Find the top rated running trails in West Freehold, whether you're looking for an easy short running trail or a long running trail, you'll find what you're looking for. Click on a running trail below to find trail descriptions, trail maps, photos, and reviews.
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Love this trail in the Bethlehem area. You can access downtown Bethlehem from the trail at Main Street. From there, it's about a 10 minute walk up where you can grab a bite to eat and some refreshments. Only downside last time we were there, saw dozens of people long-term "camping" along the trail east of Bethlehem. Probably not allowed but also does not seem to be disallowed. Just want to make people aware so they are not surprised by this while on the trail.
On an especially brisk, early morning weekday in late October, I had the pleasure of riding my bike on this beautiful trail. There were plenty of walkers and joggers for the first couple of miles, and then me on my bike.
I started at the High Bridge trailhead. The gravel trail made me wish I had my old mountain bike, but after awhile you get used to it and realize your bike isn't going to fall apart. My hybrid did just fine. Just beyond Califon the trail became hard packed dirt and allowed for a smoother, faster ride. Due to time constraints I only went eleven miles out and then back, so I didn't get to discover what the last four or five miles are like.
The Raritan River views are absolutely amazing, and the fall colors dazzling! The sounds of the river and the chirping birds are an additional joy. After Califon the terrain is more suited to land occupied by charming homes and farmland, but there is still plenty of woodlands and river. If I hadn't stopped so many times to take photos and video, I probably could have done the full thirty mile round trip.
After a couple of hours and eleven miles I turned back. It was then that I started passing many, many bicyclists. I think they preferred the warmer temps of late morning to avoid the frozen fingers I had to endure. In fact, I was surprised at how many cars were in the High Bridge parking lot with their bike racks and many, like this Californian, with out of state plates which attests to this trail's fame and popularity. I'm just speculating, but this trail must be super busy on weekends.
What a gem of a trail! A+
I am not an owner of a dog but coming on this trail and getting to love on so many dogs makes me happy. I met some very nice people with their companions.
We started at the south end in Barnegat. We bikes the first 7 miles. There is a lot of opportunities between mile maker 2.5 and 3.5 to eat, drink, restroom.
12 miles to a awesome payoff. NYC Skyline in the distance. A bit bumpy at times. Great way to get used to clipping in. You do it a lot. Lol Many road crossings. Half the ride under shade. Clean path. 2 hours there and back at 11MPH Enjoy the ride!
Todays walk was very enjoyable. It was 5 ladies walking and everyone we encountered was friendly. The walk was clear and even. We did 4 miles and I would have completed more. I would return to this trail again.
Portions of the trail were super narrow to navigate and are almost more of a footpath. Signage isn’t the greatest, quite a few homeless camps along this section.
I took the Metro North out of the city up to Bronxville to cycle all the way to the north end of this trail, and had a very good time. While it's not exactly a quiet trail, running alongside the Bronx River Parkway for the majority of it, it is surprisingly secluded and peaceful.
I do have two warnings, which I've also submitted as edits to the description of this trail, so hopefully they'll appear above this review in the future.
One: there is a small section of gravel between Hartsdale and White Plains. I took my Brompton since I was expecting asphalt the whole way, and while it performed surprisingly admirably on the gravel, it was still rough enough to give me a tire puncture. Gravel bikes and hybrids will likely have no problems, but folding bikes and skinny-tire road bikes may want to be cautious in this section - it's unfortunately too long to simply walk it.
Two: there are a number of extremely low-clearance parts of this trail where it passes under the Bronx River Parkway. I'm 5'11" and I had to duck while *walking* my bike several times. These are all well signposted, but do *not* ride your bike under there unless you know exactly how tall you (and your helmet) are on your bike. Many of these crossings are also blind and narrow, so if you do ride through them, I'd recommend ringing your bell as you go to warn anyone approaching.
A tributary of the Schuylkill River, the Wissahickon Creek carves a lush, forested ribbon through the bustling urban and suburban areas of SE PA. The section of the valley in Northwest Philly was the city's original industrial area, being home to numerous mills from the city's earliest days in the late 1600's until the late 1800's, when officials began buying up this land to preserve the quality of the Schuylkill River, which supplied most of the city's drinking water. The land subsequently reverted to forested open space and was incorporated into Philly's growing park system. The transition from industrial zone to parkland was completed in 1920, when city officials agreed to close a road that ran through the valley to then-new automobile traffic.
More than a century later, the Wissahickon Valley is considered a vital part of Philadelphia's park system. The lush forests are home to a wide variety of wildlife and the serenity of the park gives one the feeling that they are far outside one of the nation's major cities.
A series of multi-use trails follows the banks of the creek, extending through the heart of Northwest Philly. The southernmost of these is the Lincoln Drive Trail, which extends from Ridge Ave. in Manayunk north to Rittenhouse Historic Village. See this trail's entry elsewhere on this database for more info.
Heading north, the next link in this greenway system is Forbidden Drive. Starting at a trailhead off Lincoln Drive just south of Rittenhouse Historic Village, this trail follows the route of the aforementioned road that once followed the creek and is so named because cars were forbidden from driving on it. Now over a century old, Forbidden Drive is one of the oldest multi-use trails in PA, if not the nation.
Wider and broader than your typical multi-use trail, Forbidden Drive has some gentle slopes, but no steep grades. Its packed, crushed stone surface makes it suitable for cycling, walking, baby strollers and wheelchairs. Forests line the trail's entire length and the numerous stone arch bridges and culverts, most of which were built in the 19th or early 20th centuries, give it a rustic vibe. Remnants of the trail's history as a road, including the remains of several old watering holes and horse troughs, can be seen at various points, while small dams in the creek are all that's left of the numerous mills and early factories that once existed here. There is even a restored privy (basically an outhouse and no longer used as such) off the trail near Gorgas Creek. Located at about midpoint along Forbidden Drive, the Valley Green Inn was originally built as a roadhouse, basically a forerunner of a motel or truck stop, now houses a full-service, but pricey restaurant, while a snack bar outside offers more affordable faire. Trail users will also find restrooms with flush toilets, public parking and tables on the banks of the creek, one of which has a chessboard built into the top, at this location.
Moving north from Valley Green, Forbidden Drive passes the Thomas Mill Covered Bridge, the last remaining wooden covered bridge in the city of Philadelphia and crosses Bells Mill Road to its northern terminus at Northwestern Ave. just southwest of the Northwestern Stables. The Cedar House, housed in a quaint cottage just south of the trailhead, has a small cafe that provides refreshments in the warmer months of the year. Trail users are also encouraged to explore the numerous footpaths that branch out from Forbidden Drive along its length that connect to other features in the park, including the Toleration Statue and the Tedyuscung Statue, which commemorate the region's Quaker and Native American heritages, respectively, Monastary Stables, Glenn Fern mansion, Fingerspan Bridge and the Wissahickon Environmental Center, among others.
The next segment of trail begins about a quarter mile up Northwestern Ave., at the intersection with Germantown Pike. This asphalt trail follows the western side of Northwestern Ave., passing across from Chestnut Hill College, a large, castle-like building that looks like it could have been built in the Middle Ages. After briefly veering onto a narrow boardwalk that curves through the woods, this segment of the trail crosses the creek and continues past a community garden and the Morris Arboretum, ending at the intersection of Northwestern and Stenton Ave's. There is a 2-mile gap from here to the next segment of the trail, which begins at the intersection of Stenton Ave. and Valley Green Road at the south end of Fort Washington State Park. Although Montgomery County officials eventually plan to connect these trail segments, there is currently no easy way to cross this gap. Stenton Ave. is a busy road and its narrow shoulders are not suited to bike or foot traffic.
The trail transitions from an urban to suburban environment north of Stenton Ave. in Fort Washington State Park. Known as the Wissahickon Green Ribbon Trail, it's narrower than Forbidden Drive, this segment of the trail has an asphalt surface and passes through woodlands very similar to the ones further south. A short, connector trail that passes over the creek on an old, restored RR trestle links to the Flourtown suburb and trailhead. This pathway will eventually become part of the Cresheim Trail, a proposed rail trail that will arc through some communities of north Philly and connect to Forbidden Drive to the south.
Trail users that continue further north will pass next to another picturesque old bridge on Valley Green Road and beneath a stone RR trestle, coming out to crossings at either State Park Road or Route 73. Although the multi-use greenway ends at Route 73, the Wissahickon Green Ribbon Trail itself continues along the creek through the Montgomery County suburbs as a dirt footpath. It is part of Montgomery County's greenway network and will eventually connect to the Liberty Bell Trail when that trail is built.
Featuring breathtaking scenery, numerous historical sites and connecting the city of Philadelphia to the Montgomery County suburbs, the Wissahickon Valley Park Trail System is a valuable asset that protects local wildlife from encroaching sprawl. It already connects to the Schuylkill River and Lincoln Drive trails to the south and will eventually link up the Liberty Bell and Route 202 trails to the north. Like those trails, it is also a vital link in The Circuit, the system of trails that will crisscross the Philly Metro Area.
Men hanging out along the path. Would not be heard if you shouted out
Parked in the Lawrenceville Fuel parking lot on Gordon Ave, crossed Gordon Ave to James Street, then headed Southwest - following the zigs and zags and ultimately heading North to Moore's Mill - Mt. Rose Road.
This is one of the more scenic trails I've been on in New Jersey - you will go thru parks, wooded areas, and past farmland. Trail markings are pretty good for the most part, though there are a few places that could use better signage...having a map or trail app with you can't hurt if it's your first time.
It's more hilly than your basic canal or rail trail, but nothing too hairy. There are a lot of unshaded areas, so sunblock is a good thing to take along. All in all, it's an enjoyable ride with varied scenery.
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