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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The John Bartram Trail (a.k.a. Bartram Trail) is simply one section of the very involved Schuylkill River Trail, which is being developed in sections as funds and capacity permit. Currently 9.6 miles...
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 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...
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...
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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...
Swatara Creek runs through the vast woodlands of Swatara State Park in eastern Pennsylvania. Bear Hole Trail traces the eastern side of the waterway, while the Swatara Rail-Trail runs along the other...
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 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 on the crushed-stone surface, punctuated by a number...
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...
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...
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...
Two small sections of the Schuylkill River Trail have been constructed in Ontelaunee Township immediately north and south of Leesport in southeastern Pennsylvania. Both portions of the trail have a...
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...
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 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 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...
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...
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 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...
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 Union Canal Trail parallels Tulpehocken Creek between Stonecliffe Action Park northwest of downtown Reading and Blue Marsh Lake. The original Union Canal ran 79.5 miles from the Schuylkill River...
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...
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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...
Originally named St. Anthony's Wilderness by Moravian missionaries who arrived in the colony in 1742 to convert Native tribes, the Stony Creek Valley became the site of five bustling towns after...
Two small sections of the Schuylkill River Trail have been constructed in Ontelaunee Township immediately north and south of Leesport in southeastern Pennsylvania. Both portions of the trail have a...
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...
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 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...
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 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 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 on the crushed-stone surface, punctuated by a number...
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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...
The Lebanon Valley Rail-Trail takes you on a journey into Pennsylvania Dutch country. Running along the corridor of the old Cornwall-Lebanon Railroad, the 14.5-mile trail lets you experience the...
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...
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...
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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...
Forming the eastern side of a triangle with Elders Run Trail and the 130-mile Horseshoe Trail, the short, charming Middle Creek Trail is contained within wooded Middle Creek Wildlife Management Area...
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...
Swatara Creek runs through the vast woodlands of Swatara State Park in eastern Pennsylvania. Bear Hole Trail traces the eastern side of the waterway, while the Swatara Rail-Trail runs along the other...
The Cumberland Valley Rail Trail runs down the middle of its namesake: the Cumberland Valley of Pennsylvania, between the South Mountain and Blue Mountain ridges on the eastern flank of the...
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 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...
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 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...
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...
The Union Canal Trail parallels Tulpehocken Creek between Stonecliffe Action Park northwest of downtown Reading and Blue Marsh Lake. The original Union Canal ran 79.5 miles from the Schuylkill River...
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...
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 on the crushed-stone surface, punctuated by a number...
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...
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...
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 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 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...
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...
A joint project of Warwick Township and Lititz borough, the Warwick Township. Linear Park extends from Market Street north, following the Santo Domingo Creek, to Newport Road. Although the asphalt...
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...
Road a seven mile section of the Heritage Rail Trail (miles 15-8) today and was really impressed. It was my first time on this level and scenic trail. Lots to see and the trees provided great shade throughout the trip. It was a little busy in sections but overall it was an easy ride (ideal for my 10 year old). Definitely recommend this for people with kids who want a trail that is well-kept and thoroughly marked.
The former crosswalk across RT743 was paved over last fall.
Now difficult to cross highway. Larger stones on approach sort of force a dismount. Then trail users have lost the 'protection' of a painted crosswalk across the busy (fast) highway.
Overall the trails great. There are a few sections that need repair and there is a lack of facilities along the trail,
The trail has now been extended another mile or so into Shippensburg past the park, crosses a new bridge (the old hillside shortcut to Ship is still visible) and continues as a paved pathway adjacent to the university campus. The trail currently dead ends on a side street with no apparent signage, but it appears that restrooms and a parking area are under construction there. At the other end in Newville, a metal bridge was added and the trail continues to Rt 233, although there is no access there. Hopefully this is the start of the planned extension to Carlisle.
Nice and well maintained trail for an easy relaxing walk or short bike ride.
We were concerned that we might have trouble riding this trail with a hybrid and a street bike, so today we started at the western end and walked a few miles to check it out. It was a rougher trail than the typical rail-trail we're used to, but very rideable. Though most riders we saw were on mountain bikes or hybrids, we saw several people on street bikes and talked to a couple of them who said they had ridden the trail without trouble. The street bike riders were traveling more slowly than others, no doubt to avoid some significant pot holes and sharp rocks, but all of these were avoidable to anyone not racing on the trail.
Based on other reviews we were surprised to arrive at the trailhead at the same time as four other cars (there were 12 cars there altogether), but once we got onto the trail we only saw people a couple of times. It was very quiet (no traffic noise--a rarity) and very shaded; pleasant on a hot day. Next time we'll ride and I'll update my review if necessary.
The gravel road that leads to the Ellendale trailhead seemed long since we weren't familiar with it, but it ends at a large parking area at the trailhead, so you can't miss the trail. There are no port-a-johns or other conveniences there. That, and the roughness of the trail, led me to give it three stars at this point. If you like such trails or have a mountain bike, you might say it deserves more.
I have ridden this trail numerous times and I plan to ride it again tomorrow. It is as good as it gets. The description in traillink is somewhat misleading. The trail actually starts in Columbia. There is parking available and there is a visitors center with full facilities. The section from Columbia to Marietta is called the Susquehanna Heritage Trail. According to the description on the website there is no parking in Columbia but there is parking.
This trail is awesome due to mature and well designed landscaping. Greater still is that it connects with Thun SRT system.
Brought my 7 year old 9 year old 12 year old and they enjoyed the different trail surfaces. Was an easy ride with well-marked trails. We'll return and ride the loop trails off of the Swatara Trail.
My wife and I rode the trail starting in Lewisburg heading west. Parking was easy to find from West Market Street and 15th Street. The trail's asphalt in Lewisburg then crushed stone heading West. Mostly rural farmland, a fair number of crossings toward Lewisburg. Nice farm country, quite a few working farms. We were pressed for time so we only rode about 7 miles west then turned around back to Lewisburg. A nice ride!
Biked this trail last Friday. Nice views of the creek and lots of historical interest along the entire path. The Action Park entrance can get extremely busy during peak periods I started around 4.00pm with two cars in the parking lot and when I returned around 6.30pm there where no parking spaces left.
Absolutely beautiful trail. A real treasure, and many thanks to those who made this trail possible. Its a real historical and relaxing place for people to ride, and experience the rich history of this region in Pennsylvania.
The only draw back that I have seen, today especially is an arrogant, speed demon of a biker, worried more about cadence, heart beats per minute, and his so called exercise regimen, and in turn just about ran down numerous people. This should be addressed on the trail via, signs, or warnings that for speed training, etc, watch out for the elderly, small kids on bikes, babies in strollers. If your looking to do that kind of riding, the terrain, and elevation is not the place anyway.
All in all an enjoyable ride, one of the best, and plan on coming back, but the dude, in the green jersey, riding like he is trying to win a trophy, just about ruined it for me. If he caused a crash, or injured someone this trail would be in trouble for ages to come.
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