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I'm basing my rating on comparison to other trails I've ridden. Some sections of CVRT are quite lovely; passing by parks and wooded areas.
Otherwise, the proximity to 202 and the numerous road crossings makes the trail feel choppy and you never really feel disconnected from suburbia. There are two intersections in particular that I found quite dangerous.
First, in Exton, the crossing at Rt. 100 is chaotic! You need to cross roads three times to reach the other side of 100. On top of that, truck traffic is extremely heavy and frequently blocks the intersection.
The other dangerous intersection is at Foundry Way in Malvern. Incoming traffic has the right of way and does not stop. The intersection is large, so by the time you're in the middle of it, traffic is inbound and they barely slow down! Be careful here.
Overall, I think CVRT is more a commuter trail than recreational trail.
My wife and I rode our tandem from Biddle Point westward to Chesapeake City, where the paved trail connects with local streets. The Michael Castle Trail changes name to the Ben Cardin Trail when you cross into Maryland. There are a couple of hairpin turns, so be aware. The marina are at the inlet near Lums Pond SP is a little tricky to navigate the first time through, but the traffic is low (we rode on a weekday afternoon).
There isn't any shade where the trail runs adjacent to the canal (except where bridges cast shadows), but the few areas where it shifts away from the canal do have tree cover. Bring plenty of water if it's a hot day. We didn't see any place to get water along the trail. We passed 2 other trailheads and they did have restrooms, but they are the waterless type.
Terrain is flat except where the trail moves away from the canal - it becomes slightly hilly.
Overall, it is a great ride.
Overall a very positive experience! The trail is quite diverse. We started at the Black Diamond Trailhead near Glen Summit and finally got off at Morrisville with a few interruptions.
Section 1- Glen Summit to Jim Thorpe beautiful downhill easy ride with very nice mostly compacted gravel trails. Jim Thorpe should be renamed Jim Thorne because they are a thorn to get around. Trail closes at bridge and resumes on other side of wastewater treatment plant (WWTP). The town provides no access to connect the trail. We actually drove down to Lehighton and backtracked the trail from Lehighton to the WWTP.
Section 2- Lehighton to Northhampton. This trail was very nice mostly compacted gravel with a few side bar road sections which were low traffic and fairly safe. Trail was well marked and have regular mileage markers. In Lehighton we parked at the Lehigh Canal Park. From there the trail runs along Bridge St. a short section to get across the River. At the T-intersection of Bridge st. the trail loops down and under to the right. Trail sign shows two directions here but down and under is correct. We got off the trail at Northhampton at the Hokendaqua Creek and resumed at Canal Park at East Allentown, we did not try to forge a path through the neighborhoods. To be honest area seemed quite scary.
Section 3 - Canal Park to Delaware St. Park at Easton - This trail was highly varied and sometimes hard to follow as it intertwines with numerous other trails. Surface varied from gravel to dual lane towpath too paved to single path almost mountain bike course. Hybrid bike was perfect for all would not attempt portions on a street bike. The Palmer townships sections were like paved superhighway compared to some sections.
Section 4 - Easton to Morrisville - This trail was also highly varied from wide compacted gravel to narrow single lane gravel or dirt. Trail at times was poorly marked, especially at the Friend of Delaware Canal property on the south side of New Hope. Here the trails ends abruptly at the top of a stairs which would have been a killer if we didn't get stopped. From here you need to walk bikes down the stairs and along the brick sidewalk along mainstreet for about 500 feet, then try to cross mainstreet to enter what looks like an alley which then returns to towpath.
This section abuts many high end properties with buildings right-up-to the trail. Also has many low clearance bridges requiring either dismounting or ducking real low.
Many beautiful sections along the river early on the trail, once the high-end properties start, not much to see.
This section had very few if any mileage markers to speak of
Several small quaint little towns along the way offering many services, access is somewhat limited.
Access to Washington's Crossing Historic Park was nice.
Overall we rode for three days as we had a pick-up ride at the end of each section.
Aside, you can shunt over to the NJ side via a pedestrian/ bike bridge at Lumberville. Trail on the Jersey side was wide and well compacted gravel for most sections except in the towns where it was similar to the PA side. You can cross back to PA at either Bridge St. in Stockton, NJ or Bridge St. in Lambertville, NJ.
Happy trails.
Trail is in great shape. The only Negative was that their was no signage to help you traverse the incomplete section in Allentown.
Awesome path. Hoping for it to come up and connect to newtown rail trail for continuous trails into center city philly!
I found the campground at Green Lane, so I can combine a bike ride with having a travel trailer for my home base near the trail. I am looking for this combination in my travels.
My friend and I rode round-trip from White Haven to the abandoned railroad tunnel near Great Onoko, 44 miles. It was virtually uninterrupted. The surface is crushed gravel and easy to ride for the most part. For several miles before the tunnel, there are patches of loose gravel so be careful in this section. This part of the trail follows the Lehigh River for most of the way. You can hear the screams of the rafters riding the whitewater. There are many small waterfalls along the way. The abandoned tunnel is worth a walk-through. If you start at the southern trailhead in White Haven, be prepared to start with a lot of people, as this is the location where the bike train and shuttle buses drop off one-way riders. There is a strip mall located at the trailhead if you need snacks or drinks for your ride.
Walked portions of this trail in the past. It has gotten longer.
Spent couple of hours riding End to End and back.
Started at the Millway crossing parking area. Good parking with PortaJohn. Millway and Rothsville Rd.
Ride into Ephrata is paved and lighted. Portions of the trail open in the evening. Some portions Dawn-Dusk. Warwick Township portion is mostly packed gravel - in good condition.
Lititz Bikeworks provides a Bike Rental kiosk at Warwick Township Facility.
It's a do-over. I'll be back.
Rode this trail for seven miles from Oaks to Collegeville. First few miles were on smooth pavement, however poor drainage results in large puddles and rivulets of water on the trail in many spots. These conditions last for days after a rainfall.
After pavement ends a short on road stretch leads to a wooded path of various surfaces. Most of the remaining trip to Collegeville was on stones, cinders, mud or a combination of all. Sharp dropoffs to river below and a couple of busy road crossings were unnerving.
Improvements to the surfaces would make this a great ride.
We rode this trail starting at the small parking area along Valley Road. After finishing the short 2.2 mile out and back ride we continued over mostly very quiet neighborhood streets to the Landis Valley Farm and rode the Manheim Twp. Bikeway then another short road section to the Kissel Hill Commons Trail and finally a trail along the Landis Run Intermediate School and finally another short road section back to our car. The whole ride was about 8 miles. There are other short trails nearby, some named some you really need to look closely to find on the maps. The trails are mostly through parks or between well kept homes with a short wooded section and a nice open wetland. Fun exploring these short trails.
I am only giving this trail three stars, not because the trail is a poor experience, but it is a short trail for me, and there are numerous road crossings. The trail is asphalt all the way, and virtually level. Yes, some slight slopes, but nothing serious. There are mileage markers almost every half mile, and also some signs for points of interest. I started at the King of Prussia park and ride, and biked to Exton and returned. Initially, the trail goes along some very congested real estate, but the sound barriers do muffle the traffic noise so in portions it is very nice, heavily wooded on both sides, and in some places refreshingly cool. In other areas, homes and office parks are along the way. This gives rise to multiple road crossings, and many are signal controlled, especially at major crossings. Around the 8 mile point, the scenery is more open, with farms along the trail. Once one reaches Exton Park Trailhead, where water, restroom and tables are available, unless one wants to go into Exton, there is little reason to travel further. But going further has major road crossings, and one enters into a major commercial area, and about a mile or so past that, the trail simply stops. At the Exton Park, there is a detailed trail sign and also indications of future trails, including the proposed route to link with the Schuylkill River Trail from King of Prussia.
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