Explore the best rated trails in Lancaster, PA. Whether you're looking for an easy walking trail or a bike trail like the Schuylkill Valley Heritage Trail and Limerick Trail. With more than 102 trails covering 551 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.
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...
Part of Manheim Township's growing greenway network, the paved, multi-use trail begins at the access road to the Manheim Township Community Park and loops around athletic fields and a playground at...
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...
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 Chester Valley Trail provides opportunities for recreation and alternative transportation in the congested commercial center at the northern edge of Greater Philadelphia. The paved rail-trail...
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 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...
Spanning 5.5 miles, the Jack A. Markell Trail, named after a former Delaware governor, connects the Wilmington riverfront with New Castle. The paved pathway was formerly known as the Industrial Track...
The Chester County Parks & Recreation Department opened this trail in 1979 on part of a former Pennsylvania Railroad right-of-way. Today the 2.6-mile trail attracts more than 125,000 visitors each...
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...
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...
Currently open in two disconnected segments, the State Route 141 Sidepath is a paved trail that follows the side of its namesake roadway along the edges of Wilmington, Delaware. Favoring function over...
The Northwest Lancaster County River Trail follows the route of the historic Pennsylvania Main Line Canal, tracing the Susquehanna River northwest from Columbia to Falmouth. The entire trail is paved....
Named after the local couple who spearheaded efforts to build the pathway, Sorenson's Way is a paved sidepath trail that runs chiefly alongside Valley Road in the northwest Delaware community of...
The 7.1-mile Warwick-to-Ephrata Rail-Trail runs from Ephrata west to Lititz in Warwick Township, following the former Reading and Columbia Railroad, which began service in 1863. The Lancaster Junction...
The Perkiomen Trail provides so many interesting historical and natural sites along its 20.6-mile length that visitors may have to ignore some of the trailside distractions to reach 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...
The Joseph Plumb Martin Trail offers a pleasant, paved loop through Pennsylvania's Valley Forge National Historical Park. Nestled against the wooded Schuylkill River, the park provides a wealth of...
Situated on hilly land on the northern edge of Newark, the Newark Reservoir was built in 2006 to capture water from the nearby White Clay Creek watershed - and thanks to the paved Newark Reservoir...
The Brandywine Trail follows the course of its namesake creek through over two miles of Brandywine Creek State Park, emerging at the northern end at the entrance to the Brandywine Valley area of First...
The Perkiomen Trail provides so many interesting historical and natural sites along its 20.6-mile length that visitors may have to ignore some of the trailside distractions to reach the other...
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 Joseph Plumb Martin Trail offers a pleasant, paved loop through Pennsylvania's Valley Forge National Historical Park. Nestled against the wooded Schuylkill River, the park provides a wealth of...
The 7.1-mile Warwick-to-Ephrata Rail-Trail runs from Ephrata west to Lititz in Warwick Township, following the former Reading and Columbia Railroad, which began service in 1863. The Lancaster Junction...
The Rim Trail offers a 2.2-mile route in Hibernia County Park, following a former railroad bed along the West Branch Branywine Creek. This southeastern Pennsylvania excursion is one of a handful of...
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...
Although relatively short at 1.8 miles, the Muhlenberg Rail Trail extends the ability of residents to exercise or visit local parks, schools, and businesses under their own power. The asphalt trail...
The Fielding Bank Trail gives residents of Boiling Springs access to a couple nearby parks without having to travel along local roads. The trail begins at High Street the west end of town and...
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...
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 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 popular Lancaster Junction Trail follows the former Reading and Columbia Railroad, which transported iron ore and coal from Reading to the Chesapeake Bay via the Susquehanna and Tidewater Canal...
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....
Every year, tens of thousands of people take to the Capital Area Greenbelt looping around Harrisburg to play, exercise, and commute. The greenway completely encircles Pennsylvania’s capital city as it...
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 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 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 Trolley Trail, located in Delaware's Auburn Valley State Park, is a short but sweet crushed stone loop trail near the park's main entrance. While it may not offer much in the way of mileage, the...
The Swatara Rail-Trail uses the corridors left behind by a canal and a railroad to snake around an Appalachian mountain in eastern Pennsylvania, passing through the forests of Swatara State Park most...
A gorgeous addition to the area's trail network, Wilmington's Riverwalk trail (sometimes called the Christina River Walk) allows pedestrians and cyclists to experience the city's renovated urban...
A link in the region's burgeoning network of multi-use greenways, the Warwick Highlands Trail connects several subdivisions, shopping centers and a hospital on the west side of Warwick Township, just...
Spanning 5.5 miles, the Jack A. Markell Trail, named after a former Delaware governor, connects the Wilmington riverfront with New Castle. The paved pathway was formerly known as the Industrial Track...
The Chester County Parks & Recreation Department opened this trail in 1979 on part of a former Pennsylvania Railroad right-of-way. Today the 2.6-mile trail attracts more than 125,000 visitors each...
Although relatively short at 1.8 miles, the Muhlenberg Rail Trail extends the ability of residents to exercise or visit local parks, schools, and businesses under their own power. The asphalt trail...
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...
Currently open in two disconnected segments, the State Route 141 Sidepath is a paved trail that follows the side of its namesake roadway along the edges of Wilmington, Delaware. Favoring function over...
The Swamp Forest Trail loops through Lums Pond State Park on a packed earth surface that accommodates hikers and cyclists. The trail is the shorter of two loops; the Little Jersey Trail runs closer to...
Named after the local couple who spearheaded efforts to build the pathway, Sorenson's Way is a paved sidepath trail that runs chiefly alongside Valley Road in the northwest Delaware community of...
A work in progress, the French Creek Trail is one of several trails being developed by East Pikeland Township. Although a small part of it follows the route of the former Pickering Creek Railroad,...
The MA & PA Heritage Trail is found in two segments (about 2 miles apart) through the wooded parks of Maryland's Bel Air and Forest Hill communities. The folksy sounding name actually stands for the...
Part of Limerick Township's ambitious plans to build a network of multi-use greenways, the paved Limerick Trail currently extends nearly 2 miles through the southeastern PA municipality. The trail...
The Senator Patricia M. Blevins Pedestrian Path is a short but well-paved pathway that runs between the Delaware town of Elsmere's Fairgrounds Park and Maple Avenue Park, giving local residents a safe...
Currently about a mile in length, the Lime Spring Trail is envisioned to connect several residential communities to the nearby Lancaster suburb of Rohrerstown as well as to shopping centers, office...
Heritage Rail Trail County Park (HRT), along with the connecting Torrey C. Brown Rail Trail that continues south through Maryland, are in Rails-to-Trails Conservancy’s Hall of Fame. Both trails follow...
Liseter Trail is a multipurpose recreation pathway in Newtown Square, west of Philadelphia. The mile-long trail skirts the edge of the Liseter subdivision on State Route 252/ Newtown Street to the...
Constructed as part of the Belmont subdivision/Shoppers At Belmont mixed use development, the Belmont Trail is part of Manheim Township's growing network of multi-use greenways and the latest of...
Situated near the south end of Lititz borough, the half-mile long Butterfly Acres Park Trail follows a restored wetland and small stream, connecting two neighborhoods. A smaller segment, which is...
A gorgeous addition to the area's trail network, Wilmington's Riverwalk trail (sometimes called the Christina River Walk) allows pedestrians and cyclists to experience the city's renovated urban...
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 Audubon Loop Trail is only 2.5 miles in length, but is over four miles when adjacent sections of the Perkiomen and Schuylkill River trails are added. The trail begins in Lower Perkiomen Valley...
This is the trail I've ridden most often, as it is only a few minutes from my house. It's a great little trail, and my kids love stopping at the beautiful Warwick Twp park that the trail goes through. I'd like to give it 5 stars, because I'm sure many people work hard to maintain it. However, there are long stretches of the spring and summer that the Warwick half of the trail is simply not usable due to the overpowering odor of the liquid fertilizer that the local farmers use on the many fields lining the trail. I've lived in Lancaster County for nearly 20 years - I'm fine with the standard cow poo smell, but the liquid stuff is unbearable and it gets in your clothes, hair, and skin. It also draws so many flies and other bugs that you feel like you're being pelted with sleet as you ride. I have to mask up and wear goggles to keep them out of my eyes and mouth. It's a real bummer, but I suppose that's just the reality of the location. Not sure there's a way to remedy it.
This is a very scenic, easy trail. It's great for a quick jaunt, or you can extend it by continuing on the Lebanon Valley rail trail that connects to it. As other reviewers have noted, it could use some fine gravel. Much of the current surface is pretty coarse stone, which was fine for my mountain bike with front shocks and wide tires, but it probably would have jarred my insides loose if I was riding my hybrid bike. And as other reviewers have also noted, crossing Rte. 743 can be dangerous when it's busy. Still, this trail is nicely maintained and I recommend it.
Today was my first time riding this beautiful trail, and it's already one of my favorites in the area. I started at the Lancaster/Lebanon county line where it connects with the Conewago Recreation Trail (also quite nice), rode to the end in downtown Lebanon, then rode back (15-ish miles each way). It's mostly fine packed gravel with some paved sections. I was on a hardtail mountain bike, but a gravel bike or any bike with appropriate tires could handle it easily. There's lots of shade, numerous benches, a few parking areas, a couple porta-johns, and a water refill station along the way. I'm no expert but I found it to be quite doable; it's a pretty gentle grade with no steep climbs. Just be aware that in both directions the trail trends upwards for several miles until you get to Mt. Gretna.
I road this trail today. The first item of note is the road is closed about 1 mile on the North Extension, that is a mile North of Route 30. You can ride from John Rudy County park to the closure. There may be a work around at the railroad bridge to the route 30 Parking lot. I started at the route 30 parking lot and went South to New Freedom. I would not recommend riding in this direction. The last section from about MP 5 up to New Freedom is uphill about a 6% grade. It is best to ride starting in New Freedom and biking to York. Also, The bike trail through York going South is a bit confusing through the town. At one point the RR track area was closed; however, the detour South was not clear. Okay
There is a newly opened nicely done parking lot at the Chesapeake City trail head one block up from Schaefers Restaurant.
Nice fully blackedtoped trail, two hills, but the rest very flat.
under power lines, along fast cars on 422, not worth the time.
Plenty of trails in the areas through actual nature!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Great trail for my morning sweatsuit speedwalk.
My office was right off this trail & trail ended behind my old house I would ride 14 miles to & from work at least once a week miss those days.
Did this trail with 2 kids 4 & 6 they were troops went from oaks to the art museum. Memories to last a lifetime
I'm normally a bike trail reviewer, but pleased to see my local trail haunt listed here. The description is pretty accurate, more of a walking/jogging trail than a bike trail, but definitely a peaceful retreat in the suburbs. Pros: plentiful parking, easy gradient, abundant wildlife. Cons: not a very long trail (4 miles is a stretch even if you connect the looped paths), prone to erosion, puddles, and fallen trees/limbs (although cleanup is prompt). It's mostly wooded views with some traffic noise in areas, but no majestic vistas here. There are regular dog walkers like me, bird watchers, and families. I often see foxes, and the resident deer herd coexists well with humans. My canine companion and I come at least 3x a week, and walk approx 3 miles each time, so I figure we covered over 5k miles in the past 12 years (astonishing at how it adds up).
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