My Favorite Bike Trails in the Northeastern US

[6zfshdb]

Just curious why Acadia national park ranked at the bottom of the list?

As I said in my original post, the first 5 on the list are my favorites. The rest are in no particular order.

The carriage roads in Acadia are indeed a great place to ride. Very scenic but be prepared for some elevation gain. Acadia didn't make my top 5 because until recently, ebikes were completely banned. Even now, after the recent National Park ruling, there is confusion as to where they are allowed. I used a stealthy ebike on my last visit and I wasn't bothered by park rangers but I know others who were.

 

[Art Deco]

As I said in my original post, the first 5 on the list are my favorites. The rest are in no particular order.

The carriage roads in Acadia are indeed a great place to ride. Very scenic but be prepared for some elevation gain. Acadia didn't make my top 5 because until recently, ebikes were completely banned. Even now, after the recent National Park ruling, there is confusion as to where they are allowed. I used a stealthy ebike on my last visit and I wasn't bothered by park rangers but I know others who were.

I know this is an old post but lots of new riders haven't seen it. 6zfshdb if you are still maintaining this thread, some kind of search tag like NE PA County/Province/City could recommend posts by area.
A Great post from a guy with a Bad username

 

[Captain Slow]

Wow, what a list. I wish someone in my area would have a list like this!

 

[6zfshdb]

A great source of trail information is https://www.traillink.com/ The great majority of the existing trails in the U.S. are listed and you can search by state or keyword. Site access is free but if you want to view trail maps, you need to be a member. It's a non profit organization and all tax deductible membership fees go toward creating and maintaining trails across the US. Much of the information I provided in this post came from this site.

It should be noted that just because a trail is listed on Traillink, doesn't necessarily mean it is worth travelling a great distance to ride. Many are in poor condition or require riding on busy roadways. Read the reviews before planning a trip. I have personal knowledge of the trails included in this post and can recommend them based on my experience.

As stated earlier in the post, there is no reason to limit the scope of this list to the northeastern US. If anyone knows of an exceptional trail they can personally recommend, please post and I'll add it to the list.

BTW, I just got back from a trip to central NY and rode the Lehigh Valley Trails. I added them to the list as #49 & #50.

 

[BrianK]

Awesome resource, thank you!

When I lived in Johnstown PA we often road the Ghost Town Trail. It was a fun ride to start in Ebensburg and ride mostly downhill for 20 miles to Homer City.

 

[WalkinTarget]

As of last month, the Heritage trail in York County is now fully on board with ebikes, and we can now continue to recommend this trail. See Shoestrings post on the latest update here

Also, we have been told that the MD portion of the Heritage trail, the Torrey C. Brown trail, is not allowing ebikes, but we were also told that due to staffing shortages they were not patrolling the northern end of it around Gunpowder Falls, choosing instead to focus on the lower 3-4 mile section leading north from Hunt Valley, since that is where most of their traffic and incidents are occurring. We were in full view of a few rangers at their station in Monkton last year and no one batted an eyelash at us since we were older guys riding responsibly.

 

[Art Deco]

As of last month, the Heritage trail in York County is now fully on board with ebikes, and we can now continue to recommend this trail. See Shoestrings post on the latest update here

Also, we have been told that the MD portion of the Heritage trail, the Torrey C. Brown trail, is not allowing ebikes, but we were also told that due to staffing shortages they were not patrolling the northern end of it around Gunpowder Falls, choosing instead to focus on the lower 3-4 mile section leading north from Hunt Valley, since that is where most of their traffic and incidents are occurring. We were in full view of a few rangers at their station in Monkton last year and no one batted an eyelash at us since we were older guys riding responsibly.

Excellent news. The Gettysburg area is in York county and should be a great place to ride this year.

 

[6zfshdb]

As of last month, the Heritage trail in York County is now fully on board with ebikes, and we can now continue to recommend this trail. See Shoestrings post on the latest update here

Also, we have been told that the MD portion of the Heritage trail, the Torrey C. Brown trail, is not allowing ebikes, but we were also told that due to staffing shortages they were not patrolling the northern end of it around Gunpowder Falls, choosing instead to focus on the lower 3-4 mile section leading north from Hunt Valley, since that is where most of their traffic and incidents are occurring. We were in full view of a few rangers at their station in Monkton last year and no one batted an eyelash at us since we were older guys riding responsibly.

Thanks for the input. I edited the list accordingly.

 

[GypsyTreker]

Based on a post on here we decided spontaneously to drive 7 hours and ride the GAP from Confluence to Ohiopyle and back. Tommorow, weather permitting, Pittsburgh downtown biketrails. Camping spots, even midweek. fill up fast. We have to head back Thursday am. The 15hours r/t drive time was well worth it.

 

[Art Deco]

Based on a post on here we decided spontaneously to drive 7 hours and ride the GAP from Confluence to Ohiopyle and back. Tommorow, weather permitting, Pittsburgh downtown biketrails. Camping spots, even midweek. fill up fast. We have to head back Thursday am. The 15hours r/t drive time was well worth it.

Bravo. That's supposed to be the pretty part of the GAP. Not too far from there to the Frank Loyd Wright Fallingwater house and Pennsylvania's wild elk herd if you need an excuse to return.

 

[GypsyTreker]

Bravo. That's supposed to be the pretty part of the GAP. Not too far from there to the Frank Loyd Wright Fallingwater house and Pennsylvania's wild elk herd if you need an excuse to return.

No doubt we will return. Pretty sure you could do Pittsburgh 2 Cumberland on one battery and a charger, there are places for a recharge it seems every 25mi or so. Piece of cake with an extra battery. I would use a trailer if I had 2 batteries. It looks like they may be putting in shelters.
We are amazed how almost full Overflow Campground is for weekday. Lots of people are wearing masks in stores or eating establishments. Very few eBikes. We were questioned often and had people stop by our camp space to inquire. Surprised me actually.

 

[Art Deco]

No doubt we will return. Pretty sure you could do Pittsburgh 2 Cumberland on one battery and a charger, there are places for a recharge it seems every 25mi or so. Piece of cake with an extra battery. I would use a trailer if I had 2 batteries. It looks like they may be putting in shelters.
We are amazed how almost full Overflow Campground is for weekday. Lots of people are wearing masks in stores or eating establishments. Very few eBikes. We were questioned often and had people stop by our camp space to inquire. Surprised me actually.

Don't know where you stayed, but many private campgrounds in PA still cater to seasonal or even permanent campers, who are much more likely to ride golf carts than ebikes. Diferent strokes...

 

[GypsyTreker]

Don't know where you stayed, but many private campgrounds in PA still cater to seasonal or even permanent campers, who are much more likely to ride golf carts than ebikes. Diferent strokes...

We try to do NP, C.O.E or any government agency that accepts my interagency pass. Overflow campground is a Corp of Engineers property. Typically the spaces are huge compared to commercial spots and the site we are on, if it were a resort , would be a $60 a nite, min. With my access pass $12.50. B.L.M. land is free, other than initial investment for going off grid. My wife and I full timed for many years and finding safe, inexpensive and not rundown spaces to stop for the night, week or month, has become second nature. Your right about resorts. Where people go to see the guy in the Prevost leave his front curtains open so everyone can see how large he's living. Yawn... Lol

 

[6zfshdb]

Awesome resource, thank you!

When I lived in Johnstown PA we often road the Ghost Town Trail. It was a fun ride to start in Ebensburg and ride mostly downhill for 20 miles to Homer City.

I always ride the Ghost Town Trail whenever I'm in the area. An ebike makes the uphill climb from Homer to Ebensburg a breeze.
An 8 mile stretch was added to the Cambria spur recently from Vintondale to Revloc which I rode it last fall.

 

[BrianK]

I always ride the Ghost Town Trail whenever I'm in the area. An ebike makes the uphill climb from Homer to Ebensburg a breeze.
An 8 mile stretch was added to the Cambria spur recently from Vintondale to Revloc which I rode it last fall.

That might be worth going back there for. It was close by when I lived there. I’m in northwest Virginia now since the first of the year and still need to find the nearest rails to trails here.

 

[6zfshdb]

That might be worth going back there for. It was close by when I lived there. I’m in northwest Virginia now since the first of the year and still need to find the nearest rails to trails here.

The New River and Virginia Creeper trails are worth a drive but they are in southern Virginia. The Greenbrier River Trail in WV is a bit closer.

Northern VA has the paved Washington & Old Dominion Trail (W&OD) that runs from Purcellville into Arlington. It gets a bit crowded the closer you get to DC though.

The C&O Canal National Historic Park shouldn't be too far from you. It's mostly dirt & gravel though and can be tough on thin tired bikes.

When you get a chance, take a weekend and drive up to Cumberland MD. From there you have access to the Great Allegheny (GAP) Trail, one of the best on the east coast.

 

[BrianK]

The C&O Canal National Historic Park shouldn't be too far from you. It's mostly dirt & gravel though and can be tough on thin tired bikes.

When you get a chance, take a weekend and drive up to Cumberland MD. From there you have access to the Great Allegheny (GAP) Trail, one of the best on the east coast.

I’m picking up a Rambo 750 (and spare battery) later this week with 4 inch tires so dirt and gravel shouldn’t be an issue. I always wanted to ride the GAP while I lived in Johnstown and was working up to it by riding the Ghost Town Trail, but serious health problems (multiple strokes and hemiparesis) cut short my biking back then. My health has improved and the hemiparesis resolved enough now that with an e bike I could do the Gap.

 

[Art Deco]

Central Pennsylvania Buffalo Valley rail trail. A short (9 miles) rail trail near me runs from Lewisburg Pa to Mifflinburg Pa on level packed gravel through farmland with two good bikeshops (a trek and a giant) at each end, a new microbrewery and a ice cream and burger place along the way. Not worth a long drive, but nice if you are in the area.

 

[Art Deco]

Pic or it didn't happen

 

[GypsyTreker]

Hope I'm not duplicating. The Swamp Rabbit Trail in SC. Travelers Rest to Greenville. 22mi. Goes into the citys river district then down to the zoo. Very well maintained but crowded on weekends. I also saw the Creeper Trail (VCT) in SW Va. Last I heard, no eBikes. This is still worth it on an acoustic bike. You take a shuttle to the mountaintop and coast back to Damascus. Really scenic.