Find the top rated cross country skiing trails in Chester, whether you're looking for an easy short cross country skiing trail or a long cross country skiing trail, you'll find what you're looking for. Click on a cross country skiing trail below to find trail descriptions, trail maps, photos, and reviews.
_135181_st.jpg)
Lawrence Hopewell Trail currently runs for 17 miles on public and private lands in Lawrence and Hopewell townships, about five miles north of Trenton. Trail planners hope to complete the trail, which...
The Michael Castle Trail offers a scenic 12-mile route along the north shore of the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal in northern Delaware. The trail is named after the former governor and US...
The history of Perkiomen Trail railroad corridor extends more than 140 years. Founded shortly after the Civil War, the Perkiomen Railway Company started running from Oaks to Pennsburg in 1868. New...
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 Johnson Trolley Line has two sections, north and south, which are split by Interstate 95; there is talk of building an overpass to link the two segments. The Trenton-Princeton Traction Company ran...
Tyler State Park, located in Newtown, Pennsylvania, covers over 1,700 acres on the grounds of an old farm in a charming woodland setting. The park features a network of interconnected trails,...
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...
Eastern Pennsylvania’s D&L Trail spans just over 140 miles through the Delaware & Lehigh National Heritage Corridor from Bristol, in the Greater Philadelphia region, to Mountain Top, nestled in the...
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...
Located about 25 miles east of Philadelphia, the Pemberton Rail-Trail is an excellent example of grassroots activism resulting in the creation of a community-based rail-trail. The Pemberton Rotary...
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...
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...
_135181_sc.jpg)
The Powerline Trail in Horsham Township connects schools, parks, business centers and neighborhoods along an easement managed by PECO/Exelon. Parts of the trail have road crossings, so use caution....
The Pennypack Trail begins in Huntingdon Valley in Montgomery County and continues south through wooded Lorimer Park and on into Philadelphia County. A portion follows the former Fox Chase-Newton...
TRAIL ALERT: As of May 2018, The Wissahickon/ Green Ribbon Trail has been closed until further notice due to flooding, mud and debris. Once the water subsides staff will clean up the trail and...
Since it opened as a railroad spur in the 1800s, this pretty trail has always been about connections. In 1834 the Philadelphia and Trenton Railroad launched the spur to carry goods from Bristol,...
The Cynwyd Heritage Trail is a 2-mile linear park and rail-trail that connects Lower Merion Township to the Manayunk Bridge over the Schuylkill River just outside Philadelphia. The bridge ends very...
_0_sc.jpg)
The Trolley Line Trail is a 2.5 mile paved pathway between Rabbit Hill Road and Penn Lyle Road in West Windsor. The trail is on the right of way of the former Fast Line electric trolley that connected...
The Chester County Parks & Recreation Department opened this trail in 1979 on part of a former Pennsylvania Railroad right-of-way. Today the 2.6-mile trail attracts more than 125,000 visitors each...
Located in Media Borough in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, Ridley Creek State Park encompasses over 2,600 acres of woodlands and meadows. The park is only 16 miles from Center City, Philadelphia, but...
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...
The Michael Castle Trail offers a scenic 12-mile route along the north shore of the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal in northern Delaware. The trail is named after the former governor and US...
The Chester County Parks & Recreation Department opened this trail in 1979 on part of a former Pennsylvania Railroad right-of-way. Today the 2.6-mile trail attracts more than 125,000 visitors each...
Since it opened as a railroad spur in the 1800s, this pretty trail has always been about connections. In 1834 the Philadelphia and Trenton Railroad launched the spur to carry goods from Bristol,...
TRAIL ALERT: As of May 2018, The Wissahickon/ Green Ribbon Trail has been closed until further notice due to flooding, mud and debris. Once the water subsides staff will clean up the trail and...
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 Trolley Line Trail is a 2.5 mile paved pathway between Rabbit Hill Road and Penn Lyle Road in West Windsor. The trail is on the right of way of the former Fast Line electric trolley that connected...
Located in Media Borough in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, Ridley Creek State Park encompasses over 2,600 acres of woodlands and meadows. The park is only 16 miles from Center City, Philadelphia, but...
The Pennypack Trail begins in Huntingdon Valley in Montgomery County and continues south through wooded Lorimer Park and on into Philadelphia County. A portion follows the former Fox Chase-Newton...
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...
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...
This 2.4-mile paved trail provides a quiet, scenic escape northwest of Philadelphia, from Encke Park at Radnor-Chester Road to the shopping center at Sugartown Road and Route 30. The trail travels...
The Elephant Swamp Trail is built on top of the former railroad bed that once ran from Glassboro to Bridgeton, NJ. Elk Township maintains the easement through Elephant Swamp, and the trail passes...
Camden's Cooper River Park is found on both the north and south shores of Cooper River Lake. The urban park is open daily from dawn to dusk and offers a paved loop path for bikers and pedestrians, as...
Tyler State Park, located in Newtown, Pennsylvania, covers over 1,700 acres on the grounds of an old farm in a charming woodland setting. The park features a network of interconnected trails,...
The Cynwyd Heritage Trail is a 2-mile linear park and rail-trail that connects Lower Merion Township to the Manayunk Bridge over the Schuylkill River just outside Philadelphia. The bridge ends very...
The Powerline Trail in Horsham Township connects schools, parks, business centers and neighborhoods along an easement managed by PECO/Exelon. Parts of the trail have road crossings, so use caution....
Lawrence Hopewell Trail currently runs for 17 miles on public and private lands in Lawrence and Hopewell townships, about five miles north of Trenton. Trail planners hope to complete the trail, which...
The history of Perkiomen Trail railroad corridor extends more than 140 years. Founded shortly after the Civil War, the Perkiomen Railway Company started running from Oaks to Pennsburg in 1868. New...
The Johnson Trolley Line has two sections, north and south, which are split by Interstate 95; there is talk of building an overpass to link the two segments. The Trenton-Princeton Traction Company ran...
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...
The Michael Castle Trail offers a scenic 12-mile route along the north shore of the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal in northern Delaware. The trail is named after the former governor and US...
Tyler State Park, located in Newtown, Pennsylvania, covers over 1,700 acres on the grounds of an old farm in a charming woodland setting. The park features a network of interconnected trails,...
This 2.4-mile paved trail provides a quiet, scenic escape northwest of Philadelphia, from Encke Park at Radnor-Chester Road to the shopping center at Sugartown Road and Route 30. The trail travels...
The Pennypack Trail begins in Huntingdon Valley in Montgomery County and continues south through wooded Lorimer Park and on into Philadelphia County. A portion follows the former Fox Chase-Newton...
The history of Perkiomen Trail railroad corridor extends more than 140 years. Founded shortly after the Civil War, the Perkiomen Railway Company started running from Oaks to Pennsburg in 1868. New...
Since it opened as a railroad spur in the 1800s, this pretty trail has always been about connections. In 1834 the Philadelphia and Trenton Railroad launched the spur to carry goods from Bristol,...
Camden's Cooper River Park is found on both the north and south shores of Cooper River Lake. The urban park is open daily from dawn to dusk and offers a paved loop path for bikers and pedestrians, as...
Constructed in 2012, the Gravity Trail is one of the newer additions to the extensive network of trails and greenways that criss-cross the Greater Reading metro area. The trail's unusual name comes...
The Elephant Swamp Trail is built on top of the former railroad bed that once ran from Glassboro to Bridgeton, NJ. Elk Township maintains the easement through Elephant Swamp, and the trail passes...
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 Trolley Line Trail is a 2.5 mile paved pathway between Rabbit Hill Road and Penn Lyle Road in West Windsor. The trail is on the right of way of the former Fast Line electric trolley that connected...
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...
Lawrence Hopewell Trail currently runs for 17 miles on public and private lands in Lawrence and Hopewell townships, about five miles north of Trenton. Trail planners hope to complete the trail, which...
Note: Periodically parts of the trail become impassable from floods and other damage. For updates on trail conditions, visit the Canal State Park website. The Delaware and Raritan Canal State Park...
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...
The Chester County Parks & Recreation Department opened this trail in 1979 on part of a former Pennsylvania Railroad right-of-way. Today the 2.6-mile trail attracts more than 125,000 visitors each...
TRAIL ALERT: As of May 2018, The Wissahickon/ Green Ribbon Trail has been closed until further notice due to flooding, mud and debris. Once the water subsides staff will clean up the trail and...
Located about 25 miles east of Philadelphia, the Pemberton Rail-Trail is an excellent example of grassroots activism resulting in the creation of a community-based rail-trail. The Pemberton Rotary...
Eastern Pennsylvania’s D&L Trail spans just over 140 miles through the Delaware & Lehigh National Heritage Corridor from Bristol, in the Greater Philadelphia region, to Mountain Top, nestled in the...
We parked at the New Castle Battery Park, since that's where traillink says the trail starts. There are, however, no signs that we could find that gave any direction to take the trail. Confusingly, there is a 2 mile trail along the river, starting in the park, that is NOT the Jack Markell trail. After a lot of head scratching and inquiring, we realized that the trail starts northwest on South Street about 5 blocks from the park, at the intersection with 8th Street. And, even there, it's not called the Jack Markell Trail, but The Heritage Greenway Trail. After a couple of intersections, the Jack Markell signs started. This is NOT how to mark a trail!
The trail itself traverses some aesthetically tedious areas, including going under US 13, I-295, and I-495, all extremely busy highways. Much of the trail is through industrial areas, a former landfill, and large marshes before arriving at the Wilmington River Walk.
We were glad to ride the trail to support it, but it does need some additional signing and guidance in New Castle.
It was called industrial trail and that’s a good name. You go behind manufacturing plants, landfills, and swamps full off tall grass. Not pretty. They spent a bazillion dollars on a crappy “boardwalk “ over some swamp. Lock your bike SECURLY if you leave it for only a few minutes. It WILL disappear....
We walked most of this trail November 3, 2018. It is in need of repair/maintenance. Large stretches are very muddy with a lot of standing water. You have to go off the trail to get around it. It needs gravel and drainage.
I work at Chase in Wilmington and I just started using this trail to commute home from work. I take the trail on the riverfront and exit at Chelsea Estates neighborhood. Then the rest of my commute goes through Corp Commons, Churchmans rd. to Harmony rd. This trail helps me cut out most of the areas in Wilmington that are "If'y" and high traffic. Very scenic and quiet. I would like to take this trail in the mornings into work but not sure if the trail is open all the time or certain sections close dusk to dawn. The only part that i would question would be the tunnel by Baylor prison near Chelsea Estates. I may take a dry run one weekend to see. I would be traveling around 6 am. So far i love my commute. Hopefully one day we could connect newark to wilm the same way. Even though there are bike lanes on Kirkwood Hwy, there are still some sketchy areas along that route coming into elsmere and wilm near and on 4th st. Ride safe!!
Cool breeze being next to the river, very few people on the trail, a little short. Hoping the expansions happen eventually.
This trail is well-separated from the cars, so they're not a hazard, but there are a handful of crossings (with lights and pedestrian signals), which are annoying but easy and safe to do. This trail isn't in the woods (although the offshoots to Neshaminy Creek Trail are), so it's not somewhere to explore the beauty of nature, but it has two key virtues: (1) it is well-maintained asphalt with gentle turns and (2) the southern half is at a higher average elevation (200-250 feet) than the northern half.
Thus, heading south is a good workout with a lot of long-but-not-impossible climbs, while those same hills become long descents when heading north, a great place for people to develop confidence at higher speeds, using drop-bars, or practicing their lean for a high-speed turn. If you're just starting out cycling, or you're preparing for a 10- or 20-mile event, this is an excellent trail to develop your skills and improve your fitness.
I have ridden parts of this trail twice... from St Georges to Delaware City and from St Georges to the Summit West Marina.
Both sections and directions were very enjoyable and an easy pedal on my Catrike.
While staying at Lums Pond State Park I will ride this trail many times, as it is easily accessible at St Georges, only about 5 miles from Lums Pond.
Everyone who's posted a review in on the Money about what to expect on the Atlantic County Bike Way. It's a Straight Shot from the EHT Shore Mall, West to Mays Landings ACIT Atlantic County Institute of Technology. The Path itself is in Great condition that receives little use making it idea for those who require speed, fitness and Strava~Ass times ;). The Scenery isn't picturesque, unless you enjoy Pine Tree and Huckelberry Bush scenery. It feels more like a straight paved trail through the woods with traffic you can't see on either side of you. Nonetheless, if your looking for seclusion from horrific Traffic in the area and open space to ride or run, this is your Oasis. When the AC Bike Way is finally completed, it will run from EHT, NJ Shore Mall, all the way to the Buena Campground in Buena, NJ. Making the Total Distance from end to end 23.6 miles long. Not bad for all day bike excursion with several interesting stops along the way ;)
Above is my take on the Atlantic County Bike Way ~ East, I'm more concerned with the County, State and Outside Enthusists funding and building the Atlantic County Bike Way ~ West. For those who don't know, the AC Bike Way is Divide into 2 separate Bike Way's and the Middle Point is Mays Landing, NJ. The Bike Way West WILL be a very secluded Ride, but has a lot of potential in becoming a must do Day Trip/Ride. The reason I say this is because there is so much to stop and see on the AC Bike Way. Here is a short list of places you won't want to miss on your Ride ~ Tuckahoe Micro Brew, Lazy Eye Vodka Distillery, Funny Farm Animal Rescue AND the Baltic Winery. All these business are free to visit (Adult Beverage Establishment offer free Adult Beverage tasting to those of legal age and will offer discounts to Bike Way users when the Bike Way is up and running) All these business are located a 100 yards or less from the AC Bike Way ~ West.
If you have a interest in getting the AC Bike Way ~ West completed, please sign up for my Atlantic County Bike Way ~ West, Facebook Page. Thanks ;)
Update.....trail west of Quarryville to the Pequea Creek just west of Rte 324 is crushed cinder (with good scenery, some open, some in a hollow ditch with several good, safe parking areas). However, the beautiful trestle bridge at Martic Forge was victim of arson in early 2018, so trail does not cross the creek at this time, though repair is hopeful.
Closest parking west of the closed bridge is at Colemanville Church Rd. From there, it's crushed cinder (improved in 2017-18) for 2 miles to a spur (hiking) trail to Shenks Ferry Wildflower Preserve, and another 1 mile improved rail trail to the Conestoga River. There, the Safe Harbor trestle bridge is currently closed but another hopeful for repair. This stretch has designated climbing areas.
West beyond the Safe Harbor bridge is the great, improved, five mile section of the Enola LG that is located in Manor Twp, also with climbing areas, and a nice parking lot at Turkey Hill Point.
For points east of Quarryville- a new parking lot was installed in early -mid 2018 along Rt 372 just east of Q-ville. Not sure of the current surface of trail east of Q-ville, but it was unimproved but manageable with wider tires up to Hollow Rd, then there's a stretch that's not fun, with difficult sand and mud, up to the access at Rte 896.
Following up on our last comment, rode again yesterday afternoon (Sunday 9/30) from New Castle to the Riverfront. In the 1 3/4 mile stretch from Rt. 273 to Boulden Blvd. we passed 45 bikers. From there to the new bridge another 50. From there to beginning of the River Walk another 36. Stopped counting then because of the numbers. Too hard to count walkers, joggers, and roller blades, but must have been at least another 100 - 130. Fast becoming our favorite trail in Delaware.
TrailLink is a free service provided by Rails-to-Trails Conservancy (a non-profit) and we need your support!
Map Search
_0_st.jpg)
