Explore the best rated trails in Pottsville, PA, whether you're looking for an easy walking trail or a bike trail like the Palmer Township Recreation Trail (Towpath Bike Trail) and D&L Trail . With more than 83 trails covering 635 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.
The trail is very nice and mostly shaded but the trail is a little rough. It is very bumpy. Scenic with the reservoir view near the end of the trail. Somewhat buggy.
Great trail. Well maintained and marked. Traveled from southern terminus to Green Park Lane. Loved the change in surfaces. More tressels than I expected which made for excellent photo opportunities. Only one real climb. Can't wait to do it again.
We began at the west end in Millersburg. Parking and restrooms at MYO park are well kept. Pedal north across a suspended bridge and see an old pair of working ferries! Awesome experience to "ride with our bikes" across the Susquehanna! After returning to shore, backtrack to MYO park and pick up trail by going east, across Route 147, and follow Pearl St. to the end. Take a right and follow this street until a street intersects on the right. (I believe there was signage). Trail is mostly shaded and calm. Some signs tell about the area. Surface is part gravel/ part crushed. It is not completely connected all the way to Williamstown (as we understand it). Maybe someday! ¿
I was recently told by fellow cyclists of local police lurking at the Colebrook parking lot and issuing citations to people riding the "wrong" types of ebikes.
From their website:
“Class 1 E-bikes are permitted on the LVRT, provided they meet all the following standards:
Electric motor less than 750 watts
Fully functional pedals
Weight not exceeding 75 lbs.
Maximum speed less than 15 mph
Does not have capacity to be completely self-propelled (must be pedaled to engage electric motor)
Class 2 and 3 E-bikes are not permitted on approved on the LVRT.”
Since many ebikes are class 2, why would they want to exclude the riders from their trail? Riders bring revenue to the area…
Enjoyed the trail, but there was no signage regarding the closure near the end of the loop. Not being a local, I missed the news,https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.abc27.com/local-news/capital-area-greenbelt-detour-remains-in-place/amp
We had heard good things about this trail, and were able to visit and ride circa 26 miles out and back yesterday, (June 4). This is a wonderful and very scenic trail with amazing views of the river and bucolic landscape. Much of the trail is shaded which helped during the heat but also adds to the allure of the trail. The Trail Welcoming Center is well maintained and the staff there very friendly and helpful. In addition, the rest room(s) were immaculate! I can't recommend this trail highly enough, and we will absolutely, (the Good Lord Willing), return to ride anytime we have the opportunity! Thanks for developing and maintaining such a marvelous and beautiful venue for relaxing and enjoying nature at its finest. We also stopped and had lunch at a wonderful tavern about 10 miles from the Welcome Center that is right along the trail. Very welcoming, great food, and very friendly clientele! Fantastic all around Great Experience!
Over the years, I've noticed that rail trails exist on a continuum when it comes to preserving the history of the earlier rail lines that they replaced. On one end are lines where the original RR infrastructure was dismantled or repurposed long ago and the only traces left are the greenway's name and a couple interpretive signs or kiosks, while on the other are trails that go all out highlighting the corridor's past with RR-themed signage, artwork and memorabilia, including restored rail cars and/or engines, old buildings, rock cuts, bridges and other historical sites.
Located in the north Allentown suburbs, the 9.2 mile long Ironton Rail Trail clearly falls on the latter end of this spectrum. As the description for the asphalt trail indicates, it was built along the route of the Ironton RR, a short line that initially hauled iron ore from local mines to the Lehigh River. After the iron ran out in the late 19th century, these mines were repurposed as limestone quarries and several cement manufacturing mills and kilns sprang up along the line, which extended from Ironton east along Coplay Creek to a point just outside Stiles. From here, the line split in two and looped around the towns of Stiles, Coplay and Hokendauqua, connecting to other railroads along the Lehigh riverfront. Cement production peaked in the early 20th century and the area entered a gradual decline, with the last mill ceasing to manufacture it by 1975. The RR was acquired by Conrail and taken out of service in 1983 and the tracks were pulled up 7 years later, in 1990.
Today, the Ironton Rail Trail follows this lasso-shaped route. The highlight of the 4 mile long western "Spur" of the trail is the crumbling ruins of several of the old concrete mills, now being reclaimed by nature and creating a beautiful, yet eerie landscape that gives the impression of a post-apocalyptic, lost civilization being found in the woods. Located about halfway along the Spur in Egypt, The Troxell-Steckel House & Farm Museum, meanwhile, gives trail users the opportunity to glimpse an earlier era of local history by preserving the house, barn and springhouse of one of the first Pennsylvania Dutch farms built in the area. Trees line most of the route of the trail, providing cool shade in the warmer months of the year, while the Whitehall Parkway serves as both a nature preserve and has its own small network of trails encircling the ruins of another mill complex.
Moving further east, the Spur of the trail passes beneath Route 145 and links to the 5 mile Loop portion at a junction just north of Stiles. As its name indicates, this portion forms a circular greenbelt around the suburbs of Stiles, Coplay and Hokendauqua. Highlights on the Loop include the historic cement kilns at Saylor Park, believed to be the last of their kind that are still standing, the remains of the Thomas Iron Works along the Lehigh River, the Beiry Yard, an old RR yard now converted to an open space area and the Tate Meadows preserve. Several homeowners have also used their proximity to the Loop to beautify their yards with small gardens and ornate fences and gates (stay on the trail and do not go on private property), further enhancing the scenery and an abandoned RR trestle that crosses the Lehigh River may eventually link the trail to the D&L and Nor-Bath trails in Northampton, Catasauqua and North Catasauqua. Numerous examples of RR memorabilia along the trail include a small engine and maintenance handcar at the western terminus of the Spur in the North Whitehall Rec. Area, an old passenger car in the Whitehall Parkway and a caboose in Coplay, a phone booth used by RR maintenance workers and foundations of an old water tower, blacksmith shop and section house. Several old RR sidings, with the rails still intact, also attest to the corridor's industrial heritage.
Numerous kiosks and interpretive signage extensively detail the history of the numerous sights along the trail and more info can be found on the Ironton Rail Trail website. There are also numerous benches along the route, three larger pavilions and numerous smaller ones. Anyone who loves rail trails and history should check out this gem of a suburban greenway.
Started our ride from the Freemansburg parking area and rode west to Bethlehem. The lack of maintenance was evident along this portion and remnants of the canal were deplorable with tons of trash and homeless camps. On our return trip to Easton we encountered the worse section of this trail between Freemansburg and the Rt. 33 boat ramp access. Multiple pot holes ,huge roots and where trees have been uprooted leaving the trail inches wide and 5 foot deep holes. Hope improvements are in the works.
Wasn't a fan of multiple issues. Traffic unsafe at multiple locations. Gravel and tapered to shoulders and feels unsafe. Bridge missing above road intersection. This causes huge group down to road on both sides.
We made our annual pilgrimage to the Lehigh Gorge section of the D&L trail. As usual we had a wonderful ride. Rode 48 miles round trip from Jim Thorpe to White Haven and back. Waterfalls were flowing and rapids were high, providing for some of the best scenery PA has to offer.
To add to the excitement, we saw a large rattlesnake crossing the trail. It had to be at least two feet long. Quite an exciting afternoon.
On a practical side, the White Haven renovations are complete with some of the best bathroom facilities I have seen on a trail anywhere.
Dinner on the porch of Molly McGuire’s in Jim Thorpe capped off the day.
So glad we decided to keep of the tradition of an annual visit.
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