Map of bike paths / walking paths in the Harrisburg area

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Recreational trails for walking, running and cycling in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania

Harrisburg is located on the Susquehanna River in South Central Pennsylvania. It is also the state capital. Harrisburg has a rich history due to its part in the American Civil War and the city is home to the National Civil War Museum. This area is also the heart of the Pennsylvania Dutch community.

The city has a lengthy system of paved pathways that create the Capital Area Greenbelt. These pathways are for non-motorized use such as walking and bike riding. Other communites in this area include: Hershey, Lebanon, Aberdeen and Middletown.

Capital Area Greenbelt

The Capital Area Greenbelt is a 21-mile long system of mostly paved pathways that encircle the City of Harrisburg. Portions of the loop around the city include on-street sections. The trail goes along the riverfront and wraps back around the heart of the city passing a number of attractions. There are also pedestrian paths on the Harvey Taylor Bridge and the Market Street Bridge for crossing the river to get to Wormleysburg.

The Capital Area Greenbelt has a paved pathway along the Riverfront from Vaughn Street to Phoenix Park just south of Sycamore Street. At Walnut Street there is a pedestrian bridge across the river to reach City Island. This bridge is a historic old trestle bridge that was once used by the railroads. City Island has pretty views of the river and the stone and trestle bridges.

The Capital Area Greenbelt heads to the east at Phoenix Park and reaches as far as Paxton Street. The paved trail picks up again at Derry Street and goes through a pretty forested section over to Penbrook Park, Harrisburg High School and Market Street Road.

A separate section of the Capital Area Greenbelt goes past Harrisburg Area Community College and Wildwood Lake on the north side of the downtown area.

Stony Valley Rail Trail

The Stony Valley Rail Trail is a 20-mile long unpaved pathway locatd to the north of Harrisburg. The trail was constructed along the historic Schuylkill and Susquehanna Railroad right-of-way and travels through thick woodlands. The trail is open for mountain bike riding, horses and hiking.

Along the route, trail users can see artifacts of the abandoned villages and railroad. There are old stone towers, the Rausch Gap Cemetery, the stone arch bridge and the Victoria Iron Furnace.

Jonathan Eshenour Memorial Trail

The Jonathan Eshenour Memorial Trail is a system of paved pathways located in the Township of Derry. The trail system was named in memory of Jonathan Eshenour, a member of the community that was fatally injured in a biking accident. The trails wander through the residential neighborhoods to the south of State Highway 322 and southwest of Hershey.

Lebanon Valley Rails to Trails & Conewago Recreation Trail

The Lebanon Valley Rails to Trails is a 15-mile long unpaved path that spans between the City of Lebanon and the Lancaster County Line to the southeast of Harrisburg. The trail was built along an abandoned railroad right-of-way and travels cross country through farmland and forested areas.

The Conewago Recreation Trail is a 5-mile long unpaved pathway that connects to the south end of the Lebanon Valley Rails to Trails. The trail heads to the southwest along the same abandoned railroad corridor. The Conewagon Recreation Trail has a surface of compacted crushed limestone.

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Resources

Following are links to official off-site resources to find out more details about the recreational trails located in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania