High Trestle Trail
IA - 31.74 miles
Surfaces: Asphalt,Concrete
This trail is nice but the section from the “The Orchards” to Eckards is very open and loud next to Green Mount Road. The parking at the beginning section in The Orchards golf course is a good hike prior to starting on the path with no sidewalks or designated crosswalks. And the street is hilly with turns and drivers mostly can’t see you crossing or walking on the side of the street. Also crossing where the path ends puts you in someone’s back yard , walking around the pool & tennis courts. Parking at the at one of the other options would be much safer especially with kids.
I recommend parking at the tennis courts by the entrance off Rouse Rd — there’s always plenty of parking. From there, start walking west. It’s a really enjoyable trail with enough foot traffic to never feel isolated. I usually walk to the Econlockhatchee bridge before turning back, which comes out to roughly 4 miles or about 7,000 steps. The park staff are fantastic and do an excellent job keeping the trail clean and well-maintained.
I walked this trail on May 25th 2025 on a comfortable 70° evening from the eastern trailhead (Lock Haven Memorial Park) to its western trailhead. The views were spectacular. I had over 80 photos and that is after I filtered them down. My only issue was that the trail was under water where it passes under the North Jay Street Bridge. But that was not a problem because I was able to walk down one of the many ramps on the east side of the North Jay St bridge and walk across Jay street and ascend a set of stairs back up to the top of the levee. It afforded me views of veterans park, commemorative placards, etc. Parking is free at the eastern trailhead. However, there is metered parking at the western trailhead. For those of us who prefer cycling over walking, bikes, roller blades, and inline skating are PROHIBITED on the trail! Since I was pressed for time and I am more of a cyclist than a walker, I chained my bike to a tree at the western trailhead and drove my car to the eastern trailhead. With all of the picture taking, it took me a couple of hours to complete my trek to the western trailhead. The bike ride back to my car was easy and the traffic was light. This trail is definitely a “Do Over” trail for me!
Our walking club walks this trail frequently due to the scenery and easy walking to bridges that overlook Nine Mile Creek and the Wolf River. We have all ability levels ages 26 to 76. We’ve seen turtles, eagles, wild flowers and we can eat blackberries along the way. We love this trail and hope to keep it non motorized. It is a gem.
Early November 2025. Fall foliage starting to fade but still a beautiful ride. Saw a few deer and the turtles were out on the log in the pond at the Beans trailhead end of the trail, near Home Depot.
Not the longest trail (about 6.5 miles) but a really enjoyable one. Starts in Starkey Wilderness Park, which is worth a visit on it's own. The trail runs from the park and eventually through some scrub. Watch for deer, fox squirrels and even alligators. At the end of the trail is a nice surprise...a new bathroom and water station (built in 2023). The trail ends at this station as it intersects with the Suncoast Trail. You'll be out in the sun for much of the ride, but the surface is smooth and the further you get from the park, the fewer people you will see.
Wife, special needs adult son & I rode about 9-10 miles of the Briar Creek Trail on a gorgeous Fall Saturday. We accessed the trail on Park Drive in Pineville & rode north to the Park Road Shopping Center, where we exited & had a good lunch at The Flying Biscuit. Trail is in great condition & was moderately crowded on this Saturday, but not so much as too feel unrideable. Good combination of cyclists, joggers, & dog walkers. This trail is a jewel for the entire Charlotte area. Look forward to riding more.
Ride on it with my OneWheel and I had a blast! Got a bit lost at a certain point as the trail split at a park, but I found my way back on it! Totally fun trail!
The Canalside rail trail is fully open and the paved trail is very well maintained. While it is only 7.2 miles round trip, it’s worth it! Plenty of parking at both ends and the town of Turners Falls has a nice selection of restaurants and shops.
Terrific trail ! We rode it 11-7-25. Leaves were all yellows in fall bloom . And we liked the trail. Started north and headed south . We would recommend it !
We’ve biked this many times. It quickly takes you from Lowell, with its National Park, etc to countryside and the center of small towns along smooth, paved, well-maintained trail. Nice to swim in Hart Pond, too, in season, on return trip to Lowell. Trail keeps getting better and better, great facilities along the way as trail is extended.
We biked on a Sunday in May. Plenty of parking at West Hurley. The scenery was stunning and varied. Started in forests, with some reminders of people who made their living in these woods. Ended with views of Catskills and the reservoir. Truly stunning views, wide, well maintained trail that we cycled on our hybrids.
The ‘protected bike lane’ is more like a highway breakdown lane, but separated by a guardrail. Again, not pretty, but it is a safe and efficient way to get from Point A to Point B.
We parked at northern end of South County trail, Elmsford, and turned around at mile 33 marker, Shenorock. Paved trail is perfectly maintained, beautiful foliage. The next time we would park at New Castle, however, to avoid rush hour traffic smells and sounds of Saw Mill River Parkway and Route 87. Both are quite close to trail. The Elmsford-New Castle section also has portions where trail leaves woods and is essentially in protected bike lane along county roads. Not pleasant ruding, although certsinly efficient wat you bike from Point A to Point B. These trails are seamlessly connected, leafing to MYC.
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The Washington & Old Dominion is the best trail hands down. It is also one of the busiest trails that hosts running clubs, cycling clubs, nature walkers, neighborhood walkers, walking and biking commuters and is at its busiest before 7 am in extreme heat.
What makes this 44 mile trail so unique is the amenities that sit along side of it making it the best trail to plan an activity on with family and friends. Just pick a city that you want to visit and you can find convenience stores adjacent to the trail within walking distance as well as myriad of restaurants for all ages, ice cream parlors, grooming services, bike shops and over the past few years breweries have been added to the scenery right on the trail.
The location is prime to the cities of Northern Virginia with access to getting into Washington DC to see the monuments and Hains Point. Nothing beats the W&OD Trail!
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