Forums >General Running>Trail suggestions?
I live about 45 minutes south of Philadelphia. Looking for some good trail running where my fiancee and I could spend two or three days running. Would like to keep the drive to under three hours. Most information I find online doesn't tell me enough to let me know if the trails are good running trails, ie how many miles of trails, type of terrain, etc.
Camping or hotel is fine.
Thanks!
Tom
Yeah, well...sometimes nothin' can be a real cool hand.
The Appalachian trail is not far from you. It's Hilly and can be rocky in places but really nice in others. The AT in the Shenandoahs is relatively easy, compared to some of the more rocky sections. You can either car camp or stay at one of the lodges there. The 27 mile Catoctin Trail is also not too far -- it's near Frederick, MD. Batona Trail in NJ is flat and sandy - it's 50 miles long. Canal running is easy and flat, from Philly you have a choice of the 184 mile C&O in MD or the 60 mile Delaware Canal.
runktrun
Ridley Creek SP near Media, and White Clay Creek SP in Delaware!
Not running for my health, but in spite of it.
On On
I live about 45 minutes south of Philadelphia. Looking for some good trail running where my fiancee and I could spend two or three days running. Would like to keep the drive to under three hours. Most information I find online doesn't tell me enough to let me know if the trails are good running trails, ie how many miles of trails, type of terrain, etc. Camping or hotel is fine. Thanks! Tom
Within 3 hours of South Philly you could be in 5 or 6 states. You really need to narrow it down a little. Do you want to run point to point? Do you want to run and out and back each day? Do you want to have to travel in between running each day by car to get to the next place? How long do you want to be out on the trails? About how many miles are you thinking of going each day? Time of year? Do you care about wildlife? Are you familiar with rocks and roots or do you want it to be a wide groomed trail?
I don't know every park within 3 hours of you but it sounds like a fun trip I'd like to plan for myself.
NJ Trail Series NJ Trail Series on Facebook NY NJ Runners Group @rickmcnulty
http://www.hikewnc.info/trailheads/pisgah-national-forest/
400 miles of trails in Pisgah Forest. They are all marked from easy to very difficult. Also hundreds of miles of fire roads.
Lots of campgrounds or hotels. Hotels stay full during leaf season. If you are interested I will try to help you.
If you can't find a room you can camp and come by my house to get a shower. I am only 20 miles away.
Peak leaf season should be mid oct.
It is best to run a route with some easy and some hard trails. I can help ya'll with that.
Thanks, everyone! Some great ideas. Kilkee, I run White Clay Creek all the time - it is wonderful! Sometimes I forget how good I have it, living so close to such nice trails.
It is true, from my location I have tons of options. I've just been unable to get a read on what would make a good trail running mini-vacation. Trail length and terrain aren't always mentioned.
Anyway, thanks everyone for the tips.
The link I sent has lots of impho but you really have to run the trails to find out.
They have a rangers station with very nice volunteers but If I am running some trails for the first time I talk to the forest rangers that maintain the trails. You can usually find them around were they keep their trucks like around the fish hatchery .
They have saved me from getting lost before and lost in 500000 acres is lost.
Mabe you can find who is maintaining the trails were you want to go for some first hand impho.
I have a friend who runs the Glacier Ridge Trail, Portersville, Pennsylvania. I've never been there but his photos are stunning.
Ha, read that wrong, thought you were looking for a day trip, not 2-3 days of running. The Gunks/mohonk preserve/Minnewaska SP outside New Paltz, NY is awesome. Some single track, lots of forest roads, beautiful terrain. Harriman SP near West Point. You might have already visited, but French Creek near Birdsboro is a closer trip. Michaux state forest near Shippensburg has the AT as well as forest roads. I can't think of much that is solely a network of single track that would be worth multiple days of running, though.
http://www.hikewnc.info/trailheads/pisgah-national-forest/ 400 miles of trails in Pisgah Forest. They are all marked from easy to very difficult. Also hundreds of miles of fire roads. Lots of campgrounds or hotels. Hotels stay full during leaf season. If you are interested I will try to help you. If you can't find a room you can camp and come by my house to get a shower. I am only 20 miles away. Peak leaf season should be mid oct. It is best to run a route with some easy and some hard trails. I can help ya'll with that.
If you go anywhere near here, you have to go to the sliding rock!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nv228RlQs5A
Sliding rock is great. One of the tricks locals do is dare someone to go down nude in dec.
The trick is the water temp is the same as in july. Cold.