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.
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...
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...
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 Torrey C. Brown Rail Trail is one of the best hiking and biking trails in the Mid-Atlantic region. It allows for nearly 20 miles of flat travel, punctuated by a number of access points and an...
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 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 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 Hollow Creek Greenway follows its namesake waterway through scenic woodlands and valleys, offering a quiet oasis in the suburbs. The trail provides an important link between neighborhoods, schools...
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...
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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...
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...
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 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....
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....
Caution: On April 12, 2018, a fire severely damaged the Martic Forge Trestle, which runs over Pequea Creek and River Road on the Enola Low Grade Trail. Access to the trail going west from the Route...
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 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...
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...
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...
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...
Maryland's Susquehanna State Park is recognized for challenging hiking and biking trails, camping facilities, rock outcroppings, boating, a museum and restored historical sites. But none of these...
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...
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 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....
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...
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...
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...
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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...
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...
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...
As its name implies, hikers on the Chickies Rock Overlook Trail will be rewarded with a beautiful vista at the end of their excursion. The trail follows an old trolley line route that once took...
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 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...
The Windsor Hills Conservation Trail is a short hiking trail through the Windsor Hills neighborhood of Baltimore. Built partially on a former streetcar line that once connected the area with 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 Torrey C. Brown Rail Trail is one of the best hiking and biking trails in the Mid-Atlantic region. It allows for nearly 20 miles of flat travel, punctuated by a number of access points and an...
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 Cumberland Valley Rail Trail runs down the middle of its namesake: the Cumberland Valley of Pennsylvania, between the South Mountain and Blue Mountain ridges on the eastern flank of the...
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Included in the seven-mile network of trails in Little Buffalo State Park are two small sections of rail-trail. Together they are called the Newport and Sherman's Valley Railroad Trace. 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...
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...
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...
Included in the seven-mile network of trails in Little Buffalo State Park are two small sections of rail-trail. Together they are called the Newport and Sherman's Valley Railroad Trace. The...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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 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...
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....
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...
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 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 #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 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...
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 Windsor Hills Conservation Trail is a short hiking trail through the Windsor Hills neighborhood of Baltimore. Built partially on a former streetcar line that once connected the area with the...
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...
If you don't mind a cold weather hike, park at the base of the Conowingo Dam. From November through March, the area below the dam is one of the largest nesting locales for bald eagles in the eastern US and you can watch them as you hike. Look to your side as you head south and you will also see some lengthy depressions in the ground, remnants of a canal constructed there in the early 19th century. I have taken scouts hiking there repeatedly over the years.
Went here to work off a big meal at Texas Road House in Lancaster. Of course we hike in the upper trail. A little breath catching on a full stomach but good exercise. Some beautiful views of the Susquehanna River up and down stream. And the Northwest Lancaster County River Trail below. Will have to bring my bike down and ride that. Wife and son took the low road back while I took the steep shortcut to the high trail.
So sad to report that the entire wood section of the beautiful Martic Forge trestle bridge burned yesterday, possibly started by brush fires below. This was restored in 2015 after being closed for 20 yrs, linking the section from Safe Harbor to Red hill rd. No word yet on future plans, I believe this is under Martic Twp jurisdiction. I pray this tragedy doesnt derail the planned Safe harbor expansion. The low grade is still a diamond in the rough.
I wasn't able to ride it for a number of years, but now, what nice improvements are there to be found. From Norristown to Valley Forge, mainly new macadam surface, plus the addition of several spots of racks of bike repair tools. And, the water fountain is about 1.2 miles from Valley Forge Park. There are areas of washboard type macadam around the Conshohocken area, and from Spring Mill to where it branches down to the Schuylkill River, relatively new macadam. Once you leave the tow path in Manayunk, it sort of tosses you into the street, which is crowded, so take the sidewalks, giving care for pedestrian traffic. Once you hit the Fairmount Park area, relatively decent trail surface, but expect heavy traffic all the way to what is now the end of the trail in Philadelphia. I take away one star due to the heavy Philadelphia traffic, and right now the detour around the Art Museum due to construction and confusing signage. The entire route is relatively level, so easy riding.
Since the upper end (above Philadelphia) is far less crowded, one may encounter cycling groups that travel at high speeds and can be annoying if they think they own the trail.
I love this trail for many reasons. I grew up in Manayunk. I played, fished, and explored the banks of the Schuylkill River. In my older years, I got into biking again. I read that they converted a lot of railroad tracks to a trail on the Schuylkill River. I was really excited. I rode the trail in 2015 for the first time. I was like a little kid in a candy store. I could not wait to see what was around the next bend and so on.
The trail is mainly level with little ascents. The trail is mostly asphalt with some crushed gravel on the Manayunk Towpath. There is a " GAP" when you get to Manayunk in the trail. Just stay on the Main St, you will see signs to get on the Towpath. When traveling in Manayunk be careful because the area in the summer is usually crowded.
This trail is truly the Grand Lady of the Schuylkill River Trails. There is so much beauty and history to see. First, biking into Philadelphia showcases some of the most interesting sites along the Schuylkill River such as the rowers, boat house row, The Philadelphia Art Museum and the city skyline etc. Secondly,going west of Philadelphia there are a lot options you can take. Recommended, if you need a break, Manayunk has a lot of eateries. In this area, there are other trails to explore. The Manayunk Trail Bridge is a must. The view is magnificent. Some of the other trails are Lincoln Drive,Cynwyd,Pencyoyd and Wissahickon Valley Park. Finally, after leaving the towpath you will get back on the Schuylkill trail at Shawmont. There the trail really opens up. There are other trails that connect,such as CrossCounty and Perkiomen.
Enclosing, I thank all the people who made these trails available. Even though its wintertime, as I right this review, I am getting the " Itch".
We started at the west end of the trail parking along Grove Street. We noticed mileage markers and hoped that the signage had been improved. Where the trail crosses Bullfrog Valley Road it appears that the trail goes either straight or turns left. Actually it only turns left. At some of the road crossings with pedestrian lights beware or cars making a right on red. At Clark Road the trail goes on road but is well marked as you ride through a quiet neighborhood. At Fishburn Road the trail goes off roads again. After the Hershey Public Library we lost sign of any trail markings. We did eventually make our way to the east most point of the trail (there were no signs for the trail there). On the way back we found more of the trail around the edge of a golf course but almost didn't see a sign some 20 yards away from the intersection. We again lost the trail just after the Spring Creek church. We made our way back to the Hershey Library and then back to our car. If you are planning on riding this trail and you are not familiar with the area I suggest writing turn by turn directions like you would use on a road ride.
Just wanted to share that the section from Marietta Boat Club to and including the parking lot at Decatur St is now completely paved. This is the formerly dirt, then gravel, "woods" section that is an alternate to the "town" section that now has signage in Marietta. The lowermost section extending down to the boat ramp parking lot off Furnace Rd is not paved, and from what I understand may never be completely finished due to Norfolk Southern's right of way for the active railroad tracks. Also, for trail users beginning in Columbia, there is parking off Front St directly under the Route 462 (Veteran Memorial) bridge. This eliminates the active railroad crossing for those who wish to get right on the trail across front St.
Was in Pottstown for an event decided to take a ride while there.
Parked at Grosstown Road. Rode into Pottstown River Front Park. Trail was paved but rough because of tree root growth. Then rode west to the Main Street crossing. The trail west was mostly gravel in good condition.
Montgomery County portion of trail needs maintenance to the pavement. Tree roots are making the ride uncomfortable and possibly hazardous. Restrooms? Are there any?
Overall a good ride.
Rode the Lykens-Williamstown section of the trail.
Trail is in good condition but somewhat difficult to follow in town. Many turns and small signs made for challenging navigation initially. Once out of populated area trail was very easy to follow. Riding the trail makes me appreciate the little steam engine that could. Huffing and puffing up the long grade followed by the easy riding down hill back to town.
The Lykens Valley was a maze of railroads accessing the coalfields. This trail uses a small portion of the abandoned railroads grades in the valley.
I parked near the Lykens Town Office. Facilities like information board/map and restrooms are lacking. There was a restroom on the other side of park but locked/closed. Nothing else nearby. On Rt 209 there, is a Walmart, MacDonald's, Burger King west of Lykens. Public Library branch in Lykens right along trail.
The social media (Facebook and Lykens Valley Rail-Trail Association Website) for this trail hasn't been updated on a recently. There were numerous signs that were damaged by shooters taking target practice.
Future expansion is there a plan/schedule? Wish they would publicize if there is. Hopefully the existing sections will be connected soon. Tower City is just over the county line. The railroad over the mountain connected to Hegins.
I hope to revisit this trail in the future.
October 17 rode the trail end to end.
Trail has been extended into Shippensburg and College. Took a short trip around the town but not familiar with the area so basically I got separated from the trail (lost) for a few minutes.
Trail surface is getting 'beat up' a bit. Could use some maintenance. Sort of becoming a 'two-track' in places. Horses have left impressions in the gravel.
There is a very short extension toward Carlisle. Maybe 3/4 mile ending just past route-233. They re-decked a bridge and installed a box tunnel under the road. Looking forward to having the trail extended.
I enjoyed this bike trail but the entrance was a little confusing and awkwardly located . I was only able to find the entrance with help from another bike rider. First you park in the Riverfront parking lot, get on your bike, crossover 2 train tracks and cross a busy street and then back over to the other side via a 3-way intersection, to get to the trail entrance. But once you're on the trail it is awesome; going through the tunnel, seeing the high cliffs of chicques' rock and little streams.There are plenty of places to have a picnic too on the trail and watch the rock climbers or just sit relax and spend time with your family. I gave the trail 4/5 because the entrance of the bike trail is somewhat hard to find and confusing. Perhaps, in the future, they will build an easier trail entrance and then I would give it 5/5.
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