sign in sign up
<<
Home , Perkiomen Trail, Schuylkill River

PA Highlands Network Update

Patricia McCloskey September 2016 PA Highlands Trail Network Update Prepared for Eastern PA Greenways and Summit September 2016

The Highlands Region PA Highlands Trail Network PA Highlands Trail Network

• Will cover over 300 miles • Links the conservation areas and interprets the resources of the PA Highlands • Co-aligns with and connects to trails like the D&L, Perkiomen, Schuylkill Trail, Horse-Shoe, and Mason-Dixon; • Creates new trails in Bucks and Montgomery Counties • Includes different landscapes and trail types PHTN connects major spines of The Circuit

• Part of The Circuit with D&L and Trails as major spines • Will provide connections in the Circuit PHTN: South Bethlehem Greenway to Saucon Rail Trail

• From the D&L, connect South Bethlehem Greenway to Saucon Rail Trail in Hellertown • Link the city’s cultural and historic resources to more rural / suburban areas to the south • Roughly 0.9 mile gap PHTN: Southern Route to Ringing Rocks Park

• PA Highlands Trail begins in Riegelsville, PA • Co-aligns on D&L Trail • Heading southeast will link to Ringing Rocks Co. Park • Eventually will link to and continue west toward Quakertown PHTN in Ringing Rocks Park

• Establishes a 1.5 mile trail along former logging road • Will link to D&L Trail to the north • Issues include state road crossing and acquisition of small adjacent parcel • 8 mile gap from Ringing Rocks Co. Park west to Nockamixon State Park

PHTN: Saucon Rail Trail to Upper Bucks Rail Trail

• Runs from Hellertown to Coopersburg • 6.8 miles in length • Will link to Upper Bucks Rail Trail at the Bucks line • Small gap on southern end of trail

PHTN: Upper Bucks Rail Trail

• Closes a 3 mile gap • Connects Lehigh and Bucks Counties • County & Townships support in 2014-2015 • Lease with SEPTA • Small privately owned parcel to negotiate • Engineering underway PHTN in Quakertown Closing the Quakertown Region Gaps

• South of Quakertown, PHTN follows municipal and HOA trails in Richland and Milford Townships • Need to close small gaps • PHTN continues west to Unami Hills through Milford Township Closing the Unami Hills Gap

• Unique geology and forested hillsides, follows Unami Creek • Opportunities in preserved lands: NLT’s Fulshaw-Craig Preserve, Rogers-Heister Preserve; Easements in Musser Scout Camp, Zeigler Nature Preserve • Approx. 7 mile gap • Closing this gap will connect to in Montgomery County

PHTN: Perkiomen Trail to

• The PA Highlands Trail will connect to and co-align with Perkiomen Trail in Green Lane • Connects to Schuylkill River Trail in Oaks • Follows Schuylkill River Trail west to Big Woods Trail PHTN: SRT - Big Woods Trail - Horse-Shoe Trail

• PHTN will co-align on Big Woods and Horse-Shoe Trails • New ADA segment connects to Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site • Big Woods Trail will total 12 miles and connect to the 140-mile long Horse-Shoe Trail

Other PA Highlands Trail Gaps

• Heading west the PHTN coaligns with the Horse- Shoe Trail, the Lebanon Valley Rail Trail, Conewago Trail, Northwest River Trail, the Mason Dixon Trail and the AT • Gaps to Conewago and Mason Dixon Trails from the Northwest River Trail Moving Forward on the PA Highlands Trail

• Outreach and education about the Highlands • Work with partners to close priority PA Highlands trail gaps • Identify potential trail spur routes • Sign and blaze the PA Highlands Trail

Questions and Comments

pahighlands.org