Our top 10 trails have much different criteria. It seems that cities and skylines laced with skyscrapers are what your looking for. As for me, and my top 10, i don't want to see modernization
Same here. I love trails because they really feel like I'm taking a ride into the past on rail corridors, and riverside or waterfront trails just give me a solid dose of nature. I do like entering a city to break up the monotony, or to have its services (like a train to take me back home), but getting away from the city is one of the biggest draws for me.
Can't believe the Pine Creek Rail Trail didn't even get an honorable mention. Great scenery and several cute villages along the way. Wellesboro at the north end is a great small town.
You mentioned the Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail, but it is part of the larger Ohio to Erie Trail, which is really a series of trails between Cincinnati (Ohio River) and Cleveland (Lake Erie). There are a few miles on the road in Amish country (with almost no traffic) but other than that, there are many lovely trails on this great route. It also goes through several small towns as well as the larger cities of Cincinnati, Columbus, Akron, and Cleveland.
What about the Adirondack Rail Trail? This was touted by its supporters as a great addition to the recreation activities in the Adirondack Park. 34 miles long, from Lake Placid to Tupper Lake, it was primarily supported by snowmobilers, but it should be a beautiful rail trail. The first third is completed, and the rest is bikeable with gravel bikes. My only negative is that they destroyed 1/4 of a working railroad to build it (the other 3/4 is currently used as a tourist railroad).
The Western Maryland Rail Trail runs parallel to the C&O Canal Towpath, starting near Fort Frederick State Park and continuing for 30 miles to Little Orleans, Maryland. It is paved the whole was and some Canallers like to jump over to the WMRT for smoother riding.
You covered my favorites. I live near the D+L by Jim Thorpe, so it is my favorite by far. SRT is by my work, and I am on frequently. I've camped near the C+O and have ridden on part of the that as well. I need to explore the others you mentioned...and your selections match my favorites, so the others must be good too! Thanks for highlighting these.
Have ridden many of these trails - my motto has always been that I have never met a bike trail that I didn't like. With that in mind you have a good list here- may not be my top 10 but that doesn't matter. Go and and enjoy the trails!
"We visit rhode island for the only time", big miss on the Blackstone River Bikeway. It's less broken up than the East Bay by common road crossings and much more easier to ride
What about the Eastern Trail in Maine? And correct me if I'm wrong, but most of these trails aren't actually in the Norteast, but mid Atlantic states. Check your geography.
gordons pond trail got an honorable mention. you can actually connect that with the junction and breakwater trail, and that turns into a 20 mile loop thru rehoboth/lewes which is beautiful.
The up coming trail is the chester valley trail. It starts in Norristown off of the srt then goes through king of prussia, by valley forge Park, towns of malvern, Fraser, Exton, downingtown. The trail follows a 1800 railroad that transported steel during ww2. Plans has it going over the downingtown bridge where one can see for miles, then work it's was to atglen to connect to the lanola low grade to Harrisburg pa.
Love to know which segments of the GAP trail you would recommend. We are heading up to spend several days the week of October 20th. Plan to spend time in the Pittsburgh area. Our segment rides will need to be around 30 miles or so. Do you have a top 5 list of segments along the trail? We also love experiencing some of the cool towns along the way.
In the Pittsburgh area? I'd definitely start with Pittsburgh-McKeesport. I also loved the Cumberland-Frostburg portion in Maryland if you're near that. Or Brunswick-Harpers Ferry WV. The Ohiopyle area is in my bucket list, and a lot of people like visiting Fallingwater from there.
You called the GAP and C&O "100% the same trail". Though they continue, one to the next in Cumberland, The character of the C&O is distinctly different since it follows the defunct canal and is a considerably more rugged surface (in sections) than the GAP. I concur with your assessment of these trails as tops in the NE, but disagree with your negative portrayal of the Erie Canal trail. I learned more about the history of the canal by riding it than I ever did in my NY state school education.
I have been down many of these - The OCA, D&L trails and the Hudson River Greenway are some of the usual ones. You might want to have a look at the Delware/ Raritan canal towpath, in NJ as it winds right past princeton and is a really fun ride and connects to the D&R ! Also the NYS trailway is also amazing !
Good review- this is very informative and appreciated. There is a really great organization called the Philadelphia Horticultural Society that has been doing a great job of adding trees flowers and planting so many wonderful gardens along roads , bike paths and other places all around the city and recently joined up with the Rails to Trails organization which also is doing fantastic work on converting old railways into healthy beautiful bike, walk run skate, horseback and other non motor vehicle trails. They are still expanding the PennyPack Trail and it’s becoming what should become a favorite to anyone who tries it- so far so good and way better than I expected! Thanks for sharing this great post! 🏃♀️🚴🏼♂️🍄🌱🌿🙏
GAP has several paved sections. First 12 miles out of Pittsburgh are paved as well as three miles into Cumberland, among other small sections. As he says he hasn’t ridden the entire trail.
I guess everyone is different but when I look for a bike trail I want to get away from cities and enjoy nature. I don't go to cities unless I have to. I like the Cape Cod rail trail and the Shining Sea Bike Path in Falmouth; the East Bay Bike path is nice until you get into the city.
Provincetown Massachusetts is one of the 10 best in the world! It runs through the national seashore with tunnels and 2 beaches Race Point and Herring Cove Beaches!
Ha. Nothing to do in South Hero, VT. Great day ride is to hit Snow Farm Winery and a couple of apple orchards, state parks, swim in the lake, and back into Burlington. There are some quiet roads too that you can take to avoid the main road. The Causeway is Vermont's newest state park.
I'll concur with you as to the GAP/C&O, but must disagree with your description of the Erie Canal Trailway as being super-boring and monotonous. The week I spent riding all of it last June was overflowing with variety and beauty - not to mention the history. You should reconsider that one.... or at least ride it.
many of these trails prohibit motorized vehicles, so i think technically no. despite that i see these ebikes on these trails quite regularly, so you can probably get away with it.
@@johnnywishbone. Thank you for your response. Actually, the federal government and most states have codified class 1,2,& 3 e bikes as bicycles, not motorized vehicles. Local rules can override the feds and states, hence my question.
I've been on most of it. Not that big a fan. I discussed the Erie Canal portion in the honorable mentions, and it's mostly monotonous. The southern part is mostly inland rail trails, and the northern part is mostly just on roads. At least they're working to fill in parts, like recently finishing the part between Brewster and Hopewell Junction.
Erie Canal boring? Wow, maybe we road different trails. Great trail towns along the way and beautiful views. I can’t see rating the OCA higher than the ECT, especially given the discontinuities and lack of signage. Just doesn’t make sense. Agree that the Province Lands bike trail is among the best. I would recommend a route starting at the end of the Cape Cod Rail Trail in Wellfleet, riding the side roads up along the 6A strip in Truro before heading to the Provincelands trail. It’s a great way to see the Cape and discover that it’s not all flat!
Empire State Trail is actually a bunch of trails connected to each other, although the Northern part going all the way to Québec is shared roads with automobiles - The Hudson Greenway in NYC leading to Battery Park is its last segment to the South
It sounds like you haven't been on the east west portion of the Empire Trail from Buffalo to Albany. It's the former tow path and mostly pavement / stonedust. Spectacular scenery and beautiful small towns with significant history from commerce to battlefields.
I mean, he includes Ohio in his map of "the Northeast" so I'm not sure the definitions used by the author are ones most would recognize. Same with Virginia TBH. And if you're including Virginia in a list of bike trails and not mentioning the Virginia Creeper, then something has gone (pardon the pun) off the rails.
Our top 10 trails have much different criteria. It seems that cities and skylines laced with skyscrapers are what your looking for. As for me, and my top 10, i don't want to see modernization
Same here. I love trails because they really feel like I'm taking a ride into the past on rail corridors, and riverside or waterfront trails just give me a solid dose of nature. I do like entering a city to break up the monotony, or to have its services (like a train to take me back home), but getting away from the city is one of the biggest draws for me.
Lol ride the trails he doesn't like, less traffic!
Can't believe the Pine Creek Rail Trail didn't even get an honorable mention. Great scenery and several cute villages along the way. Wellesboro at the north end is a great small town.
I'll check out more of it then!
Definitely should be included. It's 62 miles of stunning beauty.
How could you not list The Acadia Carriage Roads???
Lamoille Valley RT in Vermont, very rural, very beautiful. 93 miles
I want to try that someday.
You mentioned the Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail, but it is part of the larger Ohio to Erie Trail, which is really a series of trails between Cincinnati (Ohio River) and Cleveland (Lake Erie). There are a few miles on the road in Amish country (with almost no traffic) but other than that, there are many lovely trails on this great route. It also goes through several small towns as well as the larger cities of Cincinnati, Columbus, Akron, and Cleveland.
How about the Northern Rail Trail. Longest trail in NH
What about the Adirondack Rail Trail? This was touted by its supporters as a great addition to the recreation activities in the Adirondack Park. 34 miles long, from Lake Placid to Tupper Lake, it was primarily supported by snowmobilers, but it should be a beautiful rail trail. The first third is completed, and the rest is bikeable with gravel bikes. My only negative is that they destroyed 1/4 of a working railroad to build it (the other 3/4 is currently used as a tourist railroad).
Have enjoyed riding a few on this list! We love the Genesee Riverway Trail in Rochester NY 😊
The Western Maryland Rail Trail runs parallel to the C&O Canal Towpath, starting near Fort Frederick State Park and continuing for 30 miles to Little Orleans, Maryland. It is paved the whole was and some Canallers like to jump over to the WMRT for smoother riding.
Have you ever been to Connecticut? Shout out for the Farmington Canal / River Trail and Airline Trail
Shh 🤫, don’t want Airline, Hop River, or Pachaug getting too crowded 😉
You covered my favorites. I live near the D+L by Jim Thorpe, so it is my favorite by far. SRT is by my work, and I am on frequently. I've camped near the C+O and have ridden on part of the that as well. I need to explore the others you mentioned...and your selections match my favorites, so the others must be good too! Thanks for highlighting these.
Have ridden many of these trails - my motto has always been that I have never met a bike trail that I didn't like. With that in mind you have a good list here- may not be my top 10 but that doesn't matter. Go and and enjoy the trails!
"We visit rhode island for the only time", big miss on the Blackstone River Bikeway. It's less broken up than the East Bay by common road crossings and much more easier to ride
We rode the Blackstone this past summer. Beautiful river and the historic signs provided good context.
What about the Eastern Trail in Maine? And correct me if I'm wrong, but most of these trails aren't actually in the Norteast, but mid Atlantic states. Check your geography.
Surprised you don't include the Cross New Hampshire Adventure trail (XNHAT)
gordons pond trail got an honorable mention. you can actually connect that with the junction and breakwater trail, and that turns into a 20 mile loop thru rehoboth/lewes which is beautiful.
The up coming trail is the chester valley trail. It starts in Norristown off of the srt then goes through king of prussia, by valley forge Park, towns of malvern, Fraser, Exton, downingtown. The trail follows a 1800 railroad that transported steel during ww2. Plans has it going over the downingtown bridge where one can see for miles, then work it's was to atglen to connect to the lanola low grade to Harrisburg pa.
What's wrong with Reading? Go over the bridge and West Rdg is great! Also, Cathrine Valley trail south of Seneca lake.
Love to know which segments of the GAP trail you would recommend. We are heading up to spend several days the week of October 20th. Plan to spend time in the Pittsburgh area. Our segment rides will need to be around 30 miles or so. Do you have a top 5 list of segments along the trail? We also love experiencing some of the cool towns along the way.
In the Pittsburgh area? I'd definitely start with Pittsburgh-McKeesport. I also loved the Cumberland-Frostburg portion in Maryland if you're near that. Or Brunswick-Harpers Ferry WV. The Ohiopyle area is in my bucket list, and a lot of people like visiting Fallingwater from there.
Enjoyed the C&O, looking forward to the GAP.
You called the GAP and C&O "100% the same trail". Though they continue, one to the next in Cumberland, The character of the C&O is distinctly different since it follows the defunct canal and is a considerably more rugged surface (in sections) than the GAP. I concur with your assessment of these trails as tops in the NE, but disagree with your negative portrayal of the Erie Canal trail. I learned more about the history of the canal by riding it than I ever did in my NY state school education.
I have been down many of these - The OCA, D&L trails and the Hudson River Greenway are some of the usual ones.
You might want to have a look at the Delware/ Raritan canal towpath, in NJ as it winds right past princeton and is a really fun ride
and connects to the D&R !
Also the NYS trailway is also amazing !
Good review- this is very informative and appreciated. There is a really great organization called the Philadelphia Horticultural Society that has been doing a great job of adding trees flowers and planting so many wonderful gardens along roads , bike paths and other places all around the city and recently joined up with the Rails to Trails organization which also is doing fantastic work on converting old railways into healthy beautiful bike, walk run skate, horseback and other non motor vehicle trails. They are still expanding the PennyPack Trail and it’s becoming what should become a favorite to anyone who tries it- so far so good and way better than I expected! Thanks for sharing this great post! 🏃♀️🚴🏼♂️🍄🌱🌿🙏
GAP has several paved sections. First 12 miles out of Pittsburgh are paved as well as three miles into Cumberland, among other small sections. As he says he hasn’t ridden the entire trail.
I guess everyone is different but when I look for a bike trail I want to get away from cities and enjoy nature. I don't go to cities unless I have to. I like the Cape Cod rail trail and the Shining Sea Bike Path in Falmouth; the East Bay Bike path is nice until you get into the city.
Shining Sea Path is a true beauty!
Provincetown Massachusetts is one of the 10 best in the world! It runs through the national seashore with tunnels and 2 beaches Race Point and Herring Cove Beaches!
I would add the Harlem Valley Rail Trail (HVRT) in NY State, close to Connecticut and heading past Amenia, NY
Urban environments, not my cup of tea, but, thanks for putting this together.
Ha. Nothing to do in South Hero, VT. Great day ride is to hit Snow Farm Winery and a couple of apple orchards, state parks, swim in the lake, and back into Burlington. There are some quiet roads too that you can take to avoid the main road. The Causeway is Vermont's newest state park.
Agree -
And the West shore of Grand Isle, although it doesn't have a bike path, is a great quiet and brautiful place to ride
I'll concur with you as to the GAP/C&O, but must disagree with your description of the Erie Canal Trailway as being super-boring and monotonous. The week I spent riding all of it last June was overflowing with variety and beauty - not to mention the history. You should reconsider that one.... or at least ride it.
I agree.
Question: can you ride an ebike on these trails?
many of these trails prohibit motorized vehicles, so i think technically no. despite that i see these ebikes on these trails quite regularly, so you can probably get away with it.
@@johnnywishbone. Thank you for your response. Actually, the federal government and most states have codified class 1,2,& 3 e bikes as bicycles, not motorized vehicles. Local rules can override the feds and states, hence my question.
@@alanglassman6473 then i think for the most part you should be fine. you won't be the only one with an ebike on these trails.
@@johnnywishbone. Thank you
I'm...guessing...you've never heard of the Empire State Trail...(???) I mean, it's only a few _hundred_ miles long, but.... o.O
I've been on most of it. Not that big a fan. I discussed the Erie Canal portion in the honorable mentions, and it's mostly monotonous. The southern part is mostly inland rail trails, and the northern part is mostly just on roads. At least they're working to fill in parts, like recently finishing the part between Brewster and Hopewell Junction.
Erie Canal boring? Wow, maybe we road different trails. Great trail towns along the way and beautiful views. I can’t see rating the OCA higher than the ECT, especially given the discontinuities and lack of signage. Just doesn’t make sense.
Agree that the Province Lands bike trail is among the best. I would recommend a route starting at the end of the Cape Cod Rail Trail in Wellfleet, riding the side roads up along the 6A strip in Truro before heading to the Provincelands trail. It’s a great way to see the Cape and discover that it’s not all flat!
Empire State Trail is actually a bunch of trails connected to each other, although the Northern part going all the way to Québec is shared roads with automobiles -
The Hudson Greenway in NYC leading to Battery Park is its last segment to the South
It sounds like you haven't been on the east west portion of the Empire Trail from Buffalo to Albany. It's the former tow path and mostly pavement / stonedust. Spectacular scenery and beautiful small towns with significant history from commerce to battlefields.
Thx
A trail that starts in DC isn't really a Northeastern trail, it's a Mid-Atlantic trail.
I mean, he includes Ohio in his map of "the Northeast" so I'm not sure the definitions used by the author are ones most would recognize. Same with Virginia TBH. And if you're including Virginia in a list of bike trails and not mentioning the Virginia Creeper, then something has gone (pardon the pun) off the rails.
Boston and NY trails are out of sight