Find the top rated bike trails in Norristown, 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.
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Since it opened as a railroad spur in the 1800s, this pretty trail has always been about connections. In 1834 the Philadelphia and Trenton Railroad launched the spur to carry goods from Bristol,...
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The Trolley Line Trail is a 2.5 mile paved pathway between Rabbit Hill Road and Penn Lyle Road in West Windsor. The trail is on the right of way of the former Fast Line electric trolley that connected...
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...
The Lincoln Drive Trail bridges the gap between two of Philadelphia’s very popular trails. At its southern endpoint, the mouth of the Wissahickon Creek at Ridge Avenue, the trail meets the Schuylkill...
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...
The John N. Balis Bikeway is a half-mile paved trail along a former rail corridor that now serves as an electrical transmission right of way in the suburban community of Runnemede. The southern end...
Freedom Trail Bikeway will eventually be a 10-mile route linking parks and open spaces throughout South Brunswick Township in northern New Jersey. The trail follows a former rail line through...
Wissahickon Valley Park Trail (also known as the Forbidden Drive Trail) follows its namesake creek through the entire length of the park. The ominous sounding Forbidden Drive was so named because in...
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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...
The Pennypack Trail begins in Huntingdon Valley in Montgomery County and continues south through wooded Lorimer Park and on into Philadelphia County. A portion follows the former Fox Chase-Newton...
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...
The Exeter Scenic River Trail traces the north bank of the Schuylkill River. The tree-lined route provides views of the river and runs to the Klapperthal Trail at the base of Neversink Mountain. Visit...
The James F. Hall Trail—a rail-with-trail—packs a lot into a short stretch: Its paved surface is great for bicycling, in-line skating, and strolling, and there are multiple playgrounds, picnic areas,...
Less than an hour west of Philadelphia, the East Branch Brandywine Trail begins south of Downingtown and continues south along its namesake river. The paved trail passes through meadows and wooded...
Although the Neshaminy Creek Greenway is only about a half mile long, big things are in its future. One day, the greenway could span as much as 33 miles, reaching the Delaware River. Currently, the...
The Industrial Track Greenway Trail follows an abandoned rail corridor and will eventually link New Castle with the Wilmington waterfront. Already the trail spans nearly 4 miles in two disconnected...
From 1880 until well into the 20th century, Bangor and Portland Railway steam locomotives plied this corridor and others in the region, providing essential transportation services for the nearby...
A work in progress, the 2.5-mile Uwchlan Trail currently extends from the Struble Trail off the intersection of Dowlin Forge and Shelmire roads, north along the Shamona Creek and primarily following...
The Johnson Trolley Line has two sections, north and south, which are split by Interstate 95; there is talk of building an overpass to link the two segments. The Trenton-Princeton Traction Company ran...
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...
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...
The Pennypack Trail begins in Huntingdon Valley in Montgomery County and continues south through wooded Lorimer Park and on into Philadelphia County. A portion follows the former Fox Chase-Newton...
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...
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...
The Muhlenberg Rail Trail spans nearly 2 miles, running parallel to Rosedale Avenue from Laureldale Borough to Temple. It follows a former corridor of the East Penn Branch Railroad, traversing a...
The Lincoln Drive Trail bridges the gap between two of Philadelphia’s very popular trails. At its southern endpoint, the mouth of the Wissahickon Creek at Ridge Avenue, the trail meets the Schuylkill...
The history of Perkiomen Trail railroad corridor extends more than 140 years. Founded shortly after the Civil War, the Perkiomen Railway Company started running from Oaks to Pennsburg in 1868. New...
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...
The Chester County Parks & Recreation Department opened this trail in 1979 on part of a former Pennsylvania Railroad right-of-way. Today the 2.6-mile trail attracts more than 125,000 visitors each...
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...
The trail winds along the Bushkill Creek connects the old Simon Silk Mill on 13th Street to Third Street at the base of the stone stairs leading up to Lafayette College. The trail is paved and though...
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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...
The Ironton Rail-Trail is the quintessential example of how a former rail corridor can transform a community. This trail has it all for locals and visitors alike. If you are looking for beautiful...
Tatamy Trail begins in West Easton and heads north to Tatamy Borough, primarily along a former railroad corridor. On its southern end, it meets the Palmer Township Recreation Trail, which connects the...
Envisioned as a multi-use trail that will eventually connect the Thun Trail section of the Schuylkill River Trail in Union Township in southeast Berks County to the towns of Elverson and St. Peters in...
The Riverview Trail makes a loop through Fox Point State Park along the Delaware River in Wilmington. The trail circles an open field along the west bank of the river.
The pleasant Monocacy Way takes walkers and cyclists on an adventure through the fascinating history of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. The trail kicks off at Monocacy Creek Park, where you can see the a...
From 1880 until well into the 20th century, Bangor and Portland Railway steam locomotives plied this corridor and others in the region, providing essential transportation services for the nearby...
Less than an hour west of Philadelphia, the East Branch Brandywine Trail begins south of Downingtown and continues south along its namesake river. The paved trail passes through meadows and wooded...
The Delaware River Trail hugs the Philadelphia waterfront proving access to parks and recreational amenities. It's part of a larger effort called The Circuit, which will link 750 miles of trail...
The Cynwyd Heritage Trail is a 2-mile linear park and rail-trail that connects Lower Merion Township to the Manayunk Bridge over the Schuylkill River just outside Philadelphia. The bridge ends very...
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 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...
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...
Part of Milford Township's growing network of greenways, the Unami Creek Trail extends from a parking lot off Kumry Road, winding northeast behind developments, to Allentown Road. Another branch of...
The Calhoun Street Bridge spans 1,274 feet across the Delaware River, connecting Trenton, New Jersey, on its east bank with Morrisville, Pennsylvania, on its west bank. Built in 1884, the intricate...
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...
Camden's Cooper River Park is found on both the north and south shores of Cooper River Lake. The urban park is open daily from dawn to dusk and offers a paved loop path for bikers and pedestrians, as...
A little less than a mile long, the Barrel Run Trail is part of Milford Township's growing system of multi-use trails. The paved, asphalt trail begins at Woodview Drive, immediately west of...
The Chester County Parks & Recreation Department opened this trail in 1979 on part of a former Pennsylvania Railroad right-of-way. Today the 2.6-mile trail attracts more than 125,000 visitors each...
The John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge offers nearly 8 miles of crushed-stone trail in two wide loops to explore the scenic Tinicum Marsh, open meadows, and woodlands. The trail offers terrific...
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...
The history of Perkiomen Trail railroad corridor extends more than 140 years. Founded shortly after the Civil War, the Perkiomen Railway Company started running from Oaks to Pennsburg in 1868. New...
The Ironton Rail-Trail is the quintessential example of how a former rail corridor can transform a community. This trail has it all for locals and visitors alike. If you are looking for beautiful...
A work in progress, the 2.5-mile Uwchlan Trail currently extends from the Struble Trail off the intersection of Dowlin Forge and Shelmire roads, north along the Shamona Creek and primarily following...
Saucon Rail Trail connects four communities: Hellertown, Lower Saucon Township, Upper Saucon Township, and Coopersburg. The trail has a slight 1% grade traveling from north to south and is easy for a...
The pleasant Monocacy Way takes walkers and cyclists on an adventure through the fascinating history of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. The trail kicks off at Monocacy Creek Park, where you can see the a...
Chester Valley Trail currently stretches 14 miles between Exton and King of Prussia. Its west end is anchored by Exton Park, while its east end stops just shy of the King of Prussia Mall. Along the...
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...
Tatamy Trail begins in West Easton and heads north to Tatamy Borough, primarily along a former railroad corridor. On its southern end, it meets the Palmer Township Recreation Trail, which connects the...
Only discovered the trail last week and just rode it on 4/22/2018. I used a gravel/adventure bike with 35mm tires and no shocks. I did the full length, from the Lower Perkiomen Park to the Northern most part at Green Lane and then back. It's a great ride and mostly seems to follow old rail beds. Long stretches of it are flat with only slight changes in elevation. The only exception is a short, steep hill mentioned by a few others and clearly marked as you approach from either direction. At that point the trail deviates from the creek and goes up over a hill. The steepest part is paved and isn't long, probably less than an 1/8 mile.
Surface
The trail surface is inconsistent which is my reasoning for giving it four out of five stars, other reviewers have noted it as well. The trail ranges from nicely paved sections to muddy sections where they seem to be trying to figure out the drainage, to cinders and sometimes what appears to be crushed stone fill. The transitions in the surface can come about suddenly and if you're moving at a good pace they can throw you a bit. Even with 35mm tires there were a number of soft/deep gravel areas where my tires would sink in and throw the bike. I also kept hitting large chunks of rock and fill that would hop my bike a few inches to a side and send big chunks into the brush on along the trail. Weirdly, I noticed people riding road bikes with much narrower, smooth road tires and can't imagine that would be too pleasant and can't recommend trying it.
Crossings/Safety
There are a number of rode crossings as noted by others but only two or so actually had any amount of busy traffic and any major ones had signaling that appeared brand new and adequate. I only found two crossings a little awkward/dangerous. The first is where you have to cross route 29 at a random place along a wall in front of some houses and it isn't an intersection. It wouldn't be a problem except that, even though it's clearly marked as a crossing, there didn't appear to be signaling and drivers don't know what to do. Some stop and wave you on while traffic from the other direction, in the other lane, may not stop or slow down at all. I didn't notice signaling requiring them to yield to the crosswalk.
Be careful there, especially if you have kids. Fortunately it's along a straight piece of road so cars won't come around a blind corner and surprise you.
The second tricky crossing was just below Green Lane at Perkiomenville. There, going north you cross an old, crumbing stone bridge and then have to ride/walk a hundred feet or so down the shoulder of the road and like the first dangerous area, you cross where there's no intersection or signal. Again, just be ready if you have kids.
Continuity
There are a number of areas where it seems like they're still trying to figure out how to connect segments of the trail and although the trail is mostly well marked you will have to cut behind buildings and through alleys to find the connectors at a few places. I actually got confused coming back through Collegeville because I couldn't remember where the trail went and it looked different coming back the opposite way. It wasn't until I saw riders coming the other direction that I noticed a small sign and realized I had to cut through an alley behind a diner along a narrow area with a fence, once on it recognized where I was.
Popularity
I passed a lot of people on my ride and it seems a pretty popular attraction. There were many out for a casual stroll, a run, a ride or a group outing with scouts. All along the trail are smaller parks that make good shaded stops if you need a break and as others mentioned there is a great little park about halfway between Collegeville and Schwenksville. It's just below Graterford and has new, clean restrooms.
Overall the trail weaves through some pretty picturesque areas. Do yourself a favor and stop once in a while and have a look around.
I have 5 kids and they all are able to walk this trail. Smoothe path great for bikes, strollers, and wheelchairs. Always fully stocked with pooper baggies for the four legged walkers, and always quiet and clean. It has a good mixture of sun and shade but keep sunblock handy for the little ones some stretches don't have shade. There is a porta potty near the middle of the trail, and at the beginning near the elementary school, a small park near the Akron bridge and a small basketball court in the ephrata portion. There is also a really cute little elf village near the rothsville portion in a shaded area on the side. (We walk this trail a lot!!) Keep water on had there are no fountains. One end starts in the middle of ephrata where all the reuse-it shops are so if you are into shopping consignment then it is an awesome trail to start shopping drop your stuff off and then start. There is also a little cafe at the intersection not far from the trail so if you want a special treat when you are done, its perfect. If you know where the WIC office is this is almost directly across the street from it. The one thing we are waiting on is for them to finish it.. PLEASE finish it this will be one of the best trails around once complete!!
Wanted to let fellow riders know that the bike train shuttle threw the Lehigh Gorge section of the D&L is running again this year. One weekend a month
starting in April. It drops you off in White Haven and you ride threw the gorge 25 miles back to Jim Thorpe. The exact dates can be found on the Pocono Biking website. Paul
So sad to report that the entire wood section of the beautiful Martic Forge trestle bridge burned yesterday, possibly started by brush fires below. This was restored in 2015 after being closed for 20 yrs, linking the section from Safe Harbor to Red hill rd. No word yet on future plans, I believe this is under Martic Twp jurisdiction. I pray this tragedy doesnt derail the planned Safe harbor expansion. The low grade is still a diamond in the rough.
I usually link this ride with the Schuylkill River Trail, as it links up with it at Oaks, PA, and there is parking available either at the Pawlings Road trailhead along the Schuykill River Trail, or the Lower Perkiomen Valley Park, where trail maps are also available at the parking lot. A good portion of the trail, after about 1.5 miles, is fine gravel or packed dirt, and goes along nicely wooded and scenic areas, which used to be a railroad. There are several road crossings in the Collegeville area that are stop light controlled. The crossing of Rte 29 is perhaps the least pleasant of the crossings, since vehicle traffic can be fast and heavy and it is not stop light controlled. Once crossed, you are on packed surfaces, and pleasant riding. There are quite a few parking areas along the trail, so with the trail map, one can easily schedule your journey as befits your skill or endurance level.
Once past Schwenksville, one does a brief climb, followed by a steep descent to the Perkiomen Creek. For me, that ends my journey on the trail and the last time I bicycled that far, it was all gravel down the slope.
I wasn't able to ride it for a number of years, but now, what nice improvements are there to be found. From Norristown to Valley Forge, mainly new macadam surface, plus the addition of several spots of racks of bike repair tools. And, the water fountain is about 1.2 miles from Valley Forge Park. There are areas of washboard type macadam around the Conshohocken area, and from Spring Mill to where it branches down to the Schuylkill River, relatively new macadam. Once you leave the tow path in Manayunk, it sort of tosses you into the street, which is crowded, so take the sidewalks, giving care for pedestrian traffic. Once you hit the Fairmount Park area, relatively decent trail surface, but expect heavy traffic all the way to what is now the end of the trail in Philadelphia. I take away one star due to the heavy Philadelphia traffic, and right now the detour around the Art Museum due to construction and confusing signage. The entire route is relatively level, so easy riding.
Since the upper end (above Philadelphia) is far less crowded, one may encounter cycling groups that travel at high speeds and can be annoying if they think they own the trail.
The trail here is all paved and runs adjacent to a bubbling Creek. It's good for a stroll, particularly with a stroller or dog. The nearby Merry Place playground is well maintained and great for small kids.
If you like ships, this trail offers a fantastic opportunity to view them up close and learn about shipbuilding and the development of the U.S. navy at the Independence Seaport Museum, which sits trailside.
This wide, easy trail puts you right next to the Delaware River, so the views of the waterway and the Ben Franklin Bridge are really nice. It's also right behind the Adventure Aquarium, which my 8-year-old daughter loved, especially the shark tunnel! Adjacent to the trail is also the USS New Jersey, a battleship that you can tour.
From a recumbent trike's perspective with a full suspension, the trail is easy ... if you can avoid the pedestrians: Overwhelming majority of people are polite & move over when you ring your bell. But only takes a few obnoxious runners.
Description: From the nature center parking lot, going clockwise, first obstacle are 2 sets of cement barriers on the bridge. A trike will get through, but recommend reduced speed to be sure. After that, the trail is paved but bumpy until you reach the parking lot on Creek Road; about a mile of this. At the parking lot veer to the right; this is new stretch of trail, that prevents riding on the road. From this point on it is smooth & easy, with manageable ups & down. You have 2 options when you reach the dam: Either ride on top of it, or take the longer route & ride below it (more elevation change). Nothing exciting until 1/4 mile past the last New Galena Rd parking lot, when 8% grade starts. This goes on for about 2/3 of a mile; lots of down hill after that before reaching the nature center. Total loop is a little over 6 miles.
So peaceful;everyone saying good morning;we walked the trails 4 miles
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