Beautiful Winter Trail - - - Brian Z does an awesome job of grooming.

Stretching nearly 7 miles from Bachman Street in Hellertown south through the picturesque Saucon Valley to East Station Ave. in Coopersburg, the Saucon Rail Trail could easily be considered the Jewel of Eastern PA when it comes to multi-use greenways.
The trail is built along the route of the former North Penn RR, which once hauled iron, steel and coal from the mines of Northeastern PA and mills of the Allentown-Bethlehem metropolitan area south to Philadelphia. The line also doubled as a SEPTA commuter line until abandonment in 1984. The RR itself may be long gone, but numerous vestiges, including old telegraph poles and signal towers, one of which has been refurbished, rock cuts and several bridges that have since been repurposed for trail use, attest to the line's original purpose. The fact that the crushed stone trail is wide enough to easily accommodate two or more cyclists or hikers passing each other simultaneously is made possible by the fact that the line was double tracked for most of its length.
Other highlights along the trail include historical stone buildings and homes that are visible along the northern segment of the trail in Hellertown and Lower Saucon Township, palatial mansions of more recent vintage in Upper Saucon Township, quaint barns north of Coopersburg and the Hellertown wetlands.
The trail also passes several parks on its route, including Water Street and Grist Mill parks in Hellertown, Upper Saucon Township Community Park, located just west of the campus of DeSales University and South Lehigh Living Memorial Park in Coopersburg. In addition to providing opportunities for the kids to play or families to eat picnic lunches, these parks also provide convenient points to access the trail and feature their own, internal trail networks.
In addition to being a great, stand alone trail, the Saucon Rail Trail is also envisioned to become a vital link in an intercity greenway that will eventually connect the Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton-Phillipsburg conurbation with the Philly metropolitan area. The Upper Bucks Rail Trail now extends from the southern terminus in Coopersburg south to Veterans Park outside Quakertown, and there are also plans to extend the trail north to Saucon Park in Bethlehem, where it will link to the South Bethlehem Greenway.

I rode my hybrid bike (no suspension, drop bars, 700c tires) from the trailhead at Simpson to Luciana Park in Lanesboro. I carried two 24oz water bottles, a full gallon of water in a jug, and some tools/spare parts (which were fortunately unnecessary). I tracked the ride with Strava, and all the data presented here is based on information recorded there. Before reading the rest, let me say that this is the first trail I've completed, and I plan on trying to do it again next year (unless I get too busy trying other trails)

I did the ride from south to north because the trail is a really nice crushed gravel from Simpson to Ararat. This section of the trail is 18.6 miles long and mostly uphill (starting at 1146' above sea level at Simpson, and peaking at 2057' in Ararat). All in all, I barely noticed the uphill climb for most of the length of the ride. There are some nice spots to stop and take pictures, including a few bodies of water, some bridges, and there is the sandwich shop in Union Dale that's got really good food.

North of Ararat, the trail is much rougher, and much easier to deal with going downhill (Luciana Park is 919' above sea level, 19.8 miles north of the trail's high point). There are sections that have been greatly improved from loggers leveling the trail to get their equipment through, but there were also spots I had to get off my bike and walk.

I think the northern half of the trail has much more to offer as far as the scenery goes. Especially between Ararat and Starrucca, and of course the Starrucca Viaduct (at Luciana Park) is worth seeing at least once. Hopefully the northern half of the trial is upgraded sooner rather than later.

Overall, the trip took me 5+1/2 hours, including about an hours worth of breaks spread throughout (including a meal break in Union Dale). I did end up drinking a little over a gallon of water over the course of the ride. Due to the lack of suspension or padding, my wrists were fairly sore by the end of the ride.

Smooth trails all around. Mostly shaded area. Highly recommend any skaters to trail skate here.

We have been riding this trail for about the past 10 years. Our first time out, we started out at the Hialeah trailhead. Will not do that again. Only for the younger, more adventurous mountain biker, not older geezers like my buddy and myself. Now, we start at the trailhead near Bushkill. We bike out 12 to 15 miles and come back. Nice views of the Delaware. Trail is pretty well-maintained. No skinny tires recommended for this trail. Also not recommended for riders looking for a "smooth" ride.

Took my bike for 30 miles on this trail. What a relaxing, scenic experience. You want to get out there early if your biking, as the foot traffic increases around 11am. I enjoyed the different surfaces, the natural areas. A lot of deer and chipmunks. Definitely worth the experience. Whether you are on foot or wheels, pack plenty of water and a light snack. You will need it on this trail!

This is one of my favorite rides, which we do every year in the fall when the leaves are turning. Spectacular. Superb trail, gorgeous & varied scenery. We do an up & back ride from Betzwood to Green Lane Park over two separate days, with Central Perkiomen Valley Park as our mid-point. All three endpoints offer welcoming amenities - restrooms, water, picnic tables, beautiful surroundings. The trail is not for road bikes/tires - trail is rough in many places for extended stretches. There are several hills besides the infamous 12% grade going up Spring Mountain. They are currently doing some township work - a sewage pipe project I think - that is large & visible for about 1/2 mile along the trail, with a black barrier along the trail. Unsightly, but temporary until the project is over. Does not affect the trail except for aesthetics over that 1/2 mile stretch.

New section to Quakertown just opened

Lots of them! Worst part is the tick advisory is posted 2/3rds of the (1 mile) into the trail. Otherwise a very nice straight path, flat terrain hike. I will be going back in winter after tick season has passed.