Find the top rated cross country skiing trails in Columbia, 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.
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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...
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...
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 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 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....
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 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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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 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...
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...
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...
Every year, tens of thousands of people take to the Capital Area Greenbelt looping around Harrisburg to play, exercise, and commute. The greenway completely encircles Pennsylvania’s capital city as it...
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...
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...
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...
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 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...
Farms and pastures surround the Conewago Recreation Trail, but it was the discovery and mining of iron ore that led to the development of the railroad that eventually resulted in this trail. The path...
Note: During hunting season, Pennsylvania Game Lands Regulations require ALL non-hunters present on game lands between November 15 and December 15 (excluding Sundays) to wear a minimum of 250 square...
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...
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 Cumberland Valley Rail Trail rolls 13.7 miles through a bucolic valley that’s hemmed in by the Blue and South Mountains in south-central Pennsylvania. Running from Shippensburg to east of...
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 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...
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...
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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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 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...
Every year, tens of thousands of people take to the Capital Area Greenbelt looping around Harrisburg to play, exercise, and commute. The greenway completely encircles Pennsylvania’s capital city as it...
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...
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...
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 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....
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...
Note: During hunting season, Pennsylvania Game Lands Regulations require ALL non-hunters present on game lands between November 15 and December 15 (excluding Sundays) to wear a minimum of 250 square...
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...
The Rim Trail offers a 2.2-mile route in Hibernia County Park, following a former railroad bed along the West Branch Branywine Creek. This southeastern Pennsylvania excursion is one of a handful of...
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...
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...
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 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...
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...
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...
The Cumberland Valley Rail Trail rolls 13.7 miles through a bucolic valley that’s hemmed in by the Blue and South Mountains in south-central Pennsylvania. Running from Shippensburg to east of...
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...
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...
This trail is now open from Lititz to Ephrata. Construction on the bridge in the center is complete. The trail is paved at both ends and gravel in the center. I rode the entire trail on my road bike and had no problem with the gravel section, but I might not be able to say that shortly after a rain.
This is a fantastic trail with great scenery along the way. But be vigilant in downtown Columbia!
We have done two sections: 1. starting in Columbia and going north through Marietta and 2. starting in Bainbridge and going south to the Shock's Mill Bridge. Both sections are mostly flat (a few whoopdee do up and downs, but no sustained climbing). Much of it is shaded and it is mostly paved.
Columbia - Marietta (8.5 miles round trip):
The only reason I detracted a star from my review is because of the short section going through Columbia (if starting/ending at the Visitor's Center). It is on a narrow sidewalk paralleling PA 441, which is a heavily traveled road with tractor trailers, dump trucks, and of course cars. There is no barrier or separator. You have to cross 441 twice, and also cross Bridge Street. This half-mile section is treacherous for kids and nerve-wracking for parents. I thank God that my son escaped unscathed after accidentally rolling over the curb and nearly being hit by a car.
Heading north, once out of the tumult of town, you head under the rte 30 bridge and into the good stuff. On your right, the remains of several iron operations remain visible. Interpretive signs are at a few. Chickies tunnel is short, but exciting. The Chickies rock outcropping itself is quite striking. There are also a few stream crossings before coming up on Marietta.
There is some misinformation (or more accurately, outdated information) regarding the Marietta section, with many having stated that you have to ride through the town. The trail actually diverges--with an option to go through town and an option to remain on the rail trail--both marked with white painted bicycles on the street. If travelling north, you only need to go two blocks on the Marietta streets (which are very wide, pleasant, and lightly traveled) before you can head back down to the paved trail along the river. At the intersection of Front and Bank St, across from the Front St. Park, go left up over the railroad tracks and it will take you back to the paved trail. That said the Marietta streets were very accommodating and scenic with rows of historic homes, and several places to stop for food or drink. There were many access points to and from the rail trail along the Marietta section.
Bainbridge to Shock's Mill (about 6.5 miles round trip):
Lots to see along this section as well. A bald eagle lookout, the White Cliffs of Conoy, small streams, industrial ruins, and of course the awe-inspiring Shock's Mill bridge. There are benches on the north side of Shock's Mill bridge--a great spot to stop for a snack with kids. As others have noted, be mindful that the trail near the bridge can flood, and even if not under water, several inches of slippery mud can remain after the water recedes.
I have read mixed information about the section north of Bainbridge (Falmouth to Bainbridge). When we went last year, the section north of Bainbridge disintegrates before abruptly ending about 1/2 mile north of Bainbridge.
Started at the northern end of trail they are working on several bridges and trail was a rough ride on cinder bike. Only went 2 miles. Will try again at a later date.
We rode the trail today from Warwick Twp towards Ephrata and were stopped near Millway due to construction upgrades. Does anyone know when this section will re-open?
Superb trail as far as smooth and maintained, but the road noise from Rt 202 made parts of the trail unbearable. If you are looking for a great trail to hear mother nature. this is not it!
Well maintained, wide and easy to use if you want a good long distance trail.
Rode this 11 mile trail out and back with a friend on a warmer than usual January day. Started in Columbia and rode to Bainbridge. Trail is a mix of paved sections with smooth, compact gravel with some riding on town streets.
Free parking at the Columbia River Park with a short 1/4 mile ride along the street to the beginning of the trail, which takes into historic Marietta. The trail disconnects here and you ride along the streets in Marietta which offers some very nice historic buildings to see along the way. There is signage pointing you in the right direction through town, but you may want to map out your route as well.
Once outside of Marietta, the trail opens up through some farm land before coming right up to the river (great photo op). CAUTION: If the river is high, this section may be flooded. I'm not aware of a detour around it. From here, it's a few more miles to Koser Park in Bainbridge where the trail ends.
Ahh, spring - the time of year I wonder, how far will I really be able to ride from Columbia today? If the Susquehanna is pretty well over the riverbank at Marietta, then Schock's Mill underpass will be flooded too. That makes it about 9 miles in length, not 11 (those who read the reviews know the last 3 miles are only for hikers and extreme bikers). I wanted to share a tidbit that another rider offered while we navigated the inch or so of muddy water covering the lower end of the walkway, which quickly deepened to a 6 inch deep fast flow on the upside - and both decided it wasn't worth the risk. He said when the river hits 42 feet, it overflows the walkway. NOAA (water.weather.gov) shows it at 42.5 feet on 3/24. Thank you, kind sir! Also, could someone please bring a chainsaw for that huge tree blocking the Charles Greenway? Or at least some orange spray paint? I was so in the zone I nearly plowed right into it...
Seriously, I think of PA as God's model for Heaven. And this trail may be the most beautiful part of heaven. I couldn't stop raving about it in my head for the first 11 miles or so, and then only stopped because I was beginning to realize what I was in for. It's a 25 mile trail, and a 50 mile out-and-back was more than I was really ready for. Thank goodness I turned around at the parking area at mile 17. The last 5 miles of the 34 total was all will, no skill. But even then I was in awe of the beauty. I camped in one of the camping cottages at Cowan's Gap, and it made for a beautiful weekend. I highly recommend it!
The paved trails through the woods are great, but if run in the parts downtown on front street you have to seriously watch out you dont fall into a pothole. Really needs updating before someone gets hurt
I rode my hybrid bike in Feb 2019 from Martic Township (near the closed bridge) to Sawmill Rd (Rd 435). I found the surface to be softer than I'd like, making it rather strenuous. I was riding with 700 x 35 tires. Now that I look on the trail website, I see that they recommend wide tires.
Nevertheless, I enjoyed this ride by moonlight. The surrounding area is really nice and the trial is flat and wide, with a big parking lot in Martic Township.
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