Top 10 Trails in Pennsylvania
The Keystone State is a very fitting nickname for Pennsylvaniaānot only for its central role in the development of the country, but also for its role as a leader in national trail development, claiming 188 completed rail-trails to date collectively spanning more than 2,100 miles. Thatās more rail-trails than any other state!
Check out this list of 10 of our favorites, which travel through major metropolitan areas, by some of Americaās most treasured historical and cultural sites, and through the breathtaking wilderness and viewscapes that make the state a premier outdoor destination.
Schuylkill River Trail
Counties: Berks, Chester, Montgomery, Philadelphia, Schuylkill
This developing 71-mile multiuse trail encapsulates the rich history and geography of southeastern Pennsylvania, home to the American, Industrial and environmental revolutions. Eventually spanning 120+ miles through the five-county Schuylkill River Greenways National Heritage Area, the route currently travels in fragments from southwest Philadelphia at Bartramās Gardenāthe oldest botanical garden in North Americaānorthward into the city and through a variety of suburban, urban and rural communities to Landingville. A highlight is the 2,000-foot Schuylkill Banks Boardwalk, which travels 50 feet out over the river between Locust Street and the South Street Bridge. A 30-mile stretch, which begins at the boardwalkās northern end and heads to Valley Forge National Historical Park, boasts a plethora of attractions, including the Philadelphia Museum of Art, Boathouse Row and the 2,000-acre Fairmount Park. The trail helps make up part of the Circuit Trails network in Greater Philadelphia.
D&L Trail
Counties: Bucks, Carbon, Lehigh, Luzerne, Northampton
The gorgeous D&L Trail runs for 140+ miles through eastern Pennsylvania, from Philadelphiaās northern metro area to Mountain Top in the Appalachians. It follows historic canal and railroad routes at the core of the Delaware & Lehigh National Heritage Corridor, where āa combination of geology, geography and cultural genius catapulted the region into a hub of industrial productionā in the 19th century. In the south, the D&L passes through the Delaware Canal State Park for some 60 miles, and a side trip in Morrisville leads to New Jerseyās 73-mile Delaware and Raritan Canal State Park Trail. Hauntingly beautiful river gorge views await in the 24.3-mile section through Lehigh Gap and Lehigh Gorge State Park, where a new pedestrian bridge connects to Jim Thorpe (āLittle Switzerlandā)āa world-class adventure town named after the famous indigenous American Olympic athlete who is buried there.
The trail is part of five regional trail projects: the 800-mile Circuit Trails; THE LINK in the Lehigh Valley, the Northeastern Pennsylvania Trails Forum; the September 11th National Memorial Trail; and the East Coast Greenway.
Montour Trail
Counties: Allegheny, Washington
One of the longest suburban trail systems in the United States, the Montour Trail features a diverse selection of bridges, trestles, viaducts and tunnels framed by colorful landscapes and vegetation along a winding 62-mile half-circle route on the western side of Pittsburgh. Both the trail and the railroad are named for the creek that runs alongside them; highlights include the 575-foot Enlow Tunnel (Findlay Township); a 6.3-mile connector in Enlow to the Pittsburgh Airport; the beautiful 900-foot McDonald trestleāwhich crosses over the Panhandle Trail; and the Chartiers Creek High Bridge and the adjacent 235-foot-long Greer Tunnel just past Hendersonville. At the southeastern terminus in Clairton, you can take the Clairton Connector route (urban, on road) about 5 miles to McKeesport, which links to the 150-mile Great Allegheny Passage (gaptrail.org).
Allegheny River Trail
Counties: Clarion, Venango
Keep your eyes open for wildlife when you visit the 30-mile Allegheny River Trail in Northwestern Pennsylvania. This segment of the Allegheny Riverāonce a canoe route for Native Americans and French trappersāwas designated a national wild and scenic river, and the forests teem with animals, from chipmunks and wild turkeys to deer and even eagles. About 3.2 miles past the junction to the Sandy Creek Trail is Indian God Rock, a large boulder at the waterās edge with numerous inscriptions, including American Indian petroglyphs. At the trailās end in Foxburg, trail-goers will find pleasant riverfront dining, wine cellars and the historical RiverStone Estate. The trail is also part of the is also part of the developing 1,500-miles-plus Industrial Heartland Trails Coalition (IHTC) and the 270-mile Erie to Pittsburgh Trail.
Pine Creek Rail Trail
Counties: Lycoming, Tioga
The Pine Creek Rail Trail offers a true destination experience in north-central Pennsylvania. The 62-mile well-maintained trailāwhich slopes imperceptibly downhill alongside Pine Creek, from Wellsboro Junction in the north to Jersey Shore in the southāruns at the bottom of Ć¼berscenic Pine Creek Gorge, commonly called the Grand Canyon of Pennsylvania. There are plenty of opportunities to connect to natureāincluding in the surrounding Tioga and Tiadaghton State Forests in the southern section, and Colton Point State Park and Leonard Harrison State Park in the north. Small towns along the route cater to trail visitors, and numerous trailheads, comfort stations, campgrounds and lodging make extended stays possible.
Lebanon Valley Rail-Trail
County: Lebanon
The 18-mile Lebanon Valley Rail-Trailāand the connecting Conewago Recreation Trailātrace the route of the Cornwall & Lebanon Railroad, which served a local iron mine and foundry until the tracks and mine were wiped out by Tropical Storm Agnes in 1972. Starting in Lebanon, youāre in a good spot to sample Pennsylvania Dutch cookingāfrom Lebanon bologna to scrapple, to schnitz un knepp. Heading into Cornwall, youāll pass the brick Gothic Revival Cornwall Iron Furnace buildingācirca 1742, and part of a National Historic Landmark Districtāafter which Mount Gretna, site of Colemanās resort and an arts and education retreat, emerges to welcome visitors and vacationers.
In Lebanon, in the first of two separated segments of trail, you can catch some R&R at Union Canal Tunnel Park, a National Historic Landmark that offers boat rides, as well as picnic tables and walking trails.
Heritage Rail Trail County Park
County: York
Spanning 27.4 miles from New Freedom to York, the Heritage Rail Trail County Park (Heritage Rail-Trail) (along with the connecting 19.5-mile Torrey C. Brown Rail Trail, a fellow Rail-Trail Hall of Famer) travels the historical route of the former Northern Central Railway corridor, which once connected Harrisburg to Baltimore, Maryland. Built in the 1800s, the railway was used during the Civil War to provide supplies to Northern troops heading south. For an immersive historical experience, trail users can board a replica 1860s steam locomotive from New Freedom to Hanover Junction. Most of the trail has a crushed-stone surface and is horse friendlyāand in the winter, the route is popular with cross-country skiers and snowshoers. The trail ends at the 150-acre John C. Rudy County Park, which has parking, restrooms and a variety of outdoor amenities.
Redbank Valley Rail Trail
Counties: Armstrong, Clarion, Jefferson
The deserving winner of DCNR’s Pennsylvania Trail of the Year award for 2014āin part for its natural beauty and the dedicated volunteers whoāve made the trail a successāthe 51-mile Redbank Valley Rail Trail is an example of local and regional connectivity at its best. The pathway follows a rail corridor developed by the Allegheny Valley Railroad in 1872 to carry passengers, coal, and lumber to Pittsburgh and beyond. Ceasing freight service altogether in 2007, the corridorāalso a part of the IHTC trail networkānow carries trail users along the forested banks of Redbank Creek for more than 41 miles to the Allegheny River and along a 9-mile perpendicular spur to Sligo. Much of the trail runs along Redbank Creek and includes many bridges and beautiful stone arches. The trail also connects schools, soccer fields and rural areas to commercial and residential centers.
Three Rivers Heritage Trail
County: Allegheny
Extended outward in three paved, connected segments from Pittsburghās famous Point State Park, the aptly named Three Rivers Heritage Trail parallels its namesake three riversāthe Allegheny, Ohio and Monongahelaāfor some 33 miles through the heart of the Steel City and into the surrounding neighborhoods. Built on the former river and rail routes that helped lift the city into prominence as an industrial powerhouse, and attributed as a major source of revitalization for Pittsburghās waterfront, the trail features the best that Pittsburgh has to offer, connecting major art, performance and sports venues; historical sites; greenspace; and some of the cityās most well-known neighborhoods, including Downtown, the Southside, the Cultural District and the Strip District.
The trail also shares a corridor with, and links to, one of Americaās most well-known rail-trails, the 150-mile Great Allegheny Passage (gaptrail.org), and serves as host trail for the Industrial Heartland Trails Coalition.
Great Allegheny Passage
Counties: Allegany, Allegheny, Fayette, Somerset, Westmoreland
Since its inception in the 1990s, the 150-mile Great Allegheny Passage (GAP) (gaptrail.org) has become a premier bucket-list destination for bicyclists and hikers, drawing some 1 million visitors annually. Connecting five counties and 15 communitiesāthe GAP is what rail-trail dreams are made of, with Pittsburgh as its western focal point, historic Cumberland at its eastern base; sprawling foliage-lined landscapes through the Laurel Highlands; 34 bridges and tunnels; and relics encapsulating the regionās industrial and Revolutionary War history. One of the first designees to the Rail-Trail Hall of Fame, the GAP helps host the 1,300-mile September 11th National Memorial Trail and the 3,700-mile Great American Rail-Trailā¢. In Cumberland, Maryland, people can link with the 184.5-mile C&O Canal Towpath for an iconic 334.5-mile journey between Pittsburgh and Washington, D.C.
This blog has been updated from its original 2014 version. Special acknowledgments: Tom Sexton, RTCās Northeast Regional Director; Katie Harris
Want to experience one of these or some 60 other great Pennsylvania trail destinations? Youāll find maps, helpful details and beautiful photos of 70 multiuse trails across the state in our Rail-Trails: Pennsylvania Guidebook, available here.
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