You do need to study it carefully. if you do decide to start there, drive toward the back of the Hotel and, before getting clear to the back, notice the buildings to your right. My husband and I started our journey on this trail at the Lickdale trailhead. My wife and I road the entire ten-mile length of the Swatara Rail-Trail (SRT) on Monday, May 28th. Swatara Rail Trail NW is a 3 mile less popular white rail trail trail located near Lickdale Pennsylvania. We decided to ride on Super Bowl Sunday and check out this trail. Bear Hole Trail was formerly known as Old State Road, but, despite what Apple Maps might say, the road has been closed for over 20 years. Follow this trail straight. The Swatara Water Trail will require portage around bridge construction. I put in a total of 10 miles today all on that dang road, and the reviews are right. Then we biked back on the trail toward the Hampton Inn to see where the trailhead actually was. This is mainly wooded area running along Swatara Creek. The 'Old State Road' on other side of creek appears closed (at Appalachin Trail) end to end because of damage. This trail would have a five star rating if it weren't for horse's. Please check with the trail owner before you go. The northern 2 miles of the trail was mostly dirt with lots of pot holes but actually made for kind of a fun ride. On my last trip encountered a number of face-slappers every mile. 443. I once was almost run down by a rider who had her horse in full gallop going down the middle of the trail so that she could catch up to her friends ahead. The local folks will know this Trail as Old State Road. Spent a couple of hours on the Swatara Rail trail today 5/21/13. The state acquired the land and built the trail. On the south end (Lickdale) there is a new parking area and a resurfaced trail. Going down the hill a bit, I found some trailhead, I think here you can also get on the AT (Appalachian Trail)! The central section is on an abandoned paved road and you can cruise a little faster. Ok Let me say I took two days to hit this trail one day just exploring and then another day on the Old State Road. The State plans to turn it into a non-motorized trail. We saw only 2 horse back riders, 3 bikers and 2 hikers. Restrooms. The next two miles of the path were a mixture of pavement and ground cinder. Once back on the trail it is pretty scenic for about three miles. A replacement bridge across the creek leads you to Swopes Road. Locals use both trails for a 20 mile round trip. It's very scenic, as part of the trail runs along Swatara Creek. I was looking for a bit longer ride so next time I'll take a few of the many side trails for another adventure. You may wish to pass up the opportunity to explore that two-mile section. Access to the Swatara Creek Water Trail is provided at public and private access points identified on the map. I managed to step off the bike into the mud a number of times. The input shaped the park’s future and best utilizes its recreational potential. The last mile of the trail in this direction is mowed grass, almost like passing through someone's back yard. On the way back I jumped up on the road that was there, and it was very nice. then I continued on the trail through the state park to the east. Trail is beautiful but would be very scary if I shared with a horse. Scroll down to learn more information about the Swatara Creek Run. This could be a great trail if it were finished properly and horses were restricted to one side of the trail, said leaving part of the path smooth. There are several cool bridges and I loved the mix of trail types -- including some abandoned roads. Historic Data: Water Quality Sampling Results by SWA at WQN211–Middletown PA, near the mouth of the Swatara Creek–where the Swatara empties into the Susquehanna River.. Water Quality: Over the years, due to its size, the Swatara Creek was impacted by a number of consumer and residential activities that contributed to an overall decline in water quality. As stated in other reviews, the 2 miles at each end of the trail are not quite as improved as the middle portion of the trail. The trail is relatively flat, but plan to get muddy. SO glad the construction is over and we can have full access to the park again. Front tire blew out a couple of miles from the car because of the constant hammering. The bridge crosses the Swatara creek to connect Bear Hole and Appalachian trails and also has a parking lot accessed by Old State Road. We could have used 3 different tires on this trip. Kittatinny Ridge, also known as Blue Mountain, has been designated by Audubon Pennsylvania, as the largest of the state’s Important Bird Areas. I will say the first 2 miles is tough riding with loose larger gravel, and it is hard to get any real speed. I had researched the trail, and read the reviews, so I was a little leery about what I would find. I didn’t see the marked parking on the south side near the KOA so drove further up. Stretching from Georgia to Maine, the Appalachian Trail (AT) traverses two miles of the southern portion of Swatara State Park. This section isn’t a rail trail , in our opinion. It’s only about 100 yards so it shouldn’t discourage riders. I wanted to make it to the Fossil pit but I was out of time, that pit is about 6 miles from the first bridge where I parked. All of the services are at the Lickville end of the trail. Swatara Water Trail. At one point the trail switches from the old rail bed to the old paved highway. This was fun because it had some abandoned road hills mixed styles of surfaces. I was disappointed to find that the trail is maintained differently past this point. The swampy sections of the trail have been filled in and the trail has been covered with gravel. One of the reviewers mis-spelled the word trail into trial which is exactly what this trail is, a bad trial with no signs, bad state park map and impossible to find parking and put-in spots. However, it is possible to find your way. An 11 mile loop can be completed by using Swatara Rail Trail and Bear Hole Trail and crossing the creek … Some points: 1) If you start at the Lickdale trail head on Monroe Valley Rd. A Park manager told me that they expect to make changes to the trail once the construction project on the I-81 bridges that cross Swatara Creek is completed. Pennsylvania State Parks are the best! A side trip here crosses the creek and turns left for a mile on the Bear Hole Trail to an old log cabin built from on-site lumber and stone in 1939. Swatara State Park Targeted for Trail Installation, Other Improvements Switches from gravel to fine grit to dirt. The trail in the other direction to Pine Grove Interchange is open but the sign says road closed. Youker. We started from the Lickdale trailhead. It was a bit overcast but still hot and muggy, 80 degrees. In another 1.2 miles, the trail begins a narrow passage through the water gap through Blue Mountain created by Swatara Creek. We also jumped over the creek at the new bridge and rode the Bear Hole trail. After this first mile the trail is either macadam (old road bed) or fine packed gravel. water trail is ideal for half-day, full-day or multiple-day paddle and float trips down the Swatara Creek. Become a member and wear your FREE T-Shirt with pride. Our wrists were so sore. A few minutes later you on a nice gravel four foot wide trail. The other end of the trail, located at the Lickdale Campground by the traffic light in Lickdale (I-81 exit 90) provides challenges as well. From there you will have access to the rest of the Park’s trail system. Did the whole 10 miles... great ride!! The resurfaced trail ends here and the surface becomes rougher, muddier, and more likely to be used by ATVs. You can take younger kids on this one. Go 0.2 mile, and look for trailhead parking on the right. We started at what looked to be a recently developed parking area near the southern end of the trail. The 'trailhead' is simply part of a large field, nearly indiscernible from the rest of the large field. Will definitely come back and explore the other improved trails in and around this area! Swatara is a hidden gem. I wouldn't think it would take all that much. Access to the Swatara Creek Water Trail is provided at two formal trailheads, Scotto's Italian Restaurant, Jonestown, Lebanon County, and Boat House Road Park, Derry Township, Dauphin County, and at other public and private access points identified on the trail guide/map. Park visitors are advised construction work may affect access to certain areas. The 10-mile trail begins in Lickdale, crosses a gap in Blue Mountain created by Swatara Creek, and ends in Pine Grove. Bear Hole Trail: Running along the southeastern side of Swatara State Park, Bear Hole Trail (previously Old State Road) is a wide, rolling trail for hiking and biking. Total trip was about 11 miles. This did not deter me from finishing the route but maybe it should have. Trout Run Trailhead has a permanent restroom facility. After a mile, we hit crushed stone, which was great, then an old abandoned paved road. I rode about 8 miles before finding short section under water. Saw 2 six point bucks right on the trail last weekend..still in velvet--they were beautiful. Much of the trail is crushed limestone and asphalt, although segments at either end are dirt and grass and may be more conducive to mountain bikes than road and hybrid bikes. Still, a fun ride. In the meantime, the Reading Railroad had built several connecting lines along the canal that were consolidated as the Lebanon and Tremont Branch in 1871. Facebook Twitter Share. One of those dabs was just at the edge of the roadbed where a slurry of wet, hundred year old, coal dust and cinders fought to hang onto my shoe and cause me to dramatically dismount from my bike. The Swatara Trail is a mix of rough gravel, new pavement, old pavement, crushed limestone, a little dirt, and even some grass lawns thrown in just before the end in the parking lot of a Hampton Inn. I parked in the limited parking area and took off north, under I-81, on the trail. Go 5.1 miles, and turn left at the entrance for Sand Siding Road. The new Mill Creek bridge in Suedberg is in with access from Swopes Valley road and opens up more yards of trail. I then put in at the corner of Rt SR 443 and SR 72 on an old road and new trail down to the two bridges and with two trips I had completed almost all of the Swatara Rail Trail. But there is a temp concret plant on that part of the trial so I got back in the car and drove North on 443 for about 2.5 miles, on the right you will see a steel bridge that is the trial. Access points to the Swatara Creek Water Trail. If you want to avoid this section just ride up the macadam road a piece ways there are various points you can jump back onto the trail. Hoof marks and horse flops became increasing evident as I went west/north, but IMHO were never more that a minor nuisance. It's a rehabbed crushed gravel surface of an old state route. Mile markers or a map with trail distances would be helpful to riders. Jan. 27, 2012 ... At over 8 miles, Swatara State Park's mountain bike trails are a system of 6 looped trails that twist through the woods and hills and are generally considered a good place for introductory skills. Instead, go down Swopes Valley Rd. Lots of loose gravel. Started my trip from the campground north of the park.Can’t wait to do it again. Even with my low pressure 35c tires it was pretty bumpy. The trail now goes another 5 miles back to where you started, after you cross the bridge. Once we hit the right direction, we encountered very large limestone, with the bikes sliding all over the place. Trail surface washed out in places down to soft uncompacted sub-surface. Swatara State Park is a singletrack mountain bike trail in Lickdale, Pennsylvania. The Bear Hole trail was hilly but had a nice cinder surface over the entire length of the trail. The main highway now closed years ago but still smoothly paved is parallel and close to the old RR right away which has not been improved. This portion is rather flat, but there are some up and down hills. Just something interesting to read... All in all I will say that this was a great trail to ride once you get past the first 2 miles. The first official access is at Pine Grove, near Route 645. So here, I got on the trail. The part we did do was fairly pleasant; but since we thought we were getting a typical flat, crushed stone rail trail, we were pretty disappointed that we only got a 10-mile ride fitting that description. Todays trip --- Deer, Fox, Turkeys, and Grouse were seen. From there to the end of the trail is just scenic beauty and good riding surface, following the creek. The state park system has continued to improve the trails in Swatara State Park. The trail ends at the falls. Swatara Rail Trail starts as crushed stone and grass until it crosses Monroe Valley Road, where it turns to gravel (1-2" size) for about half a mile. Swatara Rail Trail is a 5.8 mile moderately trafficked point-to-point trail located near Pine Grove, Pennsylvania that features a waterfall and is good for all skill levels. Trending right after the water gap on the Swatara Rail-Trail, you’ll pass six mountain bike singletrack runs to your left of about 1.5 miles each. There are several options within Swatara State Park for mountain bikers, I prefer the four established trails which can be accessed from the rail trail at Green Point Station. Two point five miles from Lickdale, at the point where route 72 becomes route 433, there is a small parking area and a gated entrance that puts you right onto the Park’s three miles of smooth asphalt road. I challenged it on on my old 1982 Mesa Runner, and I will definitely be using a lighter frame with shocks on the next ride. find trail maps, reviews, photos & driving directions on traillink.com From the campground, the trail is currently not clearly marked and wanders through the grounds of a cement plant and provides unmarked opportunities to stray off of the trail. Mostly used to flat rail to trail. Yesterday there was ponding water on this section as deep as 3 or 4 inches and we didn’t even bother to ride the last 2 miles of the trail; this area requires improvements as well. The Bear Hole trail which is built on top of the old state road had small washouts in many places. This could be a very nice ride, with some challenging hills and some really great scenery. There is a marshy area near Wagner's pond with a sign stating "wet trail". There is not enough room for horses and bike. https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/pennsylvania/swatara-state-park So if you are using the traillink map to get to the southern parking area you will need to proceed about 3/4 of a mile north on 72 and then hang a right on Monroe to get to the parking area. Just before the big Northern bend in the river the "Zombie Highway" as we call it, is blocked by a permanent barrier and a short connector appears to take you back to the crushed stone trail. Several years ago, it was repaired and renamed Bear Hole Trail as Swatara State Park was developed. Along with numerous ATV/ORV on the trail. Many hoof divots on that section makes for a bumpy ride.All in all, nice ride except for the aforementioned. Swatara State Park Mountain Bike, Hike, Trail Running trails near Lickdale, Pennsylvania. Credit: Ben Miller, Swatara Watershed Association. However I found a great map to print on the Swatara State Park web site with detail on all the roads and trails. Recognized both state and nationally, the Swatara Water Trail is 60 miles in length, created by Swatara Watershed Association in cooperation with PA DCNR, PA Fish & Boat Commission, and the National Park Service with public launches established about every 7 miles. I do not recommend starting there since trail for the first mile is very large gravel, making this a very bumpy ride. Overall, the trail is enjoyable, but it could use the noted improvements. The directions to picking up the northern end of the trail head near the Hampton Inn were really confusing. The trail in this section of Pennsylvania primarily travels across flat, rocky ridges mixed with strenuous climbs in … Otherwise, it’s a great route back. The only problem is a most of the trails are pretty chewed up with horse tracks. Designated launches in the northern and southern ends of the park provide access to the creek for boaters. Youker June 2, 2010. I biked down stream down the lovely trail mostly single track with a smooth cinder surface and fully shaded. Check or FAQs for more common login questions. Each loop is about 1.5 miles in length, totaling 9.8 miles. In 1862 a flood wiped out the feeder canal, which was never rebuilt. This multi-use trail can be used both directions and has a easy overall physical rating. This new section will need to be explored. Well designed contour trails with log and root obstacles, the network is a text book stacked loop system so you can bite off as much or as little as you want. Finally, using the state park map, I located a portion of the trail that seemed to run along the road (Route 72 I believe). The five miles of the potholed, one lane asphalt, and sometimes dirt Old State Road rises and falls with the hillside terrain as it follows Swatara Creek through the forest. We loved our day on the SRT and will be returning with friends soon. There are a few hills that might challenge someone used to rail trail riding. Trailhead was different than my 2016 edition guidebook. The Swatara Rail-Trail uses the corridors left behind by a canal and a railroad to snake around an Appalachian mountain in eastern Pennsylvania, passing through the forests of Swatara State Park most of the way. A more reasonable way to enter the Pine Grove end of the rail trail is located just across from the Swedburg Church of God, 2.2 miles from the Pine Grove exit (Exit 100) of I-81 or, if traveling in the opposite direction, 9.5 miles from Lickdale. You have to just guess and hope you are going the right direction, this was not a stretch in the official description at all. That will take another two years. My father-in-law and I really enjoyed looking at the old Union Canal locks and thinking back to what it must have been like when they were in use for transporting coal. It was nice enough. Crossing Monroe Valley road brings you to a section of rougher trail surface. Make sure you hit this when there is good daylight. The owner refused to leave when the park claimed the land, and the state let him live out his days here. There are few people on this trail. You are being redirected to the DCNR eLibrary. Here, you’ll pass the 1890 vintage Waterville Bridge, a 221-foot steel bridge that was relocated here after it was retired in the village of Waterville, more than 100 miles from here. I wanted to eliminate the 2 miles of loose hard riding. Great tandem ride from Lickdale to Pine Grove and back. I only encountered five vehicles as they slowly picked their way through the suspension abusing potholes on a pleasant December Sunday afternoon in 2004. “With its increased network of trails and access to Swatara Creek launching areas, we see park visitation growing significantly,” Allan said. There are many nice views along the creek. Did a 40+ mile ride there today, mostly on Monroe Valley Road but also did most of the park trails, Trout Run, Bear Hole, etc. on this section you will pass a junk yard and a wildlife refuge. Closings may be required along Old State Road/Bear Hole Trail, Rail Trail, the Lickdale Spur, and the boat launch near Swopes Valley Road. We'll return and ride the loop trails off of the Swatara Trail. The improvements include a loop trail, creek access for boaters, spaces for horse/boat trailers. I'm 56 and he's 53 (and in better shape) so keep that in mind. The reason for the difference is that people who do not read all the reviews and do not check the state park web site don't know where to go. Won't go back on this one. I went about a half a mile to the Waterville bridge and then over to the Old State Road. After mile two, however, the riding is fantastic. Most of Swatara State Park is located along Interstate 81 between Second and Blue mountains. If I had a horse I would be afraid on the section from Sand Siding Road to Swopes Valley Rd.About a 50 ft.drop to creek !! Riding south to north is a gradual ascent almost the whole way. Then you'll pick up a decent crushed gravel path through the very shady and pleasant woods. I ended up losing the trail and got to the end in Lickdale via local roads. Here the Appalachian Trail crosses the Waterville Bridge and allows the biker to cross the creek onto Old State Road or continue straight onto the rest of the Park’s trails. 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