Rode from Valley Forge (Pawlings Rd Access) to end of the trail in Philadelphia and back for around 49 miles or so. It was a weekday morning and the conditions were ideal. The only challenges heading into Philadelphia are figuring out where to go around Manayunk (canal trail or through town) and then connecting to the paved trail at or past Lincoln (?). Easier coming back. Well worth the ride from York.

Great ride with the fall colors in full-affect. Nice easy 12 mile ride

This is the first huge trail I've been able to find. It's great! I love how easy it is to walk. I usually start where the parking lot is on pawlings or on station and I walk towards oaks near mill road. I'm just starting out walking and it's great for a beginner.

Oct 11, 2021. Parked in Glen Onoko parking lot. Lots of parking, but we could not find any toilets anywhere. Seems like with all that parking for visitors, the town or park should at least provide some porta-potties. We rode north for about 15 miles. Almost all of the trail was in great condition. There were a few spots near Glen Onoko with very loose fill that required walking (32 mm wide tires). Very nice scenery, and not crowded on a holiday Monday. Nice facilities at the Rockport trailhead. Overall a great ride!

I did a portion of this trail, Whitehall trail head to East Church Street. It is mostly flat until you hit the loop section, that was a short hill, but a little steep. The only problem I had was crossing 2nd Street--extremely rough pavement, it's like they milled the road and never finished it! Except for that crossing the rest of the trail was fine. Plenty of parking at the trailhead, but there are more parking areas further up the trail as well. I didn't see any public restrooms, there are a few portable toilets along the trail. Plenty of benches and other seating areas along the trail, but no water fountains--make sure you bring enough water! There is a shooting range next to the trail that was Very active while I was skating, some people may be bothered by this, I wasn't. I went in the morning and there were other people on the trail but it was not crowded.

I can't wait for winter 2022 for extension to Sckuylkill river trail in Norristown

Run, walk, or ride! Great for everyone in the family!!

Have always loved the IRT - it is truly one of the best trails in the Lehigh Valley. I generally use the Chestnut Street or Saylor Park trailheads so I can choose if I want to do just the loop or the loop and spur section.

I was also pleasantly surprised that the ENTIRE trail is paved now! The last section of the spur route used to be crushed stone, but is now paved. This makes for an awesome ride.

Overall, it is a fairly flat loop with a spur should you choose to do it. On the loop, there is a hill that starts at the spur entrance and goes toward the Chestnut Street trailhead, then turns downhill to Saylor Park. On the spur route, there is a slight brief uphill as soon as you turn onto it, before you go under the Route 145 bridge. The scenery changes throughout the loop from dense woods to town parks to homes and apartments. The spur route is much more countryside, with the ruins of old industry and trains along the way.

The road crossings on the loop route are very manageable and since you are in towns most of the time, traffic moves slowly and/or is very good about yielding. This is a bit of a different story on the spur route, which has some busy road crossings, namely South Church Street (second crossing after bearing off on the spur) and Mauch Chunk Road (last crossing on the spur route). Mauch Chunk is especially dangerous with cars moving at a high rate of speed - there are signs on the trail warning that it is a dangerous intersection. However, all crossings are well-signed - it just seems to me that vehicle operators on the faster country roads along the spur route generally do not yield to you.

The only other compliant is toward the end of the spur route, the trail passes directly behind a very busy gun range. Although there are cement walls and fences dividing the trail from the range (and the range is pointed away from the trail), it can still be a bit unnerving to hear rounds being fired so close to the trail.

Overall if you pick one trail in the Lehigh Valley to try out, make it this one - you won't be disappointed!

This is likely a lesser used portion of the trail, and my review covers from the Fort Washington State Park trail heading northward. It is a trail that will appeal to mountain bikers and walkers. The starting point is not obvious from the parking lot, but can be deciphered relatively easily. The trail starts out packed gravel and flat and winds through some scenic areas. One then crosses a long bridge, and ahead is a fork, where one wants to take the right fork. There is a road crossing ahead, and it switches to macadam and remains relatively flat. One crosses under an old railroad bridge, and up a steep hill where the macadam ends. With heavy rains recently, there is a lot of erosion and the trail is very rocky. There are some steep stretches, and dips, and with the bicycle I had, I had to bail from the trail. I did see people further ahead on foot, and it appeared pleasant enough. It should be spectacular in fall colors. It is a relatively short trail, and families were walking along. I only give this portion three stars due to its difficulty unless one has a mountain bike and the need for repairs to the erosion. Although a recently fallen tree had been cleared, so there is some attention given to the trail.