Find the top rated trails in Hazleton, 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.
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 South Bethlehem Greenway is a linear park that follows a former Norfolk Southern rail line through the southern neighborhoods of Bethlehem. The paved pathway begins just north of Lehigh University...
The Forks Township Recreation Trail follows the an old right-of-way of the former Lehigh & New England Railroad. Starting at the trail's midpoint behind the Riverview Country Club in Easton, you'll...
The multi-use Lackawanna River Heritage Trail (LRHT) follows Pennsylvania's Lackawanna River and, when complete, will be more than 70 miles. The trail begins at the confluence of the Lackawanna and...
The beautiful Lehigh and New England trail is a short, crushed-stone trail that follows a section of the former Lehigh and New England Railroad corridor just south of Tamaqua in eastern Pennsylvania....
Southeastern Pennsylvania’s Schuylkill River Trail forms the spine of the Schuylkill River National Heritage Area, a five-county expanse between Philadelphia and Pottsville. Built along former...
The pleasant Monocacy Way takes walkers and cyclists on an adventure through the fascinating history of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. The trail kicks off at Monocacy Creek Park, where you can see the a...
Currently, 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 paved at...
The Joseph M. McDade Recreational Trail is named after a former member of Congress from the area known for his dedication to public lands. The trail, located within the Delaware Water Gap National...
The history of Perkiomen Trail railroad corridor extends more than 140 years. Founded shortly after the Civil War, the Perkiomen Railway Company started running from Oaks to Pennsburg in 1868. New...
Tracing nearly two miles of riverfront, the Luzerne County National Recreation Trail (also known as the Luzerne County Rail Trail) will eventually form a 16-mile pathway along an active railway. Chain...
The Exeter Scenic River Trail traces the north bank 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. Visit...
The Ironton Rail-Trail is the quintessential example of how a former rail corridor can transform a community. This trail has it all for locals and visitors alike. If you are looking for beautiful...
Constructed in 2012, the Gravity Trail is one of the newer additions to the extensive network of trails and greenways that criss-cross the Greater Reading metro area. The trail's unusual name comes...
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 Karamac Trail is a short walking trail that starts under the Interstate 80 bridge on the New Jersey side of the Delaware River. The trail follows an old railroad right-of-way; there is a railroad...
The Hunters Crossing and Brayton Garden trails form a paved, multi-use greenway that extends 2.7 miles from the Country Square Shopping Center in Quakertown to Dovecote Drive immediately south of...
The Iroquois Trail is scenic and remote, stretching about 2 miles through Tunkhannock, a gateway community to the Endless Mountains in northeastern Pennsylvania. The rail-trail follows the route of...
Tatamy Trail begins in West Easton and heads north to Tatamy Borough, primarily along a former railroad corridor. On its southern end, it meets the Palmer Township Recreation Trail, which connects the...
The Luzerne County Levee Trail is a 12-mile paved path made up of 4 different reaches on either side of the Susquehanna River. A system of interconnected paved trails built atop the flood protection...
Saucon Rail Trail connects four communities: Hellertown, Lower Saucon Township, Upper Saucon Township, and Coopersburg. The trail has a slight 1% grade traveling from north to south and is easy for a...
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 Muhlenberg Rail Trail spans nearly 2 miles, running parallel to Rosedale Avenue from Laureldale Borough to Temple. It follows a former corridor of the East Penn Branch Railroad, traversing a...
The multi-use Lackawanna River Heritage Trail (LRHT) follows Pennsylvania's Lackawanna River and, when complete, will be more than 70 miles. The trail begins at the confluence of the Lackawanna and...
For a dose of rural scenery, head to the northwest corner of New Jersey, where this 27-mile rail-trail cuts a nearly uninterrupted path along the banks of the Paulins Kill, a Delaware River tributary...
DESCRIPTION: The Created by Union Forge Heritage Association in 2007,Taylor SteelWorkers Historical Greenway is a 7 mile trail that winds its way through High Bridge criss-crossing a number of...
_96475_sc.jpg)
The Palmer Township Recreation Trail (a.k.a. the Towpath Bike Trail) is a terrific community asset for Palmer and Bethlehem township residents and a great destination for visitors as well. Three modes...
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...
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...
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...
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 Exeter Scenic River Trail traces the north bank 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. Visit...
Southeastern Pennsylvania’s Schuylkill River Trail forms the spine of the Schuylkill River National Heritage Area, a five-county expanse between Philadelphia and Pottsville. Built along former...
The Karamac Trail is a short walking trail that starts under the Interstate 80 bridge on the New Jersey side of the Delaware River. The trail follows an old railroad right-of-way; there is a railroad...
The Forks Township Recreation Trail follows the an old right-of-way of the former Lehigh & New England Railroad. Starting at the trail's midpoint behind the Riverview Country Club in Easton, you'll...
The history of Perkiomen Trail railroad corridor extends more than 140 years. Founded shortly after the Civil War, the Perkiomen Railway Company started running from Oaks to Pennsburg in 1868. New...
The Luzerne County Levee Trail is a 12-mile paved path made up of 4 different reaches on either side of the Susquehanna River. A system of interconnected paved trails built atop the flood protection...
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 Hunters Crossing and Brayton Garden trails form a paved, multi-use greenway that extends 2.7 miles from the Country Square Shopping Center in Quakertown to Dovecote Drive immediately south of...
This Susquehanna Warrior Trail is nestled in the beautiful Susquehanna River Valley, lush with green meadows and surrounding mountain peaks. Eventually the trail will cover 18.5 miles, but now it...
Envisioned as a multi-use trail that will eventually connect the Thun Trail section of the Schuylkill River Trail in Union Township in southeast Berks County to the towns of Elverson and St. Peters in...
Located at 2,100 feet and next to the Loyalsock State Forest in northeast Pennsylvania, this trail in the small town of Eagles Mere has a rich history. In 1892 the Eagles Mere eight-mile narrow gauge...
From 1880 until well into the 20th century, Bangor and Portland Railway steam locomotives plied this corridor and others in the region, providing essential transportation services for the nearby...
Constructed in 2012, the Gravity Trail is one of the newer additions to the extensive network of trails and greenways that criss-cross the Greater Reading metro area. The trail's unusual name comes...
Currently, 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 paved at...
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 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...
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 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...
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 Ironton Rail-Trail is the quintessential example of how a former rail corridor can transform a community. This trail has it all for locals and visitors alike. If you are looking for beautiful...
The Angelica Creek Trail, in Reading's suburbs, begins at a scenic stretch of the Schuylkill River Trail, then goes south along the river a short distance before heading northwest toward Angelica...
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...
For a dose of rural scenery, head to the northwest corner of New Jersey, where this 27-mile rail-trail cuts a nearly uninterrupted path along the banks of the Paulins Kill, a Delaware River tributary...
The Exeter Scenic River Trail traces the north bank 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. Visit...
The beautiful Lehigh and New England trail is a short, crushed-stone trail that follows a section of the former Lehigh and New England Railroad corridor just south of Tamaqua in eastern Pennsylvania....
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...
Saucon Rail Trail connects four communities: Hellertown, Lower Saucon Township, Upper Saucon Township, and Coopersburg. The trail has a slight 1% grade traveling from north to south and is easy for a...
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...
When it began operating, the Switchback Railroad was the second railroad in America and the first in Pennsylvania. Built to haul coal from the Summit Mine to the Lehigh Canal, the railroad evolved...
This is a nice trail to bike on a hot day. Lots of shade. There is a covered picnic pavilion right after the covered bridge.
The bridge over the Saucon Creek near the Auburn Street trailhead is impressive. A helpful connection for those wanting to go to Bethlehem.
We just moved to the area and live a half hour from the trail head so I wanted to give it a go. July was the 4th wettest month in recorded history for the area so factor that into some of my comments.
FIRST --- FINDING THE TRAILHEAD
I am an RT member and recently received the 2018 version of the Rail-Trails Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New York Guidebook. Please ignore the directions in the book unless you are giving them to someone you dislike very much. Here is how to find it: After you get off Interstate 81 at exit 100 make a left to the traffic light. It is marked route 72. Turn left and continue on 72 until it intersects with route 443. Veer to the right onto 443 and continue on 443 until you reach Gold Mine Road on the left (it is like 9 miles or so to the turnoff). There is a wooden PA sign for Swatara Creek RT & Park directly to the right. Once you are on Gold Mine Road continue over the top of the first mountain (there are two!!). As you descend the mountain (I want to say about half way down) there is a gravel road on the left and a PA State Game Sign just past the gravel road (right now weeds almost have it obscured (see my picture, if RT allows it to be posted. Drive back that road. You will see on the right an extensive pile of macadam road that has been taken up and dumped there. Past it you will find the trail head, although there is no sign noting that this is Stony Valley RT. You have made it there!
THE TRAIL
I did my ride this morning after the very rainy July. There are significant wash outs some as deep as a foot and as long as 30-40 yards. There was a tree across the trail (which they will remove) that required some nifty maneuvering to get around since the trail is elevated at this point. The trail is VERY FLAT and CANOPIED its entire length. As a result there were a lot of puddles in the trail and in some cases extended puddles a 1/20th of a mile or so where the water was over the top of my rims with a rocky and muddy bottom. There were many soft spots causing some sliding and skidding. There were a lot of branches on the trail and they have been there for some time. I jumped a number of them and some were rotten and paths ridden through them. All-in-all the trail is very rough but very beautiful. On my way back to the car there was a porcupine on the trail and all he did was bury his head and extend his quills without moving an inch from the center of the trail. Since it is canopied its entire length I do not recommend sun glasses. I wore mine and it was very hard to see some of the debris, water and washouts on the trail.
DISTANCE
The trail book says it is 21 miles long. I rode 17 miles between the two trail heads noted in the book. I started to ride the dirt road past the trail head and it was laden with mega potholes and since I wasn't even sure I was on the right trail I turned around. Next time I will continue along the access road and report of what I find.
EQUIPMENT
I have read some of the reviews and one noted that doing this trail on a road bike can be fun and successful. I strongly suggest that you disregard that review. I have a full suspension mountain bike and I needed every bit of it. I spent more than my share of time out of the saddle and found myself slipping, sliding, bouncing and jumping the entire length of the trail between the trail heads. I would never even try this on a hybrid or gravel bike even if it is dried out let alone a road bike. It is a very bumpy ride...as someone else wrote, rough.
As noted, cell phone coverage is non-existent. I recommend either riding with someone or certainly wearing a RoadID so you have some help if something happens.
REVIEWER
The context for the reviewer is important for understanding the review. I do 10-15 century rides a year on my road bike and ride my mountain bike many times a week a minimum of 35-40 miles. I travel all over the country with my bikes doing centuries, trails and single track. This is a less traveled trail that is quite spectacular but be prepared when you ride it.
My wife and I rode the trail today (28-Jul-2018). It had rained the day before, so the trail was a bit wet. There were muddy spots, but most of the time the trail was just a bit wet. We planned on parking near the Simply Day Spa, but realized that the access to the trail from that parking spot was impossible to access with a bike - it was steep and rocky. And of course wet. So we parked at the East Crisman Road parking, just after the single lane bridge. Next time, just park at the Footbridge Park. But once on the trail, we realized some spots were muddy but manageable. There were times when between E Crisman parking and the airport, the trail narrows and widens. Once at the Blairstown Airport, you have to use Lambert Road for a bit, then into Airport Road. From here, there are no signs to direct you to where the trail is. From there, Airport Road ends and you will see a dirt road before the gates - that's the trail. From here, the trail sort of becomes wide enough for two way bike traffic to just a patch of dirt for you tires. The trails need a lot of maintenance - a lot of low branches, some branches on the road and basically, it just needs some trees cut down. Because of the lack of maintenance and overgrowth, you can hardly see anything on either side of the trail. But it was a good ride, flat trail - my wife and I rode up to Paulinskill Viaduct. Nice structure, with all the graffiti and all.
The trail stopped and started many times. No portion longer than 5 miles, not for the rider that wants to put on mileage.
Rode this train from White Haven to Jim Thorpe on 7/5/18. Shuttle from Blue Mountain Sports in Jim Thorpe was friendly and convenient; we parked our car at the day parking lot near downtown, which is situated at the end of the trail. The trail itself is cinder and crushed stone; we used hybrid bikes which were perfect (I wouldn't recommend a road bike). As advertised it's a slight downhill, but you still have to pedal to get where you're going! Most of the route is shaded and gives you nice views of the river. One caution: the last 30 minutes or so to the southern end (Jim Thorpe) are not shaded and thus took the wind out of our sails at the end a bit. There are other lots you can park in besides the day lot that are a little further up the trail, but I don't know how that would work with the shuttle. All in all, very nice trail and worth the trip.
We rode the Douglassville to Pottstown section of the trail yesterday. Most of the trail was in shade which was welcome in the heat. The Berks County portion is hard gravel and easy to ride. When you cross into Montgomery County the trail is macadam, but as a previous writer mentioned, it is marred by numerous raised sections, probably due to tree roots. This is the reason for a 4 star rating. When we ended our ride in Pottstown park, I was excited to discover a Little Lending Library and picked out a book to read. The Douglassville trailhead is located in Old Morlatton Village. Not only is this a quiet trailhead, but there are several historic buildings with descriptive placards to read.
I have had my eye on this Trail for a few years. The reviews have been excellent and I also have been wanting to scout out the stream for potential paddle. I started on the North End (Green Lane) and headed south. Has so many reviews have captured the trail surface and surrounding terrain varies and is extremely diverse. It is interesting with how often it changes as it goes from deeply wooded sections to hop in a local throws for short stretches. Yes the 12% grade made me walk the bike for a bit. Oh yes, there was one other one. I unknowingly turned onto the Skippack Trail for about 2 mi. If you find yourself biking under a swath of power lines you made the same mistake. I still have to do the lower half of the Perkiomen and there are so many more side trails to explore. I will be back again and again.
Parked at White Haven with objective to bike up Black Diamond portion to northern-most point. We have sturdy hybrid bikes, but after 5 miles decided to turn around and head back south for better trail conditions. Really would have benefited from a mountain bike in that area - the trail is not crushed stone and only two thin car-tire type tracks a good portion of the way. A lot of rocks, ruts, and bumps you cannot see well in the shade of the trees. A family attempted it pulling a toddler carrier and quickly turned around. We then went south from White Haven for the more enjoyable trail. FYI if you don’t pay attention to the elevation, any northern sojourn is up a steady incline so you will tire faster. If you want a more relaxing ride, always head south.
The path is nice, a bit bumpy with roots in the first couple miles, starting from the Home Depot parking lot area. The trail description indicates 7.8 miles but my gps logged about a mile less. The path is graded downhill from the Home Depot and then levels out slightly when it merges with the D&L.
New macadam surface from Conshohocken to Spring Mills, removing san area of washboarding, and indications of imminent resurfacing from Conshohocken to near Norrristown, so from Valley Forge to near Manayunk it is a very smooth ride. (site doesn't seem to offer an chance to edit a review.)
Get Your 2018 RTC TrailNation Jersey!
Download the TrailLink mobile app and take TrailLink with you!
Donate and Get a FREE 2018 RTC Guidebook!
TrailLink is a free service provided by Rails-to-Trails Conservancy (a non-profit) and we need your support!
Map Search
_96475_st.jpg)
_150196_st.jpg)
