Going Places

Living in Bucks County is wonderful! We have Fall colors, rivers and steams, covered bridges, canals, historic barns, and so much more. We also have lots of trails for hiking and biking. As mentioned previously, not all trails welcome electric bicycles (or even bicycles at all in some cases). And the problem is, you won’t really know which do and which don’t allow e-bikes. To reiterate what I said before, as long as your e-bike is a Class 1 or 2, assume you have all the rights and privileges of a regular pedal bicycle and you should be fine.

After doing a bit of research, I have come up with a list of resources to help you discover that new trail in your area. I’ll provide the list first, then highlight some of the trails I’m either familiar with or I’m interested in learning more about.

The List:

Trails where bicycles (and legal e-bikes) are allowed are usually classified as multi-use paths. Multi-use paths are typically flat, wide trails with improved surfaces that appeal both to walkers and joggers, as well as users on wheels such as cyclists and skaters. Most multi-use pathways are physically separated from motor vehicle traffic, and can be within the road right
-of-way, such as those in the Doylestown Bike and Hike. Another example of a multi-use path is the Delaware Canal Towpath, towpath trails run along the banks of a river or canal. Bucks County is estimated to have over 250 miles of multi-use paths.

Source: Bucks County Open Space and Greenways Plan – 2011

The other place electric bicycles are allowed to ride is On-Road Bike Lanes and Routes.
Bicycle routes and on-road bicycle lanes in the County are currently fairly limited. On-road bicycle lanes are lanes dedicated to bicyclists and marked accordingly. This is an area I can see great room for improvement in our area as we explore ways to reduce vehicle emissions and traffic on our urban centers and communities.

Lately, I have been exploring the Doylestown Hike & Bike System, and for the most part find it easy to navigate from my home in Buckingham Township all the way to 309 via the 202 Parkway Trail. I’m on lightly traveled streets through Doylestown, but then have various choices for connecting to the system to get to Del Val University, New Britain via the Neshaminy Greenway Trail, Central Park, etc.

One trail improvement I hope to see really soon is a connecting bike trail between Central Park and S Easton Road via New Britain Rd. The surface condition of New Britain Rd. is horrendous (for cars or bicycles) and it would be easy to add a bike lane in the area. This connector appears to be planned (actually says ‘in progress’), but has yet to be done. In the meantime, to get to Central Park I’ll come in the back way from Lower State Rd.

Here’s another map of our area that shows existing and proposed trails in the Doylestown Hike & Bike System.

Top 5 local trails worth exploring (source):

1) Delaware Canal Towpath

Five trails from 7.1 miles to 18.9 miles round trip

11 Lodi Hill Road, Upper Black Eddy, PA

There are five loop trails that make up the 165-mile D&L Trail, which is part of the National Heritage Corridor. The trails meander through towns and parks, where you can get exercise and a history lesson. On the trail is Washington Crossing Historic Park, where riders can view graves that date from the Revolutionary War as well as the Thompson Neely House that served as a field hospital during the war.

2) Tyler State Park

10.5 miles

101 Swamp Road, Newtown, PA

The trails at this state park are wide and paved for easy travel throughout the picturesque park. Picnic tables dot the paths for breaks, and the trails are clearly market at intersections. The park also offers horseback riding trails, a disc golf course, boating, and fishing.

3) Peace Valley Park

6 miles

264 Creek Road, New Britain, PA

This path winds through woods and over a reservoir around the man-made Lake Galena. Benches, picnic areas, restrooms, and playgrounds are available around the lake as well as a nature center. The park also has boating rentals and fishing docks. It is a popular spot for bird watching. Be on the lookout for some of the 250 bird species that have been spotted there.

4) Nockamixon State Park

2-mile paved path, 10-mile mountain bike trail

1542 Mountain View Dr., Quakertown, PA

A paved bike path begins at the Lake Nockamixon marina, but it’s not a loop, so save some energy for the return trip! A more adventurous 10-mile trail system for mountain bikes winds around the east side of Haycock Cove. The trail heads can be found off Tower and South Park roads and PA 563. The park also has camping, swimming, hiking, picnicking, fishing, wildlife watching, horseback riding, and hunting.

5) Doylestown Central Park

8.5 miles

425 Wells Road, Doylestown, PA

The park is the end point of the US 202 Parkway Trail that extends to Welsh Road in Montgomeryville with additional connections to the Doylestown Hike and Bike System. The paved path can be accessed at the parking lot at the New Britain Road entrance to the park, which also boasts Kids Castle play area, an amphitheater for outdoor performances, a fitness trail, a sensory trail, and nature areas where park goers can observe native plant and animal species.

When the weather warms up a bit, there’s no excuse keeping me from getting out and riding my e-bike. I find drivers in the area to be respectful of bicyclists when passing and at intersections and crosswalks. And ALWAYS wear a helmet ‘just in case’, and obey ALL traffic laws…

Here’s some additional light reading for those interested in future plans for bicycle enthusiasts in our community: