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Enola Low Grade Trail
A Flat to Very Easy Shared Use path 30-45 minutes away
Read more about the very interesting engineering, history, and tragedy behind the Enola Low Grade Trail.
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Note that Pennsylvania has prioritized connecting the Northwest Lancaster Rail Trail, Enola Low Grade Trail, the Chester Valley Trail, and the Schuylkill River Trail to create the Schuylkill to Susquehanna Greenway. While the the Chester Valley Trail and the Schuylkill River Trail were connected in 2023, work to close the remaining gaps will take many years.
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Quarryville East
A Flat 16 mile trail 30 minutes away
Universal Access (UA): This path exceeds standards with respect to firmness in isolated sections, and so does not meet criteria for either for Shared Use paths or Universal Access Trails.
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Effort: This 16 mile section (8.1 miles each way) has a Flat Equivalent Length of 8.5 miles and merits a Cumulative Grade Rating of Flat. 98% of the trail has grades less than 5%. There are 2-3 short sections where the trail must traverse a road where a bridge use to be, requiring short 10-20% grades. For a shorter trip, just turn around early.
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Stress: This is a section of the trail yet to be fully improved. The entire section here is a mix of gravel and dirt, with the easternmost section ending with larger ballast that would only be comfortable for mountain bikers. Drainage has been vastly improved over this section in the past two years, with the result that there are only a few puddles to navigate. There are some sections where the bridges crossing the roads have been eliminated, with the result that you have to squeeze through gates and ascend steep embankments. These all involve crossing low-volume roads.
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Other features: This is a very quiet, open trail, with benches along the way. It passes through beautiful farmland, with occasional vistas that are especially open when the leaves have fallen or are yet to bud. There are occasional "cuts", and a newly re-opened tunnel (see picture). There are porta-pottis at several trailheads. This is the closest access for many Kennett residents.
Connections: Continue west from Quarryville to add up to 20 miles to your round trip.
Getting there: Click here (or on the map) for directions to the Quarryville trailhead (the closest to Kennett Square).
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Trail maps: Click directly on the maps below to navigate, or click here open the map in a new window. ​
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Click Home to re-center the map on the trail.
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Click Your Location to track your progress while you hike.
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Click on Legend to see the symbols indicating different grades and cumulative grade ratings
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Click on Layer to select specific layers (like 10' grade ratings, cumulative grade ratings, and so on) you want to turn off.
A Flat 20 mile shared use path about 30 minutes away
Quarryville West
Universal Access (UA): This path exceed standards with respect to running grade for both Shared Use paths and Universal Access Trails. As a shared use path, it meets all standards for surface, obstacles, cross-slope, and passing spaces.
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Effort: This 19.4 mile section (9.7 miles each way) has a Flat Equivalent Length of 20.7 miles and merits a Cumulative Grade Rating of Flat. For a shorter trip, just turn around early. Depending on the direction, the longest continuous grades are 310 to 370' feet with at least easy grades, and up 10' feet with moderate grades.
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Stress: As a shared use path, this is generally rated as no stress for most users. There are several road crossings - none have signals but all involve very low volume roads with excellent sightlines.
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Other features: This is a quiet, generally open trail, with benches along the way. There are porta-pottis at several trailheads, and benches along the way. It passes through beautiful farmland, with occasional vistas that are especially open when the leaves have fallen or are yet to bud. As you head west, you pass through some of the most spectacular "cuts", with vistas bursting out as you cross bridges over various roads.
Connections: Continue west to Safe Harbor to add up to 20 miles to your round trip, or continue east from Quarryville to add up to 16 miles to your round trip in that direction.
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Getting there: Click here (or on the map) for directions to the Quarryville trailhead (the closest to Kennett Square).
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Home
Your location
Legend
Filter
Layer
Trail maps: Click directly on the maps below to navigate, or click here open the map in a new window. ​
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Click Home to re-center the map on the trail.
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Click Your Location to track your progress while you hike.
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Click on Legend to see the symbols indicating different grades and cumulative grade ratings
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Click on Layer to select specific layers (like 10' grade ratings, cumulative grade ratings, and so on) you want to turn off.
Martic Forge to Safe Harbor
A Flat 19.7 mile shared use path 45 minutes away
Universal Access (UA): This path meets standards with both Shared Use Paths and Universal Access Trails.
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Effort: This 9.9 mile section (19.7 miles round trip) has a Flat Equivalent Length of 21 miles and merits a Cumulative Grade Rating of Very Easy. For a shorter trip, just turn around early. Click the map below for more detailed information, and click here for information on our grade rating system and how we use grades to establish effort.
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Stress: As a shared use path, this is generally rated as no stress for most users.
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Other features: This is a busy, partially shaded trail. It is one of the most spectacular sections of rail trail in Pennsylvania, now that both the Martic Forge and Safe Forge Trestles have been opened. There are porta-pottis at each end of the section (and at the northern end of Safe Harbor trestle), as well as with benches along the way. For a shorter trip to see only the Safe Harbor trestle, park at the Turkey Hill Overlook in Conestoga, a 1 hour and 10 minute drive from Kennett Square.
Connections: Continue east to Quarryville to add up to 20 miles to your round trip.
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Getting there: Click here (or on the map) for directions to the Red Hill Road trailhead (the closest to Kennett Square).
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Home
Your location
Legend
Filter
Layer
Trail maps: Click directly on the maps below to navigate, or click here open the map in a new window. ​
-
Click Home to re-center the map on the trail.
-
Click Your Location to track your progress while you hike.
-
Click on Legend to see the symbols indicating different grades and cumulative grade ratings
-
Click on Layer to select specific layers (like 10' grade ratings, cumulative grade ratings, and so on) you want to turn off.