Saucon and Upper Bucks Rail Trails, PA with the Highlands Trail

ABOUT THE PARKS: 

Saucon Rail Trail

Upper Bucks Rail Trail - TrailLink

Pennsylvania Highlands Trail Network

DIRECTIONS: 

GPS Coordinates 40.57980, -75.34447 

Parking at Water Street Park

TRAIL MAPS:

Saucon Rail Trail Maps

Upper Bucks Rail Trail Map - Bucks County (does not show the Highlands Trail)

Highlands Trail Spur from Richland Township Parks and Recreation Facebook Page

DISTANCES:     

Bike - 22.6 miles

Hike - 2 miles

Biked together with Jordan Creek Greenway Trail - 7.2 miles

THE BIKE AND HIKE: 

There was no hike planned because I was not aware of any trails along the way.  It was a big surprise to run into this spur of the Highlands Tail.

The Saucon Rail Trail runs along the parking lot.  Heading to the left first to capture a short section to that end of the trail.

The trail just ends with this gate on the right.

Heading back.

Passing by the parking lot.

There are several street crossings along the way.

Wagner-Holum Farmstead

All kinds of families on the trail.

At this sign the Saucon Rail Trail ends and the Upper Bucks Rail Trail begins.

Almost at the end I noticed this nature trail on the left.  Can't pass by without checking that out.

Turns out it is the Highlands Trail.

There are several downed trees that can be stepped over.

There were also some areas of overgrowth but the trail was easy to follow.

Then the trail follows a pretty creek for quite some time.

At a huge, impassable downed tree a very faint trail went to the left of it and came out here.

Seems the trail continued through that downed tree and would have stayed in the woods coming out to the right of that building.  I could have continued, turned right on the road and walked through Veterans Park to make a loop by why when I could go back through the woods?

And that is what I did.

Coming back out on the Upper Bucks Rail Trail.

Continuing into Veterans Park and looping around on the bike.

According to the Pennsylvania Highlands Trail Network the Highlands Trail runs the entire length of the Saucon and Upper Bucks Rail Trails but this is the only marker I saw other than the spur though the woods.

Heading back.

The end of the Upper Bucks Rail Trail and the start of the Saucon Rail Trail.

Not something you see every day on a rail trail.

Back at the parking lot.

O&W Rail Trail, NY - Accord to Kingston with High Falls

ABOUT THE PARK: 

The O&W Trail

Marbletown O&W Rail Trail - Marbletown, NY

The O&W Connector Trail - Kingston Greenline

DIRECTIONS: 

GPS Coordinates 41.81960, -74.16264

Rest Plaus Road Parking

TRAIL MAP: 

O&W Trail Trail Brochure and Map - Marbletown, NY

BIKE DISTANCE: 30.4 miles (about 2 miles of walking included)

THE BIKE: 

If you are expecting a nice smooth crushed stone rail trail you will be very disappointed.  But if you are down for some rocks and roots and lumps and bumps over every kind of trail surface imaginable it's a bit more of a challenging scenic ride.  The really nice part is that most of the world is over at the more manicured trails so this one is more lightly traveled.  All dogs were leashed (which is really important for bikers) and there were no e-bikes at all.  I found it to be a very pleasant ride.

Up to the trail from the parking lot and going left to capture the southern end of this completed section of trail.

Coming up on a lumber yard ...

... the trail turns right on the road a short distance ...

... then left just past the 302 mailbox.

This bridge had a couple of nails sticking up that would have punctured a tire for sure.  I was able to remove the one board (it was the first loose one) and pull out the other nail.

Just half a mile from the end a gnarly blowdown (three tree trunks) that was not worth navigating over with the bike so I turned back.

Back across the street to the red lumber yard building.

A better shot of the grist mill with the waterfall in this direction.

Passing by where I parked ...

... and continuing over Rest Plaus Road.

At High Falls ...

... a very short steep downhill section to Route 213.

It is totally worth it go leave the trail here and explore High Falls.

Right on Route 213 over the bridge over ...

Rondout Creek

Veering left on Old Route 213 ...

... and keeping straight all the way to the end at ...

... the D&H Canal Museum.  I would have liked to have gone in but I was there at 9 AM and they open at 10 AM.

I locked up my bike and walked over to the other side of the museum to start the 5 Lock Walk.

It's only half a mile long and ends at Depew Road.

Heading back.

You can't quite see the Canal House with the foliage but it's that roof and chimney up ahead.

A better view around the trees.

Directly across Route 213 from the museum is a road that leads to some short trails and a paved road to the falls.

Rondout Creek

It's pretty challenging to get a bike through this twisty entrance but I managed eventually.  There is another at the exit. 

The lower falls.

The upper falls.

Back to Route 213 to cross back over that bridge.

Just past Abbott Automotive, right on to the O&W Rail Trail.

There is a dotted section on the map that is referred to as "rough trail."  I wasn't quite sure what that meant because the trail had been pretty rough in spots already.  But it really wasn't bad.  You just have to walk your bike because it is a VERY steep downhill then a VERY steep uphill where a bridge is missing.  The interpretive sign about that is on the other side - I'd hit that on the way back because somebody was reading it when I passed going this way.

Going down does not look steep in the picture but trust me, it is very steep and rutted.

The bottom part is ridable across the bridge.

Then it is an even steeper section uphill.  And that is the "rough section."

At Cottekill Road the crosswalk send you diagonally over to the fire station.

That is not the trail through the grass, that is somebody's driveway.  Continue on the paved fire station drive ...

... then to the left of the fire station.

There is a bench at Beaver Pond that makes for a great break spot.

Green Heron

Just after this sign ...

... it's paved trail to the end.

Up ahead at the kiosk it's a hard right turn on the O&W Connector.

Under the New York Thruway...

... to the end of the trail in Kingston.

Heading back.

Great Blue Heron

Grabbed the bench at Beaver Pond for another break ...

... and watched another (the same?) green heron fly in.

Passing back by the Cottekill Fire Station.

Here is the interpretive sign for the "rough section" showing the original bridge that used to span across this section.  It was dismantled and sold for scrap metal hence the newer bridge down below. 

At High Falls you are supposed to go left and cross at the light but there was no traffic so I crossed on over here.

Some of the gnarly roots on the trail.  I had become pretty good at dodging them but some sections were better walked over.  My water bottle had flown out of the hold twice going over roots.

Mohonk Mountain House in the distance and dark rain clouds moving in.  The rain managed to hold off until minutes after I was heading home.

Back at Rest Plaus Road and the parking lot.

I was only 2 miles from my favorite farm stand.  I try to stop here whenever I can in the summer.  They have the best vegetables, especially the corn - no salt or butter needed.

All of this organic produce for only $40.