Find the top rated cross country skiing trails in Ephrata, 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.
Nice short trail through Lancaster farm land. Definitely bumpy & would not be my first choice but good connector to Lebanon Valley Rail Trail. Today a section was closed near Rte 743. I figured a way around via Old Hershey Rd and Beverly to 743. A good gravel bike or mtb is the way to go on this one. Doable on my old Cannondale CX but shock absorption would have made this a lot better.
A detailed description of this trail can be read from my August 2016 review. It is still a pretty trail offering a good workout! As mentioned in my title, most of the wide open views of the trail have disappeared due to the growth of foliage. In fact, I didn't even recognize the trail! After crossing over Valley road, the trail is almost continuously ascending to its endpoint. On my first outing on this trail, the Valley trailhead parking lot and the half moon section of the trail on the northwest side of Valley road was gravel. It is NOW asphalt. There is a lot more vegetation along the trail making it difficult to see the creek from which the trail was named after. The trail is well maintained. One interesting observation on this outing is that the 0.81 mile section from the Water Street Trailhead (Spring Township York Water treatment facility) to its terminus has posted signs of "Temporarily Closed to Pedestrian Traffic". I don't know the reasoning for the temporary closure. The trail was wide open without any impediments or obstructions. If fact, this section was one of the prettier pieces of the trail.
This is a well maintained beautiful trail. We parked at the trailhead at Levan’s road -nice pavilion and restroom to use. When you come to the loop at the end of the spur going right will avoid the hill people mention. It’s not extreme by any means but it will get your heart rate up a bit. We saw quite a few friendly people riding , walking and running. Loved the signage along the trail sharing the history in this area. April thru October check out the Chuckwagon drive in Ironton. Excellent sandwiches and ice cream.
We started this path from the Conowingo dam parking lot. We had to move through a group of turkey vultures to get to the trailhead. It was a beautiful fall day and the trail was clear of most debris. There are quarter mile markers. While we were out, several bikers were also on the trail. We took several side trails to the river to see other wildlife and to get some sun. The deep canopy of the trail blocks much of the sun making this an easy stroll in 80 degree weather.
Nice trail for a short Sunday ride. "Grand opening" was on September 7, 2024. Bridge is complete over Manoa Road. Trail is all asphalt, no crushed stone or wood chips. Ample parking at southern end in Lanerch Shopping Center.
Like the nearby Ironton Rail Trail, the Nor-Bath Trail follows the route of an old shortline RR that served the mining and concrete industries of the Lehigh Valley.
Nearly 6 miles in length, the trail is part of the LINK network of multi-use greenways that will eventually span the Allentown/Bethlehem/Easton conurbation, connecting communities to each other as well as to more distant metro areas like Philadelphia and Scranton/Wilkes Barre.
From its beginning at Main Street in the suburb of Northampton (a signed route along 10th and Canal streets connects to the D&L Trail a quarter mile to the west), the trail heads east through a series of parks, the surrounding landscape transitioning from residential subdivisions to rural farmscapes. It currently ends at Jacksonville Park, just west of Bath. Plans are underway to extend it into the town itself in the near future.
The diversity of landscapes along the trail's route is its best asset. The first mile or so in Northampton is a rail with trail, paralleling a segment of RR that was kept in use to serve local industries. Rail fans will want to check out the array of train engines and cars in the yard across Clear Springs Drive, while interpretive signage gives the history of the demolished cement mills that once stood on sights since reclaimed by nature.
Heading east from Northampton, the trail passes through residential communities separated by parks, and the asphalt surface gives way to crushed stone. Traces of the RR that remain here include the straightness of the route, rock cuts lined with the layered, sedimentary outcroppings common in the Lehigh Valley and three old bridges that have been repurposed for trail use. Some of the homes along the route also have ornately decorated and landscaped lawns that can be admired from the trail.
The trail leaves suburbia behind and follows a tree-lined route through bucolic farmlands east of Bicentennial Park. This section is some of the most beautiful landscape I have seen in the Lehigh Valley and gives one the feeling of being far away from the bustling cities. I hope the owners of these properties keep the industrial development that has recently popped up near the intersection of Jacksonville and Airport roads from encroaching into them.
Boasting beautiful scenery, a straight route between suburban communities with few at-grade crossings and a smoot, well maintained surface, the Nor-Bath Trail is one of the best greenways in the Lehigh Valley.
We camped at Indian Rock Campground right along this trail. It was a lovely comfortable ride with our mountain bikes. The Howard Tunnel was neat too. We highly recommend this trail.
Beautiful quiet rail trail that we have added to our favorites list.
Great trail. Love the new bridges and smooth black top.
When I first started riding the Chester Valley Trail, the connection to the SRT was only a concept. So I would ride from King of Prussia to Exton, parking at the park and ride lot. It is mainly flat and mostly wooded, but there are a lot of road crossings, the most dangerous one is right after entering Chester County, where an exit ramp from Rte 202 has cars not caring about stopping at the trail, which has a walk sign. There have been signage improvements in a lot of the other trail crossings, taking some of the risk out of it. It is paved, and the only steep part, and hardly that, is around the Vanguard Headquarters. There is a park at Exton, with water and restrooms. In addition, unlike many trails, it is considered a commuting trail so there is winter maintenance. That makes about a 25 mile round trip to Exton and back. Since then, the trail now connects to the SRT. Connecting, one has two very steep bridges to go over, and other less steep parts approaching King of Prussia. That part of the trail is mainly in the open, and road crossings are signal controlled. It goes along Rte 202 in Chester County, and there are sound barriers, so when the trees are in leaf, it actually is muted in noise. In Fall colors, it is gorgeous. And in hot weather, cool, especially in the Chester County portion. A positive is it is flat, but a negative are the many road crossings. I have found a mix of riders and walkers but it seems few riding clubs traverse the trail, so riders will not be zooming by one. In the summer, on weekends, there is a recombinant bike group for handicapped people who you may meet, starting from the Exton Park.
Constructed along the route of an old rail line that once served several slate quarries, the 3.3-mile Slate Heritage Trail celebrates one of the resources that once played a prominent role in the economy of the Lehigh Valley.
Much like the nearby Ironton Trail is an outdoor, linear museum devoted to the iron and cement industries, the Slate Heritage Trail treats users to ruins of the local quarries, most notably the NY Tunnel Quarry, so named because the tunnels mined into cliffside reminded the owner of the NY subway system. Slate heaps left from other quarrying operations can be seen off the trail further west and the towns that the trail connects, Slatington, Emerald and Slatedale, all attest to the role that the grey rock played in the development of the region.
The trail's route through a wooded greenbelt provides serenity and welcome shade in the warmer months of the year and people can often be seen fishing in the aptly named Trout Creek. The trail has a smooth, asphalt surface through Slatington, the largest and easternmost town, but turns to crushed stone at the quarry east of Emerald. Although the western segment of the trail has been repaired since the floods a couple years back, the surface is pretty loose, so cyclists should be careful. The section from Emerald to Slate Dale is also notable for the lush forests it passes through, giving the feeling of being in rural NE PA to the north rather than the suburban Lehigh Valley.
Other highlights mentioned in earlier reviews include the slate benches, several of which double as memorials devoted to the deceased, the covered bridge situated halfway between Slatington and Emerald and the remains of a demolished RR bridge in the latter town.
Although the trail itself is only a little over 3 miles in length, it links to the much longer D&L Trail on its eastern end and could possibly be extended west toward Jacksonville and Kempton in the future.
TrailLink is a free service provided by Rails-to-Trails Conservancy (a non-profit) and we need your support!
Scan the QR code to get TrailLink on your phone
Map Search
