For those who like to ride their bikes or hike on trails where car and truck traffic is just a distant noise, Berks County has a wide variety of trails for all tastes. All of the trails in this list are suitable for bicycles and hikers. Each trail description has a recommendation as to what types of bicycles are suitable.
The suitability of a bicycle for a given trail in this list is determined mostly by the size of its tires. The common sizes are as follows:
Road Bike Tire size - 700 X 23 MM. These light, narrow tires
are suitable for paved surfaces only.
General Use Bike Tire size - 27 X 1.25 In. These tires are mainly for
road use, but are O.K. on hard packed dirt or gravel.
Hybrid Bike Tire size - 700 X 38 MM. The hybrid bike is a semi-
mountain bike and the tires are big enough for most
trails.
Mountain Bike Tire size - 26 X 2.1 In. These tires (and larger) are
used on mountain bikes for rough trails and soft dirt.
If you would like to make suggestions or comments, send e-mail to:
robertf990@aol.com
Blue Marsh Lake -- An Army Corps of Engineers lake and recreation area that has many miles of biking and hiking trails.
Carr's Recreation Park--A facility with many types of trails.
Schuylkill River Trail--A nice scenic two mile trail.
Laurel Run Recreation Park--An old silt basin next to the park is surprisingly nice.
The Thun Trail--A rail trail that keeps getting better and longer.
Union Canal Towpath--A beautiful trail along the Tulpehocken Creek.