Find the top rated cross country skiing trails in Harrisburg, 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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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...
The Northwest Lancaster County River Trail follows the route of the historic Pennsylvania Main Line Canal, tracing the Susquehanna River northwest from Columbia to Falmouth. The entire trail is paved....
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...
Heritage Rail Trail County Park (HRT), along with the connecting Torrey C. Brown Rail Trail that continues south through Maryland, are in Rails-to-Trails Conservancy’s Hall of Fame. Both trails follow...
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...
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 Swatara Rail-Trail uses the corridors left behind by a canal and a railroad to snake around an Appalachian mountain in eastern Pennsylvania, passing through the forests of Swatara State Park most...
The Chambersburg Rail Trail is a 1.6 mile paved urban trail that connects neighborhoods just a few blocks west of the community's central business district. Starting at South Main Street (Route 11),...
Currently, over 10 miles of the Buffalo Valley Rail Trail are complete. The trail runs between Lewisburg and Mifflinburg, and interpretive signs relate the region's history. The trail is mostly paved...
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...
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 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....
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...
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...
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The Iron Horse Trail follows two abandoned rail beds: the Path Valley Railroad and the Perry Lumber Company Railroad. Originally, the Path Valley Railroad was going to be an extension for the Newport...
While the Lebanon Valley might be best known for its chocolate and distinctive bologna, iron ore is what put the region on the map in the 1700s. The 18-mile Lebanon Valley Rail-Trail—and the...
The Chambersburg Rail Trail is a 1.6 mile paved urban trail that connects neighborhoods just a few blocks west of the community's central business district. Starting at South Main Street (Route 11),...
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...
Heritage Rail Trail County Park (HRT), along with the connecting Torrey C. Brown Rail Trail that continues south through Maryland, are in Rails-to-Trails Conservancy’s Hall of Fame. Both trails follow...
Currently, over 10 miles of the Buffalo Valley Rail Trail are complete. The trail runs between Lewisburg and Mifflinburg, and interpretive signs relate the region's history. The trail is mostly paved...
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 Northwest Lancaster County River Trail follows the route of the historic Pennsylvania Main Line Canal, tracing the Susquehanna River northwest from Columbia to Falmouth. The entire trail is paved....
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...
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...
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...
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...
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A renovated former railroad tunnel that features a separate entrance for bats is a highlight of the Penns Creek Path. The path is a relatively flat segment of the 328-mile Mid State Trail that runs...
_131019_sc.jpg)
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 Swatara Rail-Trail uses the corridors left behind by a canal and a railroad to snake around an Appalachian mountain in eastern Pennsylvania, passing through the forests of Swatara State Park most...
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...
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...
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...
The Northwest Lancaster County River Trail follows the route of the historic Pennsylvania Main Line Canal, tracing the Susquehanna River northwest from Columbia to Falmouth. The entire trail is paved....
A renovated former railroad tunnel that features a separate entrance for bats is a highlight of the Penns Creek Path. The path is a relatively flat segment of the 328-mile Mid State Trail that runs...
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...
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...
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....
Currently, over 10 miles of the Buffalo Valley Rail Trail are complete. The trail runs between Lewisburg and Mifflinburg, and interpretive signs relate the region's history. The trail is mostly paved...
The Chambersburg Rail Trail is a 1.6 mile paved urban trail that connects neighborhoods just a few blocks west of the community's central business district. Starting at South Main Street (Route 11),...
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...
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...
Heritage Rail Trail County Park (HRT), along with the connecting Torrey C. Brown Rail Trail that continues south through Maryland, are in Rails-to-Trails Conservancy’s Hall of Fame. Both trails follow...
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...
The Iron Horse Trail follows two abandoned rail beds: the Path Valley Railroad and the Perry Lumber Company Railroad. Originally, the Path Valley Railroad was going to be an extension for the Newport...
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...
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 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: 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...
While the Lebanon Valley might be best known for its chocolate and distinctive bologna, iron ore is what put the region on the map in the 1700s. The 18-mile Lebanon Valley Rail-Trail—and the...
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...
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...
This is the trail I've ridden most often, as it is only a few minutes from my house. It's a great little trail, and my kids love stopping at the beautiful Warwick Twp park that the trail goes through. I'd like to give it 5 stars, because I'm sure many people work hard to maintain it. However, there are long stretches of the spring and summer that the Warwick half of the trail is simply not usable due to the overpowering odor of the liquid fertilizer that the local farmers use on the many fields lining the trail. I've lived in Lancaster County for nearly 20 years - I'm fine with the standard cow poo smell, but the liquid stuff is unbearable and it gets in your clothes, hair, and skin. It also draws so many flies and other bugs that you feel like you're being pelted with sleet as you ride. I have to mask up and wear goggles to keep them out of my eyes and mouth. It's a real bummer, but I suppose that's just the reality of the location. Not sure there's a way to remedy it.
This is a very scenic, easy trail. It's great for a quick jaunt, or you can extend it by continuing on the Lebanon Valley rail trail that connects to it. As other reviewers have noted, it could use some fine gravel. Much of the current surface is pretty coarse stone, which was fine for my mountain bike with front shocks and wide tires, but it probably would have jarred my insides loose if I was riding my hybrid bike. And as other reviewers have also noted, crossing Rte. 743 can be dangerous when it's busy. Still, this trail is nicely maintained and I recommend it.
Today was my first time riding this beautiful trail, and it's already one of my favorites in the area. I started at the Lancaster/Lebanon county line where it connects with the Conewago Recreation Trail (also quite nice), rode to the end in downtown Lebanon, then rode back (15-ish miles each way). It's mostly fine packed gravel with some paved sections. I was on a hardtail mountain bike, but a gravel bike or any bike with appropriate tires could handle it easily. There's lots of shade, numerous benches, a few parking areas, a couple porta-johns, and a water refill station along the way. I'm no expert but I found it to be quite doable; it's a pretty gentle grade with no steep climbs. Just be aware that in both directions the trail trends upwards for several miles until you get to Mt. Gretna.
I road this trail today. The first item of note is the road is closed about 1 mile on the North Extension, that is a mile North of Route 30. You can ride from John Rudy County park to the closure. There may be a work around at the railroad bridge to the route 30 Parking lot. I started at the route 30 parking lot and went South to New Freedom. I would not recommend riding in this direction. The last section from about MP 5 up to New Freedom is uphill about a 6% grade. It is best to ride starting in New Freedom and biking to York. Also, The bike trail through York going South is a bit confusing through the town. At one point the RR track area was closed; however, the detour South was not clear. Okay
My sister and I rode this trail from Shippensburg College to Greenhill (end of trail) and we both registered 20 miles one way as did another guy riding behind us.It shows 13 miles on the website. What is the correct distance?
My office was right off this trail & trail ended behind my old house I would ride 14 miles to & from work at least once a week miss those days.
Did this trail with 2 kids 4 & 6 they were troops went from oaks to the art museum. Memories to last a lifetime
I'm normally a bike trail reviewer, but pleased to see my local trail haunt listed here. The description is pretty accurate, more of a walking/jogging trail than a bike trail, but definitely a peaceful retreat in the suburbs. Pros: plentiful parking, easy gradient, abundant wildlife. Cons: not a very long trail (4 miles is a stretch even if you connect the looped paths), prone to erosion, puddles, and fallen trees/limbs (although cleanup is prompt). It's mostly wooded views with some traffic noise in areas, but no majestic vistas here. There are regular dog walkers like me, bird watchers, and families. I often see foxes, and the resident deer herd coexists well with humans. My canine companion and I come at least 3x a week, and walk approx 3 miles each time, so I figure we covered over 5k miles in the past 12 years (astonishing at how it adds up).
Nice easy hike on a paved trail. You can even feed the squirrels peanuts along the way. There is also a trail above the paved trail that goes thru the woods.
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