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.

Delaware Canal State Park, PA - Frenchtown NJ to Riegelsville PA Bike with Ringing Rocks County Park PA Hike

ABOUT THE PARK: 

Trail Section: Durham Aqueduct to Tinicum Park - Delaware & Lehigh National Heritage Corridor

Ringing Rocks County Park - Bucks County

Delaware Canal Towpath and Giving Pond - Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

Delaware & Raritan Canal State Park - New Jersey Division of Parks and Forestry

Delaware Canal State Park - Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

Highlands Trail in Pennsylvania - Pennsylvania Highlands

DIRECTIONS: 

GPS Coordinates 40.51664, -75.06258

D&R Canal State Park Riverview Parking Lot (There is a large lot in Frenchtown but I prefer not to park there because Frenchtown gets packed later in the day.)

TRAIL MAP: 

Delaware & Raritan Canal State Park - New Jersey Division of Parks and Forestry

Delaware Canal State Park - Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

Ringing Rocks County Park Trail Map - Bucks County

DISTANCES: 

Bike - 25.4 miles

Hike - 3 miles

THE BIKE AND HIKE: 

From the Riverview parking lot there is actually no path to the trail - you just have to make your way through not-so-short wet grass and a ditch to get there.

Right on the path into Frenchtown.

Completely empty parking lot in Frenchtown at 7 AM.  It would be packed in the afternoon.

Crossing the street up ahead and left ...

... over the bridge.

The Delaware River was fogged in this early in the morning.

The other side of the bridge a left on Route 32 for a short distance then ...

... the first right on Uhlerstown Hill Road.

Just before the covered bridge ...

... signs on the left direct to the canal trail.

Right on the canal trail under the covered bridge.

A very short distance ahead, right on a wide mowed path into Giving Pond Recreation Area.

Giving Pond in the fog.

Who is that flying around?

It's an osprey!  I had never seen one along the Delaware River before.

Continuing on around the recreation area.

The pond views are to the left through picnic areas.

Coming out at the main parking lot where poop bags await pickup by that elusive Poop Fairy.

To the left is a boat launch.

Continuing through the parking lot to mowed paths on the other side.  They are a bit confusing because some lead nowhere so you kind of have to feel your way around.

A view from the far side of Giving Pond where ...

... that osprey was again.

There were also tons of killdeer hopping around on that piece of land jutting out into the water but they are so camouflaged I did not capture a single one in my pictures.

Finally found my way out to the road where I turned left ...

... then right just before the bridge ...

... back to the canal trail.

The trail becomes really narrow at times.

Just after going under this bridge ...

... there is a path on the right leading up to and over the bridge to access Ringing Rocks County Park.  This is also the route of the Highlands Trail in Pennsylvania.

Looking down at the canal trail from the bridge.

The path leads to the parking lot where there is no place to secure a bike.

So I continued on through the parking lot to the trail walking the bike in search of a place to lock it up.

After crossing Route 32 up some steps ...

... and up the hill to where I finally found a place to secure my bike and change from biking gear into hiking gear.

Following the Highlands Trail up, pretty steeply at times.

At the top is the white-blazed loop trail around the boulder field.  The Highlands Trail blazes end here, presumably because there is no connection to Nockamixon State Park yet.

There are a few access trails along the way to the boulder field.

Passing by the kiosk where a parking lot is to the right.

Where else can you see children wielding hammers?  Didn't really hear any ringing, just a bunch of clunking.

Continuing on around ...

... to a trail on the right to ...

High Falls

Then to a path down to the creek.

High Falls Creek

Finishing the loop, right on the Highlands Trail to retrace back down.

Back at the bike to change from hiking gear back into biking gear.

Crossing Route 32 which was pretty busy at this point.

Back at the canal trail and continuing on.

The Delaware River comes into view ...

... with Nockamixon Cliffs on the left.

This was going to be my turn around point meeting up with where I left off almost exactly 9 years before on May 14, 2017  But it was such a gorgeous day I decided to continue on to Riegelsville.

At the backside of the Riegelsville Inn, turning around to head back.

Turning left the other side of the covered bridge.

Back through a much busier Frenchtown.

Just beyond the 29 1/2 mile marker, Riverview parking lot on the left.