Find the top rated bike trails in Brickerville, whether you're looking for an easy short bike trail or a long bike trail, you'll find what you're looking for. Click on a bike trail below to find trail descriptions, trail maps, photos, and reviews.
Very nice ride. We parked at Green Lane and rode to Swenksville. Stopped at Perikomen Bicycle Shop along the trail, friendly staff. There is an ice cream shop along the trail too.
This trail is an absolute gem. I have trained for all my marathons here, and never failed to qualify for Boston. Mostly a very gentle grade up northbound with a few short hills to test your power. Generally shaded so it's still nice on a warm summer day. Low lying sections do flood after very heavy rain so be warned.
Brillarts Station to New Freedom and back = a nice ride just over 30 miles. Going south it's a very subtle climb very as you weave through valleys carved by the Cordorus creek. Going back north a little speed bump as you view the scenery from the opposite perspective. Love the variety and interesting features along the way. Road on 35mm tires; about perfect for the champagne gravel. Got back close to sunset and noted PA park police keeping an eye on the lot but also making sure no one on the trail after dark.
It was fun. Was severely dehydrated and had to call an ambulance the end, but it was definitely worth it! Would do it again just not to Phoenixville lol
When I lived in Malvern I was on this trail every day. Four years - every day, no exaggeration. Rain, 30 degree weather, 100 degree weather, hot sun, complete darkness (with all the bugs and knats of various sizes illuminated by my bike lights lol) and it was fine. Some reviewers on here complain about the fact that cyclists have to exercise caution at intersections and might need to stop if there is traffic. Yes, that can be annoying but it’s part of the trail. Other reviewers mention the fact that it is noisy towards KOP because it runs adjacent to 202. I can’t imagine being bothered by something like that enough to stop using this trail and I believe that the extension from KOP to Norristown has finally been completed, so I think that adds another few miles each way (awesome!)
If you can’t already tell, the CVT is like a friend to me. I was extremely lucky and grateful to live in a place where I could throw my bike onto the rack and drive to the Exton entrance in 5 minutes; I took advantage of this fact as much as possible!! In addition to the outdoor recreation it provides, there are certain stretches of this trail that are absolutely beautiful. My phone is full of pictures from my rides, which I’ll include with this review :)
It is also very well maintained. As I said, I ride in all weather (except snow) and leaves, debris, twigs and branches after a storm… anything that could pose a threat to safety was always promptly cleaned up. Always. If I have one complaint regarding safety it would be that the lights inside the two tunnels were rarely ever turned on after dark. I’m not sure why that was.
The reason for the 3 star review is for things beyond anyone’s control, but they’re enough to seriously affect someone’s ride, and since these are daily ongoing occurrences they should be mentioned. One is that all the people that live near this trail and walk their dogs on it pick up their dog’s poop and put it in the little biodegradable green bags that are provided all along the trail. This is great, but then they don’t take it to the trash cans to dispose of it - they leave those bags, tied up, all along the sides of the trail. 😅😅😅 Everyone does this. It’s amusing until it’s not, and now that I’ve moved out of the area (which is great, don’t get me wrong) and have found a new trail in my new state, I don’t ever see anything like this. It’s nice.
The other reason for the 3 stars is that these same people like to mess with cyclists by acting confused when you call out “on your left” , which it is advised to do. They either spilt up (if there are two people) and go on either side forcing you to ride between them (somewhat awkwardly sometimes) or they jump in front of you. I was never able to really determine if this is done on purpose or if they legitimately get that deer in the headlights panic that actually causes them to confuse which way they should move with the way they actually do move, but this is something else I haven’t experienced outside on other trails, which, again, is very nice. Kind of a relief, actually.
All that said, if you like outdoor recreation, this is an amazing trail, and you can do it twice or three times on the days when once isn’t enough. It’s a fun and free way to stay fit!
My wife and I rode this trail today and we both agree, it’s at the top of our list of rail trails. The views of the farms, the creek (I would call it a river), York College and others make this ride so enjoyable. We are from Maryland and have taken the Torrey C Brown trail several times so we wanted to see how the HRT was in comparison. We parked at Seven Valleys and rode north to York (about 10 miles). The trail is in great shape and with the leaves off the trees, it helped to provide views all along the route. We stopped for lunch at the Iron Horse Restaurant in downtown York where Summer took great care of us. It’s only 3 block up main from the HRT. If we get some more mild weather this winter, we will start in New Freedom and ride north. It will be well worth it.
Ok for running or walking but surface too soft and rocky for riding. Rode half way and gave up and moved to road. Parallel tracks indicate it's used by 4 x 4s more than bikes. Also, there's not much to look at since it's right by the road.
Trail surface was great for a gravel ride. Not overgrown at all. Scenic, and the fact that it's 20' above the adjacent highway keeps noise and vehicle intimidation to a minimum.
I enjoyed the trail from Brentwood Trailhead up to where the residential street started…. need more signage at that location to tell people they have to walk thru the neighborhood to pick up the rest of the trail. Or that they can take that little path to the right that leads one back to the University grounds.
Constructed through the rural farmlands of western Cumberland County, the 13 mile long Cumberland Valley Rail Trail is one of Central PA's premier multi-use greenways.
The trail follows a portion of the main line of the former Cumberland Valley RR, which connected Harrisburg with VA's Shenandoah Valley and operated from 1837 to 1919, when it was acquired by the Pennsylvania RR. During this time, the RR was notable for running the first passenger sleeper car in the US in 1839 and for transporting troops, weapons and other supplies to the front lines during the Civil War. The line remained active under the ownership of the Pennsylvania RR and its successor, the Penn Central, before passing to Conrail in 1976.
Conrail took the section of line between Carlisle and Shippensburg out of service in 1981 and formally abandoned it in 1995, donating the corridor to the Cumberland Valley Rails to Trails Council. The council developed a multi-use rail trail suited for cycling and foot traffic over the course of the three decades, the most recent being the section through the village of Greason, which opened in early 2023. Most of the trail is paved with crushed stone, though sections in Shippensburg and Newville are asphalt. A parallel dirt path exists for horseback riders.
As of 2023, three disconnected segments of the trail have been constructed (four if you count the 1 mile long Chambersburg Rail Trail, which Franklin County and Chambersburg borough officials eventually plan to incorporate into a planned southern extension).
A little over 11 miles long, the southern section extends from Fort Street in Shippensburg northeast to Green Hill Road just east of Newville. The first mile of this section passes through the campus of Shippensburg University and gets heavy use from students and faculty. An old Penn Central RR car situated immediately north of the southern terminus of the trail has been converted into a small museum and a restored RR signal both serve as tributes to the history of the line. The numerous sculptures and other works of art that line the greenway between Fort Street and Shippensburg Twp. Park, as well as the smooth, asphalt surface and comfort stations with running water and flush toilets, give the first mile more of a suburban vibe than the rural atmosphere prevalent on the rest.
The bustle of Shippensburg and the adjacent college campus quickly gives way to bucolic countryside and the asphalt yields to crushed stone northeast of Shippensburg Twp. Park. A linear woodland of trees and other lush vegetation lines most of the trail from here to Newville, providing cool shade in summer and helping reduce the strong winds that often whip through the valley in winter and peeks of picturesque, rolling farmland and small villages can be seen through the gaps and at several road crossings. Observant trail users will also take note of numerous small rock cuts along this section of the trail.
The trail enters open farmlands on the final 2 miles of the southern section located east of Newville, treating trail users to panoramic views of the surrounding countryside. Similar vistas can be found on the short, 1-mile long middle segment of the trail that extends from Springview Road east through the village of Greason before dead ending just west of McAllister Church Road. Also take note of the old RR freight depot just west of Greason Road. These features offset the fact that these parts of the trail are more exposed to the elements.
Another short segment of the trail, the 2 mile long northern section, begins at Shearer Road in the warehouse district on the west end of Carlisle. This section crosses a wetland to Route 465, following the east side of that road for a half mile, before turning west onto the old rail line just south of Route 641. It follows the old RR to a dead end about a mile west of here. Despite crossing primarily through industrial properties, this segment of the trail is still a pleasant experience, though trail users need to be careful crossing busy Route 465.
The Cumberland Valley Rail Trail's gorgeous scenery and rich history, along with its role in helping to connect Shippensburg University with the adjacent town make it one of Central PA's great greenways. Unfortunately, the gaps that separate the different segments of the trail do not have easy detours and the dead ends on the middle and northern sections require users to backtrack, limiting their popularity. Hopefully, they can eventually be closed and the goal of linking Shippensburg and Dickenson universities will finally be realized.
I took my family on this trail and with it being 3/4 paved and ending up at Hopewell furnace made for a lovely afternoon¡
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