. Heading...
Northwest Corridor Linear Park is a short paved pathway that winds its way among the city streets just northeast of the city square. The pathway functions as community park for residents of downtown...
Northwest Lancaster County River Trail stretches nearly 13 miles along the east bank of the Susquehanna River between Falmouth (near the Dauphin County line) and Columbia. Along the way, you can...
The Exeter Scenic River Trail follows the north shore of the Schuylkill River. The tree-lined route provides views of the river and runs to the Klapperthal Trail at the base of Neversink Mountain.
The JFK Walking Trail is a hidden gem created to be part of the Pottsville Community flagship recreation complex. The paved trail is located behind the tennis courts and pool. A stylish sign complete...
The short, tranquil LeTort Spring Run Nature Trail follows its namesake creek closely, LeTort Spring Run, through a mix of deciduous trees and lowland marshes bristling with tall grasses and cattails....
The first section of the Elizabethtown Connector Trail officially opened in May 2015. Although just shy of a mile this trail provides such beautiful scenery that you'll feel like you could stay...
The Hanover Trolley Trail is being built along the 16-mile corridor of the York-Hanover Trolley Line that ran between the two cities in the early 1900s. Currently, about a quarter of that distance is...
The Warwick-to-Ephrata Rail-Trail, first envisioned in the 1990s, is a developing pathway being built along the former Reading Railroad. The 7-mile route is hoped to be completed in 2018 and will...
Reading's Neversink Connector Trail is a short paved pathway that branches off the Thun Trail, a 18-mile section of the Schuylkill River Trail. It begins near the Reading Area Community College and...
As of autumn 2011, 9 miles of the Buffalo Valley Rail Trail are complete. The trail runs between Lewisburg and Mifflinburg, and interpretive signs relate the region's history. The trail is mostly...
The Conewago Recreation Trail in northwestern Lancaster County parallels Conewago Creek over most of its length, as it passes through farmland and forests. A unit of the Lancaster County Department of...
Lykens Valley Rail Trail is nearly half-way complete with 9 miles of trail open out of 20 miles planned. Those 9 miles are available in three disconnected segments. In Millersburg, a 0.4-mile segment...
Located in northern Manheim Township, the Brighton-Reidenbaugh Park Trail is a link in the suburban Lancaster County municipality's growing network of multi-use trails. The trail consists of 3...
Originally conceived by landscape architect Warren Manning (a disciple of Frederick Law Olmsted), the Capital Area Greenbelt is a 20-mile ring of parks and trails circling the Pennsylvania capital...
The discovery of anthracite coal in the Tremont area of Pennsylvania shaped commerce and development well into the 1800s. The Union Canal was constructed in the 1820s to connect the Schuylkill and...
As its name implies, hikers on the Chickies Rock Overlook Trail will be rewarded with a beautiful vista at the end of their excursion. The trail follows an old trolley line route that once took...
A work in progress, the 2.5-mile Uwchlan Trail currently extends from the Struble Trail off the intersection of Dowlin Forge and Shelmire roads, north along the Shamona Creek and primarily following...
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Part of the township's ongoing efforts to create a network of multi-use greenways, Manheim Twp.'s Heritage Trail begins at Valley Road and extends south, along the eastern boundary of Landis Woods to...
Northwest Lancaster County River Trail stretches nearly 13 miles along the east bank of the Susquehanna River between Falmouth (near the Dauphin County line) and Columbia. Along the way, you can...
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Included in the seven-mile network of trails in Little Buffalo State Park are two small sections of rail-trail. Together they are called the Newport and Sherman's Valley Railroad Trace. The...
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The Iron Horse Trail follows two abandoned rail beds: the Path Valley Railroad and the Perry Lumber Company Railroad. Originally, the Path Valley Railroad was going to be an extension for the Newport...
Originally the Reading & Columbia Railroad, this branch of the Reading Railroad was built to haul anthracite coal to Columbia where it was loaded into barges on the Susquehanna and Tidewater Canal for...
Lumber mills frequently set up tram cars running on a set of tracks to carry cut timbers from the steep hillsides. The Old Tram Trail is exactly that and has become a short bit of single track to...
The Exeter Scenic River Trail follows the north shore of the Schuylkill River. The tree-lined route provides views of the river and runs to the Klapperthal Trail at the base of Neversink Mountain.
The Wyomissing Creek Trail offers a pleasant tree-lined route along its namesake waterway in West Reading. At its eastern end, you can connect to an 18-mile segment of the Schuylkill River Trail that...
The Torrey C. Brown Rail Trail is one of the best hiking and biking trails in the Mid-Atlantic region. It allows for nearly 20 miles of flat travel, punctuated by a number of access points and an...
The Hollow Creek Greenway follows its namesake waterway through scenic woodlands and valleys, offering a quiet oasis in the suburbs. The trail provides an important link between neighborhoods, schools...
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Though little-known compared to other popular rail-trails in Pennsylvania, the Penns Creek Path is worth the effort of visiting for a scenic bike ride or hike in the forest. Pretty in all seasons, it...
This gently winding trail in Pine Grove Furnace State Park passes along the shores of two lakes and through the woodlands of Michaux State Forest. Pine Grove Furnace began operating in 1764 to take...
The Torrey C. Brown Rail Trail is one of the best hiking and biking trails in the Mid-Atlantic region. It allows for nearly 20 miles of flat travel, punctuated by a number of access points and an...
Currently a 1.75-mile section of the trail is open from 8:00 am to dusk. The trail runs parallel to Rosedale Avenue in Laureldale Borough on the former corridor of the East Penn Branch Railroad. The...
This lovely, relatively flat dirt path runs through the Roaring Creek Tract of the Weiser State Forest. Here, the south tributary of Roaring Creek cuts through the forest, pooling into three large...
The Blue Marsh Lake Multi-Use Trail loops around a manmade reservoir just outside of Reading in southeastern Pennsylvania. The trail has a mixture of surfaces (hard-packed dirt, grass, gravel and...
The Warwick Township Linear Park Trail is a joint project of Warwick Township and Lititz borough. The pathway extends from Market Street north, following the Santo Domingo Creek, to Newport Road....
Located in northern Manheim Township, the Brighton-Reidenbaugh Park Trail is a link in the suburban Lancaster County municipality's growing network of multi-use trails. The trail consists of 3...
Originally the Reading & Columbia Railroad, this branch of the Reading Railroad was built to haul anthracite coal to Columbia where it was loaded into barges on the Susquehanna and Tidewater Canal for...
The Hanover Trolley Trail is being built along the 16-mile corridor of the York-Hanover Trolley Line that ran between the two cities in the early 1900s. Currently, about a quarter of that distance is...
Northwest Corridor Linear Park is a short paved pathway that winds its way among the city streets just northeast of the city square. The pathway functions as community park for residents of downtown...
This is a pleasant one mile community trail which begins right at the center of Red Lion, PA. The main trailhead is on Main St. at the restored MA&PA train station, which now is home to the Red Lion...
Originally conceived by landscape architect Warren Manning (a disciple of Frederick Law Olmsted), the Capital Area Greenbelt is a 20-mile ring of parks and trails circling the Pennsylvania capital...
As its name implies, hikers on the Chickies Rock Overlook Trail will be rewarded with a beautiful vista at the end of their excursion. The trail follows an old trolley line route that once took...
Part of the township's ongoing efforts to create a network of multi-use greenways, Manheim Twp.'s Heritage Trail begins at Valley Road and extends south, along the eastern boundary of Landis Woods to...
A work in progress, the 2.5-mile Uwchlan Trail currently extends from the Struble Trail off the intersection of Dowlin Forge and Shelmire roads, north along the Shamona Creek and primarily following...
The Warwick-to-Ephrata Rail-Trail, first envisioned in the 1990s, is a developing pathway being built along the former Reading Railroad. The 7-mile route is hoped to be completed in 2018 and will...
The Jonathan Eshenour Memorial Trail, named for a local resident who died in a bicycling accident, offers a safe paved route through Derry and nearby communities. It begins in a rural area just south...
The Schuylkill Valley Heritage Trail passes through the rolling green hills of the Schuylkill River Valley, from just outside of Tamaqua to Middleport. The trail runs immediately adjacent to US...
Shady and interesting scenery. Busy almost all the time. As both a long-distance walker and a cyclist, I see both walkers and cyclists not paying attention to the rules. Don't let this ruin your day!
Walkers: You must walk to the right. If you don't, expect others to pass you with less space because you are not following the rules. Walkers in groups always spread across the trail, forcing cyclists to not just yield but sometimes stop and wait for them to realize other people are using the trail. I've said, "On your left" and been completely ignored by groups of people spread across the trail. So it's not just cyclists who disregard the rules as another user complained in his biased review.
Cyclists: Announce yourself loudly when approaching a group spread across the trail. I'll admit that if I'm passing a single walker or runner who is far right, then I may not. I've found it depends on the age and athletic ability of the person. I always announce myself to older people and kids (who tend to get ahead of their parents). They get startled more easily by passing cyclists. I may not say anything to a serious runner, particularly one with ear buds on, but I will move far left and slow down to the trail speed limit for everyone.
There is a short spur trail, the Schuylkill Highlands Trail. East of Birdsboro, just after crossing PA 724 at the Fork and Ale restaurant the trail is on the right, there is a sign at the trail junction. The trail climbs via switchbacks through mostly open fields and ends at Crusher Road. There are great views to reward you for the climb. The trail is wide and smooth and climbs at the maximum grade for an ADA trail. You can see the trail on the satellite view of the Thun section of the SRT.
I have hiked here many times with my family & dog. This is not a long trail, nor is it challenging, but I believe that just makes it all the better for the older folks. The real point of this trail is to take you to a magnificent view of the Susquehanna River.
Driving south from I 80 we parked at the north end of the trail. The parking area was not marked so we found a spot across the road near Old Valley School Road. When we started riding down the trail we did see space for a few cars along the first hundred yards or so. The trail along the busy Route 54 has constant traffic noise and the trail surface is a bit rough. Where the trail meets Meadow Lane the is a trail map so we were able to find where the trail continued, other than the map there were no signs pointing the way. After crossing the bridge on Montour Street there is a steep but short climb to the nice half of the trail. Gone is the traffic noise and the trail surface is for the most part much smoother.
Trail is well maintained and was very busy on a Sunday mid-day ride. There are a few sections that have asphalt paving. This is a rail trail but long grades in both directions to reach the summit at Mt Gretna.
The parking lot at Cornwall is a good starting point as there is a porta potty there and a snack stand (hours unknown but was open on Sunday afternoon.
No pets are allowed on this trail which was not well advertised on any internet website we visited prior to our walk. So when we got there, we were surprised to see the signage and ultimately had to go somewhere else. It was disappointing.
We have ridden the Heritage and Torrey Brown. The Heritage is slightly uphill (I didn't notice it but my wife did) from York (Brillhart trail head) to New Freedom and then downhill to the end of the line. The PA side of the trail is great. The MD side not so great. There are numerous small towns on the PA side that offer food, drink and a place to rest. One home placed an ice chest on the trail offering free bottles of water! You might want to slow down or take a small flashlight for the Howard tunnel...it's a little rough in there and dark. Brillhart had a toilet facility and there were rest benches all along the route. I loved the old buildings and old train signals. There is a lot of crossing back and forth across the tracks but they are all paved and easy to negotiate. The New Freedom train was operating and we rode faster than the train. Based on the completely deteriorated condition of the ties, I would not ride the train. It looks like an accident waiting to happen. I'm surprised they haven't been shut down for safety reasons. Back to the trail. It is great. We rode it on an overcast Friday morning and the traffic on the trail was very light. Speaking of traffic, other than in one significant town we never had to stop for vehicular traffic. Go and have a great time.
Took a trip out today and trail was closed due to dangerous conditions. Got a lot of rain recently, maybe trail was washed out ?!??!
After our recent rains, this trail has gotten soupy and hazardous in places. Be especially caution of these wet areas especially in the shaded areas on upper half of the trail. These spots could really benefit from an application of crushed stone. Otherwise this is a fun and friendly rail-trail.
I rode the Swatara Rail Trail on the afternoon of Sunday, July 23rd. It was a bit overcast but still hot and muggy, 80 degrees. I started at the Trout Run trailhead and rode one of the connector trails to the mountain bike complex. There are several options within Swatara State Park for mountain bikers, I prefer the four established trails which can be accessed from the rail trail at Green Point Station. After riding trail A I returned to the rail trail and rode south to the Lickdale trailhead. Upon exiting the state park the trail surface is regular gravel and this makes for a bit more difficult ride. I noticed several groups of people walking this section but no fellow bike riders. At the roundabout loop near the Lickdale terminus there are many raspberry bushes, good for an afternoon stop in July. I continued back the way I came running parallel to the Swatara Creek on the right and route 72 on the left. Upon reentering the state park I stopped at the waterville bridge and checked the map. then I continued on the trail through the state park to the east. This is mainly wooded area running along Swatara Creek. Along the way there are several other paved trails for cycling and you may choose to meander at will. I do not recommend riding the Swatara Rail Trail east past the Swopes Valley Trailhead. I was disappointed to find that the trail is maintained differently past this point. There is a marshy area near Wagner's pond with a sign stating "wet trail". This did not deter me from finishing the route but maybe it should have. The trail passes along the edge of the state park with a line of farm communities to the left. There were several deficiencies in the trail surface at this point, which is mainly packed silt from a nearby marsh area and large pools of shallow water which I had to roll through. The last mile of the trail in this direction is mowed grass, almost like passing through someone's back yard. The trail terminus is marked by a Hampton Inn and a busy highway interchange. Overall the Swatara Rail Trail is pretty nice. The central section is on an abandoned paved road and you can cruise a little faster. People also hike and walk their dogs here. Definitely worth the ride from the Waterville bridge to the Swopes Valley Trailhead.
I rode the Conewago trail this Past Sunday, July 23rd. It happens that I had just bought a new bike at Rails to Trails Bicycle Shop http://www.railstotrail.com/ located at the trail junction with Old Hershey Road. First I proceeded north to the Lancaster/Lebanon County line passing by a series of farms. There are several local road crossings and alternate trail heads along the route. At the county line the trail continues, becoming the Lebanon Valley Rail Trail which extends another 15 miles northeast. It is reasonable to pair the two for a longer ride and I have done so on several occasions. This time however I turned around and proceeded at a comfortable 7-8 mph pace back past the rails to trails bike shop and then south for another few miles through similar farmland and wooded areas. There is a stream to the one side for a half mile or so and it is nice for pictures. The stream is down about 20 feet and there is no guard rail, you just have to be careful. The trail ends in a county recreation area and there are a few picnic tables if you'd like to take a rest. I recommend this trail because there are both healthy wooded sections and also wide open vistas; farmers fields and also meadows for animal grazing. The local populace is very friendly as well!
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