The Upper Bucks Trail is a new trail
that opened in November, 2020.This
trail directly connects to the Saucon Trail in Coopersburg, PA. The trail uses
a trail surface aggregate that results in a smooth ride into Veteran’s Memorial
Park in Quakertown, PA. It includes 800 feet of teak boardwalk. The trail is
less than 5 miles but if you do out and back and include the Saucon Trail you
can have a nice ride. The trail is part of The Circuit a network of hundreds of
miles of multi-use trails in the Greater Philadelphia Area.
The Boardwalk
Check out a video of my entire ride on my YouTube channel, Marks Bike Tock - Upper Bucks.
There is a section of PA state route 61 near Centralia, PA that was abandoned due to an underground mine fire. If fact the entire town of Centralia was also abandoned but that that is another story. The abandoned section of highway became a haven for graffiti. The graffiti became so pervasive that it started attracting visitors from a very wide area. It became so busy that the current owner became concerned with liability and decided to cover the road with dirt and plant trees. A few weeks before that happened I decided to take my bike to ride the Graffiti Highway. It was a short ride but incredible quantities of graffiti. Here are some pictures:
It is fairly common to see painted rocks along rail-trails in northeastern Pennsylvania. Some are painted by children, others are a hobby of adults. Many of the ones pictures below seem to be from high school students possibly as an art assignment. I am just speculating about the latter. I always find these as a pleasant surprise. The best part is less the stones and more the fact that someone took the time to improve the trail experience.
Please comment if you have seen painted rocks along the trails you frequent.
The Cumberland Valley Rail Trail currently stretches from Shippensburg, PA to Newville, PA. Work is underway to extend the trail into Carlisle. A short section is apparently open now in Carlisle. I rode the trail in August of 2019. I started in Newville. There appeared to be a finished trail in the direction of Carlisle but is was marked with trail closed signs.
The trail was crushed gravel on one side and grass for horseback riding along the other side. Some portions of the trail did not include the horseback option. A short section at Newville was paved and a longer section at the Shippensburg was also paved. Cyclists of all ages are supposed to wear a helmet when riding this trail.
Luck was on my side in my choice of Newville for a start. It appeared to be a very gradual incline all the way to Shippensburg. It certainly felt easier on the return. There were a few road crossings and some had curves or hills making visibility less than ideal. The section I rode was 10 miles one way. It was well used but not crowded.
The trail passes mostly agricultural land that was mostly planted with corn this season. Near the half way mark was some electric fence along the trail. This area is apparently for some goats to graze. I think this was the first time I saw goats along a bike trail. Even with fields on both sides of the trail, the trail itself was generally shaded by a canopy of trees.
I was appreciative of the clean, modern rest room at the ends of the trail. The Shippensburg end was at the university and included sculptures, a railroad museum, parking and an attractive rest room facility.
I was in the Atlanta area so I had to make time to visit the well known, Hall of Fame trail The Silver Comet Trail. The trail is over sixty miles long in Georgia but connects to the 30+ mile Chief Ladiga Trail in Alabama. I only had the chance to do a bit over 10 miles but it was a most enjoyable experience.
The trail section I rode was near the Atlanta end starting near MM 5. I rented a bike from Comet Trail Cycles. The bike was excellent and the price was very reasonable. This trail section was mostly shaded, very welcome in the Georgia heat. I got to see bamboo trees for the first time along with some birds I was not able to identify. They were back and forth to nests that appeared to be made of mud stuck to the underside of a bridge.
The trail section I cycled was flat except for a couple of bridges over roads. The surface was paved with asphalt or concrete with a yellow line down the middle. The yellow line reminded users to keep right except to pass and it did its job. There were many access points both public and private. Trailheads generally had rest room facilities and water fountains.
It is my understanding that there is a large trestle and a tunnel further up the trail.
