My Favorite Bike Trails in the Northeastern US

Thanks. I've got plans to head up that way in the next two weeks.
Yeah most trails are too crowded for my taste on the weekends... unless you want to get up early and be ending about this time.
 
Ny has some amazing rides. I am hoping to do some of the Erie Canal Trail as travel becomes a little easier. Having only one vehicle and not wanting to spend money on shuttles makes section riding work for us. Park our Aliner near a trail...out and back one trip ( say east) out and back on the western portion, move rig, repeat. Like Saratoga Dave and others, riding boring sections just for the sake of milage , doesn't work for my wife and I.
 
At least once a season I drive out to Clarion in northwestern PA. I either camp or stay at one of the hotels in Clarion which I use as a base for riding a select group of trails. All are within a 45 minute drive of Clarion, some much less. I ride the trails out and back which doubles the mileage. It takes a minimum of 4 days to ride them all.

51 mile Redbank Valley Trail - https://www.traillink.com/trail/redbank-valley-rail-trail/
36 mile Armstrong Trail - https://www.traillink.com/trail/armstrong-trail/
30 mile Allegheny River Trail - https://www.traillink.com/trail/allegheny-river-trail/
12 mile Sandy Creek Trail - https://www.traillink.com/trail/sandy-creek-trail/
10 mile Oil Creek Trail - https://www.traillink.com/trail/oil-creek-state-park-trail/
13 mile Rail 66 trail - https://www.traillink.com/trail/rail-66-country-trail/
18 mile Clarion Little Toby Trail - https://www.traillink.com/trail/clarion-little-toby-trail/
9 mile Clarion Highlands Trail - https://www.traillink.com/trail/clarion-highlands/

Although these are mostly rail trails, they are by no means boring. They pass through numerous tunnels, over high bridges, follow scenic waterways and pass historic railroad related POI's.
 
Pa has way more bike paths then Western North Carolina. Here it is MtB all the way. Very many of the trails here ban eBikes. I did the Pine Creek Trail years ago on an acoustic bike, wonderful, rattlesnakes and all.
 
I haven’t been on the Harlem Valley trail for literally 20 years, and my memory has proven to be completely faulty on it. I just got back from doing the whole thing, and I have to say it is quite lovely. Goes through lots more heavily wooded sections than I remembered. All paved, surface is good, and even on a sunny Saturday - a very hot one - there weren’t a million people on it. There are many nice farm roads that intersect it that I had also forgotten about.

If you get bored with the trail, you can hop on a nice hilly side road and eventually wind your way back to the trail a couple miles along.

I have to go back in a week or so and go from Millerton back down to Sharon, Ct and then across to join the trail at Amenia again.

The village of Millerton really has benefited and been smart about it. The trail ends right in the middle of the short main drag in Millerton. Cafes all over the place, people everywhere - wearing masks, too - and all extremely pleasant. Super attractive.
 
Gionnirocket said:
Has the connection to the Walkway over the Hudson been completed?
I often ride the South county trail and continue into the lower portion of the North.
They are almost finished with the South extension into Van Cortlandt Park in the Bronx.
Click to expand...
They haven't connected the new Maybrook line on either end yet but one can certainly find local roads to make the connection. Construction is ongoing during the week and the crews will ask you to leave and then follow you off the trail (according to a friend of mine). It's quiet on the weekends though. In Brewster, you can pick up the new Maybrook line on Pumphouse road, just north of Maple Way in Brewster. I've heard that one can do the same in Hopewell Junction but I haven't ridden up that far yet.

It's paved from Pumphouse road to a few miles short of Hopewell as far as I've been able to tell. The only construction left is adding benches and mile marker signs.
 
www.lvrailtrail.com

Explore, Shop & Support the Lebanon Valley Rail Trail

20+ miles of mixed-use trail. Run, bike, hike, and ride your way through picturesque Lebanon County, Pennsylvania.
www.lvrailtrail.com www.lvrailtrail.com

We went on a short group ride here from Elizabethtown Pa to Mt. Greta Pa. We rode slowly 11mph? but we were passed by a pack of gravel grinders doing twice that. A level packed gravel trail.through cool, green, and shady landscape on a hot, humid Sunday.
 
Art Deco said:
www.lvrailtrail.com

Explore, Shop & Support the Lebanon Valley Rail Trail

20+ miles of mixed-use trail. Run, bike, hike, and ride your way through picturesque Lebanon County, Pennsylvania.
www.lvrailtrail.com www.lvrailtrail.com

We went on a short group ride here from Elizabethtown Pa to Mt. Greta Pa. We rode slowly 11mph? but we were passed by a pack of gravel grinders doing twice that. A level packed gravel trail.through cool, green, and shady landscape on a hot, humid Sunday.
Click to expand...

Sorry I couldn't make that ride. Hopefully, next time.

Anyway, I added the Lebanon Valley Rail Trail as #53 on the list.
Thanks for the info!
 
6zfshdb said:
Sorry I couldn't make that ride. Hopefully, next time.

Anyway, I added the Lebanon Valley Rail Trail as #53 on the list.
Thanks for the info!
Click to expand...
Still time for a fall ride @6zfshdb. I posted a photo of the midway stop here
electricbikereview.com

SHOW us YOUR PIX here .... Odd, WeiRd ,UnUSuAl or EyE CaTchIng things from your rides

A local family has one. Now and then you can see it on the lake near our home in the early mornings when it's calm. Just too odd to watch him drive down the boat ramp into the water...
electricbikereview.com electricbikereview.com
 
We were going to do the Silver Comet but weather is not cooperating and being high risk (crohns) I'm not sure ATL area is where I want be. Perhaps in the fall the Neuse River Trail. Sounds like you had a nice ride @artdeco
 
GypsyTreker said:
We were going to do the Silver Comet but weather is not cooperating and being high risk (crohns) I'm not sure ATL area is where I want be. Perhaps in the fall the Neuse River Trail. Sounds like you had a nice ride @artdeco
Click to expand...
Yeah. Really wanted to go to NC this year ... but Pennsylvania has much to offer at 20 mph, really much more than at 55 mph ... anyway what is ATL area to you? To me it means Atlanta International Airport. .. gates of H@*l on earth IMHO...
 
Last edited:
GypsyTreker said:
We were going to do the Silver Comet but weather is not cooperating and being high risk (crohns) I'm not sure ATL area is where I want be. Perhaps in the fall the Neuse River Trail. Sounds like you had a nice ride @artdeco
Click to expand...
Got It . Had to look up silver comet trail. Nope, don't go there unless healthy. I lived in Georgia awhile. It will be many years before Georgia will be back as a tour destination.:(
 
I think a great adventure would be riding the complete sections of the Great American Rail Trail. I have been searching Google for itinerary info, with regards to info regarding the best way to portage between planned and unplanned sections too hook up with each trailhead. Obviously a second ( spouse in my case) would be a major plus to do the drop off and forward "base". For some a shuttle could work. Anyway if I get too actually doing the map work I will post it. I doubt if I will be around to see the actual completion of this east-west / west-east trail but it sure is an exciting project.
 
The 330 mile section of the Great American Rail Trail through MD and PA is a great place to start. It has been complete for years since it consists of the existing C&O Canal trail and the Great Allegheny Passage. You can ride from Washington DC to Pittsburgh PA. without riding on any roads. A short 5 mile on road connector gets you to the Montour and Panhandle trails leading west another 66 miles into WV. I've done all of it except for the sections leading into DC and Pittsburgh. Those pieces are a little too urban for my taste.

The GART certainly is an exciting project. I agree with your assessment though. It will be many, many years before the seamless, all off road trail is complete.
 
Art Deco said:
Still time for a fall ride @6zfshdb. I posted a photo of the midway stop here
electricbikereview.com

SHOW us YOUR PIX here .... Odd, WeiRd ,UnUSuAl or EyE CaTchIng things from your rides

A local family has one. Now and then you can see it on the lake near our home in the early mornings when it's calm. Just too odd to watch him drive down the boat ramp into the water...
electricbikereview.com electricbikereview.com
Click to expand...
Trail Guide for Lebenon Valley Rail Trail
trail.jpg
 
GypsyTreker said:
So we are back home. What a fun getaway, rain and all. The post about the "prime" leg on the GAP was spot on. We stayed at Outflow Campground in Confluence, see attached, for 12.50 a night ( Interagency Pass) it is a COE property. We did the Confluence to Ohiopyle r/t then North as far as the tunnel and turned back due to rain. We plan to return, camp at Outflow ride to Cumberland, B&B , return the next day. If we have time, same thing south to Pittsburgh then back. I do recommend mid-week as traffic on the weekend is way higher. Although some (us included) wore masks, its pretty much a mask free zone. I had one guy actually feel the need to remark. That conversation came to an abrupt ending. For the most part, easy to distance at the outdoor food venue and 98% of the folks friendly. Couldn't ask for a better un-plugged weekend.

View attachment 56379
Click to expand...

Curious how you transport your ebikes on your Subaru while towing that camper? On a roof rack?
 
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