Find the top rated trails in York, 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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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 #8 Streetcar Path runs just a short distance (0.33 mile) along part of the route of the former streetcar system that once ran between Catonsville and Ellicott City. The streetcar operated from...
The Chambersburg Rail Trail is a 1.2 mile paved urban trail that connects neighborhoods just a few blocks west of the community's central business district. Starting at South Street, the trail...
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 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...
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....
The Gwynns Falls Trail is a 15-mile continuous corridor connecting dozens of west and southwest Baltimore neighborhoods with parks, historical and cultural landmarks and the urban business district....
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 Mount Airy Rail-Trail will one day span nearly 4 miles across the town of Mount Airy and through a scenic, wooded area. The first completed section of the trail covers a half mile and is surfaced...
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...
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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...
The first thing you may notice about the Trolly Line #9 Trail is the boardwalk that curves between the bluffs of massive rock. The granite was hand cut in the 1890s when the electric streetcar rails...
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...
Baltimore’s Stony Run Trail follows an old Maryland and Pennsylvania Railroad line through nearly 3 miles of wooded stream valleys and small parks, providing a quiet escape from the hustle and bustle...
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...
The Grist Mill Trail at Patapsco Valley State Park course for 2.5 miles through the heavily wooded park between Ilchester Road and Lost Lake. The trail is gentle and wheelchair accessible. It passes...
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...
When complete, the Jones Falls Trail will extend 10 miles between Baltimore's Inner Harbor and the Mount Washington Light Rail Station. Currently, a paved, off-road section runs from Cylburn...
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...
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...
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....
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...
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...
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...
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 complete, the Jones Falls Trail will extend 10 miles between Baltimore's Inner Harbor and the Mount Washington Light Rail Station. Currently, a paved, off-road section runs from Cylburn...
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...
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 Chambersburg Rail Trail is a 1.2 mile paved urban trail that connects neighborhoods just a few blocks west of the community's central business district. Starting at South Street, the trail...
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...
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...
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 short, tranquil LeTort Spring Run Nature Trail follows its namesake creek closely, LeTort Spring Run, through a mix of deciduous trees and lowland marshes bristling with tall grasses and cattails....
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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...
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 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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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 short, tranquil LeTort Spring Run Nature Trail follows its namesake creek closely, LeTort Spring Run, through a mix of deciduous trees and lowland marshes bristling with tall grasses and cattails....
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...
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...
The first thing you may notice about the Trolly Line #9 Trail is the boardwalk that curves between the bluffs of massive rock. The granite was hand cut in the 1890s when the electric streetcar rails...
The Springlawn Trail travels on what was once Springlawn Road, connecting Chesterville Road (Rt. 841) and Strickersville Road. The 2-mile trail is comprised of dirt and gravel and makes for a good...
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....
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 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 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 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...
Baltimore’s Stony Run Trail follows an old Maryland and Pennsylvania Railroad line through nearly 3 miles of wooded stream valleys and small parks, providing a quiet escape from the hustle and bustle...
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...
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 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 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...
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...
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...
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...
I would not rate this a hike since it is paved. We choose this because my husband is in a shoulder sling and it had been raining hard the few days previous, so we needed on easy walk. Starting at the Avalon area, near Lost Lake, we completed the 2.2 mike trail each way. Along the trail there are interesting ruins from train bridges, the trail parallels an active train track for a lot of it. There are also the ruins of a flour mill and dam. The most fun for us were the swing bridges. One over the river that you can cross to go to a rest area and another at the end of the trail. They were fun as they move while your crossing. We went on a Sunday and there were a lot of people using the trail and camping, tubing, wading in the water along the trail. Will go again to hike some of the unsaved trails in the beautiful Patapsco Park.
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.
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.
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.
We have ridden the Heritage and Torrey Brown. The Heritage is slightly uphill (I didn't notice it but my wife did) from York (Brillhart trail head) to New Freedom and then downhill to the end of the line. The PA side of the trail is great. The MD side not so great. There are numerous small towns on the PA side that offer food, drink and a place to rest. One home placed an ice chest on the trail offering free bottles of water! You might want to slow down or take a small flashlight for the Howard tunnel...it's a little rough in there and dark. Brillhart had a toilet facility and there were rest benches all along the route. I loved the old buildings and old train signals. There is a lot of crossing back and forth across the tracks but they are all paved and easy to negotiate. The New Freedom train was operating and we rode faster than the train. Based on the completely deteriorated condition of the ties, I would not ride the train. It looks like an accident waiting to happen. I'm surprised they haven't been shut down for safety reasons. Back to the trail. It is great. We rode it on an overcast Friday morning and the traffic on the trail was very light. Speaking of traffic, other than in one significant town we never had to stop for vehicular traffic. Go and have a great time.
Took a trip out today and trail was closed due to dangerous conditions. Got a lot of rain recently, maybe trail was washed out ?!??!
I rode the Swatara Rail Trail on the afternoon of Sunday, July 23rd. It was a bit overcast but still hot and muggy, 80 degrees. I started at the Trout Run trailhead and rode one of the connector trails to the mountain bike complex. There are several options within Swatara State Park for mountain bikers, I prefer the four established trails which can be accessed from the rail trail at Green Point Station. After riding trail A I returned to the rail trail and rode south to the Lickdale trailhead. Upon exiting the state park the trail surface is regular gravel and this makes for a bit more difficult ride. I noticed several groups of people walking this section but no fellow bike riders. At the roundabout loop near the Lickdale terminus there are many raspberry bushes, good for an afternoon stop in July. I continued back the way I came running parallel to the Swatara Creek on the right and route 72 on the left. Upon reentering the state park I stopped at the waterville bridge and checked the map. then I continued on the trail through the state park to the east. This is mainly wooded area running along Swatara Creek. Along the way there are several other paved trails for cycling and you may choose to meander at will. I do not recommend riding the Swatara Rail Trail east past the Swopes Valley Trailhead. I was disappointed to find that the trail is maintained differently past this point. There is a marshy area near Wagner's pond with a sign stating "wet trail". This did not deter me from finishing the route but maybe it should have. The trail passes along the edge of the state park with a line of farm communities to the left. There were several deficiencies in the trail surface at this point, which is mainly packed silt from a nearby marsh area and large pools of shallow water which I had to roll through. The last mile of the trail in this direction is mowed grass, almost like passing through someone's back yard. The trail terminus is marked by a Hampton Inn and a busy highway interchange. Overall the Swatara Rail Trail is pretty nice. The central section is on an abandoned paved road and you can cruise a little faster. People also hike and walk their dogs here. Definitely worth the ride from the Waterville bridge to the Swopes Valley Trailhead.
I rode the Conewago trail this Past Sunday, July 23rd. It happens that I had just bought a new bike at Rails to Trails Bicycle Shop http://www.railstotrail.com/ located at the trail junction with Old Hershey Road. First I proceeded north to the Lancaster/Lebanon County line passing by a series of farms. There are several local road crossings and alternate trail heads along the route. At the county line the trail continues, becoming the Lebanon Valley Rail Trail which extends another 15 miles northeast. It is reasonable to pair the two for a longer ride and I have done so on several occasions. This time however I turned around and proceeded at a comfortable 7-8 mph pace back past the rails to trails bike shop and then south for another few miles through similar farmland and wooded areas. There is a stream to the one side for a half mile or so and it is nice for pictures. The stream is down about 20 feet and there is no guard rail, you just have to be careful. The trail ends in a county recreation area and there are a few picnic tables if you'd like to take a rest. I recommend this trail because there are both healthy wooded sections and also wide open vistas; farmers fields and also meadows for animal grazing. The local populace is very friendly as well!
My husband and I found this trail through a runner-friend at the Viking 10K on Saturday in Mannheim. We had brought our bikes and planned to ride afterwards. We found that many of the parks use mountain bikes - we had our road bikes. Anyway, we found this trail and absolutely loved it! It is beautiful to view the corn fields, river and encounter so many people out having a great time We are so grateful to God for His beauty and showcase of nature. You will NOT regret the trip!
Started at Mt. Gretna then rode towards Middletown. Was on this trail, then another for a total of 20 miles (full trip)-Just can't remember the name of the other trail but it connected right into this one. It was a wonderful ride. The trail was in very good condition and was very enjoyable. A few places to stop and have a lunch if you wanted to.
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