Find the top rated walking trails in Chester, whether you're looking for an easy short walking trail or a long walking trail, you'll find what you're looking for. Click on a walking trail below to find trail descriptions, trail maps, photos, and reviews.
The Schuylkill River West Trail will one day span 15.5 miles beginning in downtown Philadelphia and heading northwest through Lower Merion Township, West Conshohocken, Bridgeport, and Upper Merion...
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...
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...
The Lake Galena Park Hike & Bike Trail (alternatively the Peace Valley Park Hike & Bike Trail) offers 6 miles of blacktop along the shores of Lake Galena, just north of Doylestown in eastern...
Philadelphia's MLK Drive Trail offers a paved 4-mile route along Martin Luther King Jr. Drive that's popular for both transportation and recreation. The trail begins near the Philadelphia Art Museum...
The Maurice River Bikeway Trail provides access to shops, recreational parks, and riverside riding all in one. Starting behind the city hall, travelers will be just off the river on Ware Avenue in...
The Tacony Creek Trail offers a winding paved path along its namesake creek from Juniata Park to the East Oak Lane, Olney, and Lawncrest neighborhoods of Northeast Philadelphia. Situated entirely...
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 Audubon Loop Trail is only 2.5 miles in length, but is over four miles when adjacent sections of the Perkiomen and Schuylkill River trails are added. The trail begins in Lower Perkiomen Valley...
At one time an important thoroughfare for commerce carried by canal barges and railroad cars in southeastern Pennsylvania, the Schuylkill River corridor now accommodates walkers, bicyclists, and...
Nearly a mile in length, the Canning House Run Trail extends from the entrance to the Perryville boat ramp south along the west side of Roundhouse Drive to the historic Rodgers Tavern at the...
The Union Transportation Trail follows the path of the former Pemberton & Hightstown Railroad, which began operating in 1868. The original purpose of the railroad was to allow local farms and dairies...
With the 32-acre Poquessing Valley Park and the 500 acres of parkland of the Benjamin Rush State Park, it’s easy to feel like far Northeast Philly is fortunate when it comes to green space. But the...
Less than an hour west of Philadelphia, the East Branch Brandywine Trail begins south of Downingtown and continues south along its namesake river. The paved trail passes through meadows and wooded...
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...
Located in Worcester Township, the Zacharias Creek Trail is a an easy walk or ride along water, through riparian woods and across green fields. The trail begins on Green Hill road (where there is a...
The James F. Hall Trail—a rail-with-trail—packs a lot into a short stretch: Its paved surface is great for bicycling, in-line skating, and strolling, and there are multiple playgrounds, picnic areas,...
The Skippack Trail traverses a township of the same name in eastern Pennsylvania, about 40 miles northwest of Philadelphia. Its western end connects to the Perkiomen Trail, a 19-mile north-south route...
The Berlin Road Sidepath provides a pleasant, shaded paved trail for biking and walking in the community of Lindenwold. Stretching between Linden Avenue and Gibbsboro Road, the trail runs along the...
For birders and other wildlife watchers, the short West Deptford Scenic Trail offers an opportunity for a remote and tranquil stroll through a beautiful natural area. Located within a 90-acre area of...
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 Audubon Loop Trail is only 2.5 miles in length, but is over four miles when adjacent sections of the Perkiomen and Schuylkill River trails are added. The trail begins in Lower Perkiomen Valley...
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,...
A work in progress, the Red Clay Creek Trail currently extends along the east branch of the creek for which it is named in Kennett Square. The trail, which has a crushed-stone surface of varying...
Part of Milford Township's growing network of greenways, the Unami Creek Trail extends from a parking lot off Kumry Road, winding northeast behind developments, to Allentown Road. Another branch of...
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The Gloucester Township Health and Fitness Trail, formerly known as the Blackwood Railroad Trail, is a paved bicycle/pedestrian path in Blackwood, Gloucester Township. The bikeway is constructed on an...
Spanning just shy of 8 miles, the Jack A. Markell Trail, named after a former Delaware governor, connects the Wilmington riverfront with New Castle. The paved pathway was formerly known as the...
Although currently less than a half mile in length, the Royersford Riverfront Trail is a lush, shaded linear park situated between 1st Ave. and the Schuylkill River. Highlights on the paved trail...
The village of Smithville, upon which the Historic Smithville Park (open 8 a.m.–30 minutes after sunset) sits, has a long and colorful past—and some important connections to the history of bicycles in...
This trail connects the historic Thomas Leiper House (built in 1785) to Smedley Park, hence its name. The 2-mile multipurpose trail is mostly shaded as it winds through the Crum Creek Valley and zigs...
The Northern Delaware Greenway Trail spans 10 miles of northern New Castle County from Bellevue State Park on the Delaware River to Brandywine Creek in Wilmington, Delaware’s largest city. The surface...
Part of Limerick Township's ambitious plans to build a network of multi-use greenways, the paved Limerick Trail currently extends nearly 2 miles through the southeastern PA municipality. The trail...
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The paved Power Line Trail carries users between residential neighborhoods, parks, schools, and other destinations in Horsham Township. The 5.5-mile utility--easement trail also heads north to green...
Maryland's Ben Cardin C&D Canal Recreational Trail links to Delaware's Michael Castle Trail; both run along the north bank of the Chesapeake and Delaware (C&D) Canal and meet at the state line. The...
The Gurney Street Trail currently extends for just one block in the Fairhill Neighborhood of Philadelphia. However, the trail, which will continue to North American Street, is the culmination of a...
Philadelphia’s Rail Park is an exciting project developing across Center City, which will connect several neighborhoods and provide access to Fairmount Park and other cultural attractions. The 3-mile...
Philadelphia's MLK Drive Trail offers a paved 4-mile route along Martin Luther King Jr. Drive that's popular for both transportation and recreation. The trail begins near the Philadelphia Art Museum...
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...
Like many other municipalities in the densely populated suburbs surrounding Philadelphia, the borough of Chalfont, located in Bucks County, has constructed its own network of multi-use trails to...
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...
Currently just a half-mile long community trail in the borough of Hatfield, much greater plans are in store for the multi-use Liberty Bell Trail. Plans call for the trail to follow the route of the...
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...
Named for a development just outside Quakertown, the 1.5-mile Walnut Bank Farm Trail links the borough with nearby Veterans Park and will form a link in the greenway that will eventually link...
The Doylestown Bike and Hike Trails system provides a convenient car-free network of paved pathways to get around this eastern Pennsylvania community, about 30 miles north of Philadelphia. With more...
The Little Jersey Trail loops through Lums Pond State Park on a wide, packed earth surface that accommodates hikers, cyclists and equestrians. The trail is the longer of two loops; the Swamp Forest...
Linking the communities of Palmyra, New Jersey and Tacony (a historic neighborhood within Philadelphia) is the over 3,600-foot-long Tacony-Palmyra Bridge. Built between 1928 and 1929 for about $4...
For birders and other wildlife watchers, the short West Deptford Scenic Trail offers an opportunity for a remote and tranquil stroll through a beautiful natural area. Located within a 90-acre area of...
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 paved, multi-use trail begins at the intersection of Constitution Ave. and Spruce Street, across from the entrance to Lenape Park. The trail extends east along Spruce Street, briefly winding into...
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...
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Officials in Coopersburg, a small town in southern Lehigh County, have constructed a small rail trail along a segment of the old Liberty Bell trolley line that passes through the borough. The...
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...
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 Kinkora Rail Trail will one day span 13 miles between Mansfield and Springfield Township. In 2014, Springfield Township completed a small segment of the rail-trail that connects with the...
The Schuylkill River West Trail will one day span 15.5 miles beginning in downtown Philadelphia and heading northwest through Lower Merion Township, West Conshohocken, Bridgeport, and Upper Merion...
If you’re looking for a change of luck on your gambling getaway to Atlantic City, try visiting the 7.6-mile Atlantic County Bikeway. The paved trail runs straight and flat as it offers a relaxing...
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 John Heinz Refuge Trail and various footpaths at John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge at Tinicum stand in stark contrast to the urban setting that surrounds this refuge. At different points on this...
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...
We saw 14 species of birds. Macadam trail. Has small hills. Runs behind development. There is a stream with a bridge going over. Nice trail. Close to home.
Natural path well mainly with a couple of beautiful bridges
For parking set you GPS to 635 Chester Creek Rd. Brookhaven PA for one end of the trail. The published Knowlton parking address is incorrect. Parking at the other end can be found, as noted, at 426-436 Lenni Rd. Aston PA. There is also parking near Mt Alverna Rd and Iris Ln in Media PA.
Great short ride for a sixty year old rider like myself, not too many hills, pleasant surroundings and good people.
Had fun biking it, but didn’t expect the challenge. Rode the longer Little Jersey trail first, which was pretty smooth and flat. This trail is not smooth. Wife crashed 3 times. Not a rail trail. Gotta have some rough trail mountain biking experience to safely negotiate entire trail.
A crucial part to the ongoing redevelopment of the Philadelphia waterfront, the Delaware River Trail takes cyclists and walkers past a variety of environments and attractions over its relatively short length.
As of Oct. 2020, the trail is comprised of 3 formal, designated segments, linked by sidewalks along Christopher Columbus Blvd. The sidewalk between Washington Ave. and Penn's Landing Road is currently being upgraded to a trail, with the portion from Penn's Landing to Spring Garden St. slated to follow in the next couple years. When finished, there will be a continuous, multi-use greenway extending from Fishtown south to Pier 68, forming part of the Circuit Network and linking Center City via the Spring Garden Street Greenway and Camden, NJ via the Ben Franklin Bridge.
The northern segment of the trail begins at Penn Treaty Park in the Fishtown neighborhood. Constructed on the site where city and PA founder William Penn signed a treaty with the Lenape Indians, this park is popular with locals in the warmer months of the year and is noted for its memorials to Penn and marking the site where the treaty was agreed to, as well as benches that offer breathtaking views of the Delaware River. Also note the abandoned power station located immediately north of the park. Although currently dilapidated and an example of urban decay, plans are underway to redevelop this property into a concert hall in the near future.
From Penn Treaty Park, the paved, asphalt trail heads south, passing an apartment complex currently being developed, and rounds the north, east and south sides of Rivers Casino. Here, the trail passes through lush gardens with colorful plants and numerous small animals and warbling birds. Pedestrians have the option of using a small, stone path that runs directly along the riverfront to take in panoramic views and observe the birds that frequently perch on an abandoned pipeline that sticks above the water.
Continuing south from River's Casino, the northern segment of the trail follows Sugarhouse Drive south past the towers of the Waterfront Square condo complex. Here, the trail divides into two, with pedestrians directed left onto a sidewalk, while cyclists are to use a specially designated asphalt lane to the right. Note the fountains in front of Waterfront Square and the views out toward the river, where a small estuary has been developed. This segment of the trail between Penn Treaty Park and Spring Garden Street is also part of the East Coast Greenway, the long distance megatrail currently being developed from downeast Maine to Key West, FL.
The middle segment of the trail begins about a mile to the south at the north end of Penn's Landing, and follows the River Promenade past a dog park, plazas and the Independence Seaport Museum. Here, trail users have the opportunity to learn about Philadelphia's heritage as a seaport and can also tour several of the decommissioned ships and a submarine. Immediately south of Penn's Landing, Spruce Street Harbor Park gives trail users the opportunity to leave a lock on the Philadelphia Hope Fence outside the Hilton Hotel or grab a bite to eat from several food vendors. The Korean War Memorial and the controversial monument to Christopher Columbus are also located here.
The trail again diverges from Christopher Columbus Blvd. across from the intersection with Washington Ave., just south of the Gloria Dei Church. This mile-long segment differs from the northern and middle sections by crossing through sections of abandoned waterfront that have been reclaimed by nature and transformed into open space. Check out a section of old parking lot that now has vegetation growing up between cracks in the pavement and is now designated a rain garden and marvel at the array of colorful plants on Pier 48, an old wharf that was covered with dirt and now supports a small woodland. This experimental nature preserve is intended to attract both land and water based flora and fauna and also includes a walkway off the southern part of the pier where people can observe the river or go fishing as well as a spiral stairway ascending to a small observation platform. From Pier 48, the trail passes a plaza that provides additional opportunities for fishing or observing the river and continues through a grove of trees and a meadow before dividing into a second "green boulevard" next to the Wal-Mart off Tasker Street. Trail users will be surprised by the serenity of this segment and will find it hard to believe they are in a major city.
The trail's southern terminus is at Pier 68, another former boat dock that has been transformed into a park. The giant loungers here provide a great place to rest at the end of your walk or bike ride.
With its detailed landscaping, a route that passes several historical and cultural sites and providing numerous opportunities for active and passive recreation, the Delaware River Trail is a great counterpart to the Schuylkill River Trail and another great link in the Circuit trail network. The only thing keeping this trail from getting a full five star rating is the graffiti on parts of the southern segment, which, although minor, nonetheless mars the look of an otherwise great example of urban renewal.
If you start this trail on Rose Valley Road , between Wallingford and Swarthmore , you can easily navigate it all of the way to Smedley park. Once you get there, there are other wooded trails that you can also try. Mostly off road , but you need to cross a couple of small roads and then Baltimore pike to get to Smedley park.
Beautiful section for a long run in the morning. Very serene and peaceful
The trail has some sections that were paved but don't think that means smooth, the paved sections were more bumpy than the gravel sections. The short slightly hilly trail is quite close to the road. The highlight was riding the paved trail across the street along Liseter Road.
One more thing, could TrailLink use street addresses for parking areas, it would make life so much easier for those of us using Waze or Garmin to find our way to trails.
We were looking for short trails near each other and this trail fit the bill. It was one of eight that we rode in one day. We started at the north end and rode to where the paved section stopped. We could see what looked like a poorly maintained single track trail across the street and decided to pass on riding that section. The trail surface is in great condition on the paved section, but other than that not much to see here.
While the trail runs through a wooded area along the Darby Creek the scenery is mostly unimpressive and even the sounds of the creek cannot drown out the traffic noise.
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