Find the top rated bike trails in Newark, whether you're looking for an easy short bike trail or a long bike trail, you'll find what you're looking for. Click on a bike trail below to find trail descriptions, trail maps, photos, and reviews.
_144716_st.jpg)
_161187_st.jpg)
Although relatively short at 1.8 miles, the Muhlenberg Rail Trail extends the ability of residents to exercise or visit local parks, schools, and businesses under their own power. The asphalt trail...
Maryland's Susquehanna State Park is recognized for challenging hiking and biking trails, camping facilities, rock outcroppings, boating, a museum and restored historical sites. But none of these...
Philadelphia's MLK Drive Trail offers a paved 4-mile route along Martin Luther King Jr. Drive that's popular for both transportation and recreation. The trail begins near the Philadelphia Art Museum...
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...
_138948_sc.jpg)
The Pennsy Trail is a short, but sweet rail-trail located in Haverford Township, to the west of Philadelphia. The trail's southern and northern ends are currently broken up by Manoa Road, with the...
Situated near the south end of Lititz borough, the half-mile long Butterfly Acres Park Trail follows a restored wetland and small stream, connecting two neighborhoods. A smaller segment, which is...
The Frankford Creek Greenway trail is a 1.2 mile trail which connects Aramingo Ave and Wheatsheaf Lane to Delaware Ave and Lewis St and the East Coast Greenway/Port Richmond Trail at its southern end....
Actually a small network of multi-use trails, the Farmingdale Trail has recently been extended through The Crossings mixed-use development and now connects several neighborhoods in the northwest...
The Schuylkill River West Trail will one day span 15.5 miles beginning in downtown Philadelphia and heading northwest through Lower Merion Township, West Conshohocken, Bridgeport, and Upper Merion...
The Chester Valley Trail provides opportunities for recreation and alternative transportation in the congested commercial center at the northern edge of Greater Philadelphia. The paved rail-trail...
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. While the majority of the...
_141281_sc.jpg)
Just short of a mile in length, the Mill Creek Trail follows the south bank of the stream for which it is named in the suburbs east of Lancaster. Paved with a surface of compact woodchips, the...
The Audubon Loop Trail is only 2.5 miles in length, but is over four miles when adjacent sections of the Perkiomen and Schuylkill River trails are added. The trail begins in Lower Perkiomen Valley...
The Gurney Street Trail currently extends for just one block in the Fairhill Neighborhood of Philadelphia. However, the trail, which will continue to North American Street, is the culmination of a...
The Warrington Township Multi-Use Trail spans nearly 3 miles on the west end of town. The trail is part of an effort to make the community more pedestrian-friendly, connecting major points of...
Constructed as part of the Belmont subdivision/Shoppers At Belmont mixed use development, the Belmont Trail is part of Manheim Township's growing network of multi-use greenways and the latest of...
This trail is not offically part of the Lancaster County Park system. It runs next to the Conestoga River at Sunnyside. The one end of the trail is at Lancaster County Central Park. Although there is...
This 2.4-mile paved trail provides a quiet, scenic escape northwest of Philadelphia, from Encke Park at Radnor-Chester Road to the shopping center at Sugartown Road and Route 30. The trail travels...
Part of Manheim Township's growing network of multi-use greenways, the Manheim Township Bikeway begins off Kissel Hill Road, immediately north of the intersection with Landis Valley Road. Heading...
United States Avenue Trail, which is also know locally as the "Green Trail" travels through a primarily wooded landscape between Foster Avenue and Egg Harbor Road in Gibbsboro, New Jersey. At the...
Baltimore’s Herring Run Trail runs through scenic Herring Run Park, centered on a tributary of the Back River. The winding trail follows Herring Run through a woodlands environment so peaceful you're...
A work in progress, the French Creek Trail is one of several trails being developed by East Pikeland Township. Although a small part of it follows the route of the former Pickering Creek Railroad,...
The 7.1-mile Warwick-to-Ephrata Rail-Trail runs from Ephrata west to Lititz in Warwick Township, following the former Reading and Columbia Railroad, which began service in 1863. The Lancaster Junction...
Philadelphia’s Rail Park is an exciting project developing across Center City, which will connect several neighborhoods and provide access to Fairmount Park and other cultural attractions. The 3-mile...
The Angelica Creek Trail, in Reading's suburbs, begins at a scenic stretch of the Schuylkill River Trail, then goes south along the river a short distance before heading northwest toward Angelica...
The Joseph Plumb Martin Trail offers a pleasant, paved loop through Pennsylvania's Valley Forge National Historical Park. Nestled against the wooded Schuylkill River, the park provides a wealth of...
Linking the communities of Palmyra, New Jersey and Tacony (a historic neighborhood within Philadelphia) is the over 3,600-foot-long Tacony-Palmyra Bridge. Built between 1928 and 1929 for about $4...
The Skippack Trail traverses a township of the same name in eastern Pennsylvania, about 40 miles northwest of Philadelphia. Its western end connects to the Perkiomen Trail, a 19-mile north-south route...
This trail connects the historic Thomas Leiper House (built in 1785) to Smedley Park, hence its name. The 2-mile multipurpose trail is mostly shaded as it winds through the Crum Creek Valley and zigs...
Cobbs Creek Trail runs through the borough of Lansdowne, just west of Philadelphia. The paved pathway offers a scenic route along its tree-lined namesake creek from the 63rd Street Station to Cobbs...
Situated near the south end of Lititz borough, the half-mile long Butterfly Acres Park Trail follows a restored wetland and small stream, connecting two neighborhoods. A smaller segment, which is...
Completed in the summer of 2016, Sullivan's Bridge and the adjacent trail provide access from the Schuylkill River Trail, Betzwood Park and the section of Valley Forge National Historic Park north of...
_124816_sc.jpg)
The Parkside Trail is one segment of the larger Camden Greenways network, a proposed system of trails currently under construction. When complete, the greenway will follow portions of the Delaware...
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. While the majority of the...
The Audubon Loop Trail is only 2.5 miles in length, but is over four miles when adjacent sections of the Perkiomen and Schuylkill River trails are added. The trail begins in Lower Perkiomen Valley...
_161187_sc.jpg)
The Darby Creek Trail winds along a wooded creek through the western neighborhoods of Haverford Township, just outside of Philadelphia. The trail's southern end is anchored by Merry Place, a...
Although just 1.4 miles long, the 58th Street Greenway is an important connector in the southwestern Philadelphia neighborhood of Kingsessing. Although most of the greenway is off-road trail, note...
Philadelphia's MLK Drive Trail offers a paved 4-mile route along Martin Luther King Jr. Drive that's popular for both transportation and recreation. The trail begins near the Philadelphia Art Museum...
This 2.4-mile paved trail provides a quiet, scenic escape northwest of Philadelphia, from Encke Park at Radnor-Chester Road to the shopping center at Sugartown Road and Route 30. The trail travels...
A part of Manheim Township's network of multi-use greenways, the mile-long Kissel Hill Commons Trail extends across the mixed use subdivision for which it is named in the suburbs north of...
The Wayne Gilchrest Trail, which opened on Earth Day in 2012, runs along the southern edge of the historic Maryland Eastern Shore community of Chestertown. The trail connects Washington College to the...
Picking up directly across Norwood Road from the Struble trail's south end point, The Lions' trail offers a half mile of paved trail winding through scenic Kardon Park with 10 acres of ponds and over...
_164219_sc.jpg)
Part of the township's ongoing efforts to create a network of multi-use greenways, Manheim Twp.'s Heritage Trail begins at Valley Road and extends south, along the eastern boundary of Landis Woods to...
The historical Ben Franklin Bridge, opened in 1926, offers expansive city skyline views and is itself a stunning structure. The iconic suspension bridge once included two streetcar tracks in addition...
This is a pleasant one mile community trail which begins right at the center of Red Lion, PA. The main trailhead is on Main St. at the restored MA&PA train station, which now is home to the Red Lion...
The short Stockton Station Rail-Trail runs through a city park in Camden between Westfield Avenue and Pleasant Street. The path follows an old railroad corridor, and the park itself was once the site...
This community trail begins at the intersection of Main and Pearl streets in the town of Port Norris, near the mouth of the Maurice River. It connects Port Norris with Bivalve. At one time the area...
The K&T Trail, also known as the Kensington & Tacony Trail for the former railroad line on which is runs, spans a mile along the Delaware River in Philadelphia. Beginning at the Frankford Arsenal Boat...
Just short of a mile in length, the Mill Creek Trail follows the south bank of the stream for which it is named in the suburbs east of Lancaster. Paved with a surface of compact woodchips, the...
Maryland's Ben Cardin C&D Canal Recreational Trail links to Delaware's Michael Castle Trail; both run along the north bank of the Chesapeake and Delaware (C&D) Canal and meet at the state line. The...
Located in Worcester Township, the Zacharias Creek Trail is a an easy walk or ride along water, through riparian woods and across green fields. The trail begins on Green Hill road (where there is a...
The Michael Castle Trail offers a scenic 12-mile route along the north shore of the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal in northern Delaware. The trail is named after the former governor and US...
Baltimore’s Herring Run Trail runs through scenic Herring Run Park, centered on a tributary of the Back River. The winding trail follows Herring Run through a woodlands environment so peaceful you're...
The Tacony Creek Trail is a winding paved path along its namesake creek in the Juniata Park and East Oak Lane neighborhoods of Northeast Philadelphia. Situated entirely within scenic Tacony Creek...
Reading's Neversink Connector Trail is a short paved pathway that branches off the Thun Trail, a 18-mile section of the Schuylkill River Trail. It begins near the Reading Area Community College and...
_144716_sc.jpg)
The Cross County Trail runs for 3 miles between the Schuylkill River Trail in Conshohocken and the village of Plymouth Meeting. The trail links suburban shopping with neighborhoods and mostly...
The Pomeroy and Newark Rail Trail offers urban connections to the University of Delaware campus, Newark Shopping Center, DART Transit Hub and the downtown area, as well as the recreational amenities...
Constructed as part of the Belmont subdivision/Shoppers At Belmont mixed use development, the Belmont Trail is part of Manheim Township's growing network of multi-use greenways and the latest of...
The nearly 3-mile long Chester Creek Trail is finally a reality after nearly two decades of planning. Phase 1 of the multi-use trail was opened to the public in late 2016. It follows the path of the...
Maryland's Susquehanna State Park is recognized for challenging hiking and biking trails, camping facilities, rock outcroppings, boating, a museum and restored historical sites. But none of these...
This is an amazing trail for mountain biking, hiking, and walking. There are many different places to park. The state hill boat ramp has a bathroom with a paved parking lot. This is a hidden gem in Berks County, PA. Wear orange during hunting season when using the trail.
Just finished a two hour ride from my house in Wilmington Manor to the Riverfront in Wilmington and then back to Battery Park in New Castle. This connects along the Delaware River which I followedi to the end marked “private property”. Total time was 2 hours, three minutes; total distance 19.03 miles; total calories burned 592; average speed 9.3 mph; elevation gain 1,070 ft.
Very rough trail. Even goes down to a little path before you get to new freedom.
I feel so guilty! Someone did some fine planning to make this wonderful trail happen, and it's maintained and beautified! All I did was show up and ride. It was heaven. Thank you to whoever contributed to making one of the best trails I've experienced in the two years I've been biking.
Do not Bother. Not worth it! Not really a Rail Trail. It was like someone took a Grader back there "Years Ago" and it has not be touched since. 3 to 4 inches of standing water in some sections and not really much of a trail in other sections so you are basically riding through field like conditions with high grass. Never Again!
Pros: Beautiful scenery! There are huge farms, pretty sunflowers, and interesting houses. I think I passed by an alpaca and saw a couple of horses and cows as well. There were a lot of dragonflies and butterflies in the air. I biked in 90 degrees weather but the land was vast and it made the weather feel more cool/clear.
Cons: Be careful when you are riding your bike on the road because the speed limit goes up to 50 mph for the cars. I always slow down when I hear a car coming up behind me, but it's always better to be safe than sorry!
Overall experience: Out of the three bike routes I took so far, this area had the most beautiful scenery. As a beginner, I didn't have any trouble navigating the area. I do have to say to not wander off too much because some of the driveways of the homes in the field look like off-bike routes. Don't get confused and stay on the road!
Plenty of shade, hilly, loud because of the proximity of the Blue Route.
Finding the Newcastle “end point” to the trail was tricky. Once I found it, the scenery was beautiful at times, but also filled with highway imagery. Two trees had also fallen down from a previous storm, so that was difficult to maneuver under. Once I came into the marsh area, there was a nice view of Delaware marsh land that I had only previously seen at a distance from the I-95 on ramp. Overall, I enjoyed it.
With more gaps being closed every year, the 40-year goal of constructing a continuous, multi-use trail that will run the length of the Schuylkill River from the coal country of the Poconos southeast to the marshes of South Philly is close to being a reality.
As of mid-2019, over 71 miles of trail have been built, enough to classify the system as the unified Schuylkill River Trail, as opposed to a series of stand-alone greenways regarded as separate projects.
Rather than rehash the description above, I'll just note that, like other long-distance greenways, the Schuylkill River Trail has a lot to offer for hikers, cyclists, parents pushing young kids in strollers and roller and inline skating on the paved sections. Most of the trail follows old rail corridors or canal towpaths, ensuring a level trip with few slopes, as well as numerous reminders of the river's history as a major transportation route, a roll that can still be seen today by its close proximity to major highways like Routes 61, 422 and I-76 and active rail lines that freight trains often rumble along. Although most of the mills and other factories that used the coal and lumber shipped down the river for raw materials and sent finished product to the port of Philadelphia are now gone, their legacy also lives on whether as ruined hulks, historical markers or as repurposed apartment houses or office buildings. Some of the many historical sites on or near the trail include the vintage car museum and Yuengling brewery in Pottsville, an old canal tunnel turned rock cut south of Landingville, the railroad museum in Hamburg, Daniel Boone's birthplace near Douglassville, Morlatton Village, a Swedish village that was one of the firstthe Phoenix Iron Works museum in the old foundry in Phoenixville, a restored segment of canal in Mont Clare, Valley Forge National Historical Park, an old movie studio just east of Valley Forge, the Philadelphia Art Museum and Bartram's Garden, the oldest botanical gardens in the US, along with many others.
As one would also expect, the trail passes through a wide array of landscapes on its route. From the lush, remote forests of Schuylkill County, to the rural farmlands of Berks County, to the more suburban Montgomery and Chester counties and finally heavily urban Philadelphia, as well as smaller cities Reading and Pottstown and numerous towns along the route, the trail offers users a microcosm of Pennsylvania.
The trail is paved with crushed stone on most of its rural and remote segments from its northwest terminus outside Pottsville to the eastern end of a restored canal near Oaks, and asphalt in Reading, Pottstown and on most of the stretch from Oaks to its current southeast end at Bartram's Garden in South Philly. No review of the trail would be complete without mentioning the Schuylkill Banks Boardwalk segment, which extends over the river itself in Center City Philadelphia.
Although most of its surface is smooth and user-friendly, some of the shorter segments, including the one that parallels Route 61 just south of Pottsville and a little-used one near Felix Dam Park in the north Reading suburbs, are in need of improvement. The westernmost segment of the Thun segment of the trail from Route 183 to Reading Community College, although paved with asphalt, also needs repaired and better overall maintenance. The subpar status of these sections of trail. along with vandalism in parts of Reading and the fact that some of the remaining gaps in the trail are not easily detoured, prevents me from giving the trail a 4 or 5 star rating.
Fortunately, efforts continue to close these gaps and it looks like the trail may be completed in the next decade or so. Plans are currently under way to complete the long-stalled restoration of an old RR trestle south of Auburn in the next year or two, a pedestrian bridge over a steep gap over Route 724 east of Monocacy is currently in the planning stage, a trail bridge spanning the Schuylkill River next to the new Route 422 bridge east of Pottsville has been completed in anticipation of constructing the "missing link" between Pottstown and Parker Ford in 2020 and work is currently under way on the repurposing of an old RR swinging bridge over the river in South Philadelphia, which will connect the Greys Ferry Crescent and Bartram's Mile sections to one another.
In addition to bringing the Schuylkill River's status as a transportation corridor into the 21st century by connecting numerous towns and cities, the trail has also helped revitalize the economy of a region that was hard hit by the decline of steel, coal mining and other heavy industries in the last few decades. With connections to the East Coast Greenway and future Schuylkill-Susquehanna Passage and 9/11 trails, it has the potential to be an eastern PA counterpart to the Great Allegheny Passage.
Pros: Lots of shade to make a 90-degree day feel cooler. Clear road signs to stop for oncoming traffic. Nice urban-like scenery, there are some cool houses you pass by, and you also get to ride over one bridge and under another!
Cons: There were a lot of broken branches and even a fallen tree. Not sure how safe this bike trail is at night, but there were some empty patrol cars that were spotted near the bike route that alleviated some anxiety.
Overall experience: Great! This is my 2nd bike trail that I rode since getting my first road bike. It has a lot of potential. It looks like it is still under construction, so if the bike trail became even more extended, was tided up, and also had a bit more supervision, I think it would be an excellent first bike run experience!
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.
TrailLink is a free service provided by Rails-to-Trails Conservancy (a non-profit) and we need your support!
Map Search
_116316_st.jpg)
_164219_st.jpg)
_141281_st.jpg)
_124816_st.jpg)
_138948_st.jpg)
_135181_st.jpg)
