Find the top rated trails in Pottsville, 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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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...
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 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...
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...
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...
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...
If you feel like a stroll down the lazy river, then this is the trail for you. This peaceful trail follows the canal and Lehigh River for almost its entire length. This trail offers a variety of path...
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...
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...
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...
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 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...
Part of Milford Township's growing network of greenways, the Unami Creek Trail extends from a parking lot off Kumry Road, winding northeast behind developments, to Allentown Road. Another branch of...
The Schuylkill River Trail is envisioned to begin in Philadelphia and stretch northwest from the city along the 128-mile river. As of 2015, 9.6 continuous miles of this “Phoenixville to Pottstown”...
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...
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...
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 South Bethlehem Greenway is a linear park that follows a former Norfolk Southern rail line through the southern neighborhoods of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. The trail parallels Daly Avenue/State...
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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 Slate Heritage Trail is built on the former Lehigh Valley Railroad, which opened in 1874 and transported slate products from quarries in northern Lehigh County to Slatington to connect with the...
The Bloomsburg Rail-Trail runs for a short distance along the former rail bed on the northwest side of town. Following the east bank of Fishing Creek, the trail stretches between Millville Road just...
Like so many trails in this area, the Great Hazleton Rails to Trails occupies the former corridor of a railroad line that supported the local coal mining industry. After a half century of disuse, the...
The South Bethlehem Greenway is a linear park that follows a former Norfolk Southern rail line through the southern neighborhoods of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. The trail parallels Daly Avenue/State...
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...
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...
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...
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 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...
Tracing about two miles of riverfront today, this trail eventually will form a 16-mile pathway along an active railway. Chain link fencing separates the tracks from the trail. In downtown Pittston,...
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...
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 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 Warrington Township Multi-Use Trail spans nearly 3 miles on the west end of town. The trail is part of an effort to make the community more pedestrian-friendly, connecting major points of...
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...
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...
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...
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 Back Mountain Trail, originally built by lumber and ice king Albert Lewis of Wyoming Valley 115 years ago, was acquired by the Lehigh Valley Railroad in 1887. Lumber, ice, leather goods and...
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...
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 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...
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 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...
Josiah White, a famous entrepreneur and innovator, built the Lehigh Canal to transport anthracite coal the 46 miles from Mauch Chunk to Easton. There, the coal barges entered the Delaware Canal to...
Tracing about two miles of riverfront today, this trail eventually will form a 16-mile pathway along an active railway. Chain link fencing separates the tracks from the trail. In downtown Pittston,...
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...
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...
The South Bethlehem Greenway is a linear park that follows a former Norfolk Southern rail line through the southern neighborhoods of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. The trail parallels Daly Avenue/State...
For 77 years, the tiny Northampton & Bath Railroad traveled the 7 miles between the two Pennsylvania towns that gave the line its name. Then, like its larger cousins, the Northampton & Bath Railroad...
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...
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...
Like so many trails in this area, the Great Hazleton Rails to Trails occupies the former corridor of a railroad line that supported the local coal mining industry. After a half century of disuse, the...
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.
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...
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...
The George B. Will Trail in Tiadaghton State Forest is named for an early 20th-century Pennsylvania forest ranger. The trail is popular with cross-country skiers and travels through a mixed-pine...
A little less than a mile long, the Barrel Run Trail is part of Milford Township's growing system of multi-use trails. The paved, asphalt trail begins at Woodview Drive, immediately west of...
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 Slate Heritage Trail is built on the former Lehigh Valley Railroad, which opened in 1874 and transported slate products from quarries in northern Lehigh County to Slatington to connect with the...
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.
We're trying to ride all of the trails in the area so we were willing to do the 0.7 mile gem. The trail is nice for an urban trail but our distance out and back was only 0.6 miles.
We rode from the small parking lot on Kumby Road, this is not a pan flat trail but the inclines are manageable. There are several feeder trails that branch off to the surrounding neighborhoods. Also, not far from the Allentown Road end of the trail is a new section of trail. Cross the bridge and climb up to Streamtown Way, the trail turns left (there are signs for the trail painted on the sidewalk) after a bend in the road at the bottom of the short downhill the trail turns left between two homes and continues. It ends just after passing a steep dirt trail on the right. The dirt trails goes out to Allentown Road. The whole ride was only 3.2 miles. The trail is scenic and well maintained but signs noting spur trails might be nice.
Not far (by car) from the north end of the Perkiomen Trail or the south end of the Saucon Valley Trail are four short trails just outside of Quakertown. The Barrel Run, the Unami Creek and the Braton Garden/Hunters Crossing trails. The Barrel Run is a ride in the park, well maintained and scenic with a short hill to make it fun. If you don't mind riding on roads you could ride to the other short trails.
We rode the Saucon Valley trail from Hellertown then drove south to the Hatfield area to ride the Hunters Crossing/Brayton Garden trails plus the nearby Barrel Run Trail and the Unami Creek Trail. Other than being very short this is a scenic and well maintained trail.
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.
I will start by saying this was our second R-T of the day. I usually would not submit a review on a trail that we only rode to the half-way point, but I have to make an exception this time. This trail is very poorly maintained, little more than a single track path in sections. Dirt, grass, weeds, stones ,etc. After 5+ miles we just found no reason to continue, as it just wasn't fun. Sorry, but even one star is generous. Pa. Tandem Team
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.
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