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Pennsylvania

The highlight of the route is traveling through downtown Philadelphia, best known for its rich history, monuments of liberty, and, of course, the Philly cheesesteak.

Total Miles, Spine Route

57

Miles of Protected Greenway

26

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Click the map for an interactive version

Current Progress

The highlight of the Greenway's route through Pennsylvania is traveling along the Schuylkill Banks into downtown Philadelphia, best known for its rich history, monuments of liberty, and, of course, the Philly cheesesteak.

The Greenway enters Morrisville, Pennsylvania, from Trenton, New Jersey, over the Lower Trenton Bridge before connecting to the southernmost segment of the D&L Trail down to Bristol along the historic Delaware Canal. From Bristol to Philadelphia, much of the route is on road until more of the Greenway is built along the Delaware River. However, Northeast Philadelphia’s Riverfront North section of the Delaware Trail does include a growing number of trail segments, which will be connected in the coming years, linking to the existing Delaware River Trail in Center City. The Greenway connects across Center City Philadelphia along Spring Garden Street, which has been funded for the design and construction of traffic-separated bikeways and sidewalks to link six neighborhoods between the Delaware River Trail and the Schuylkill River Trail near the iconic Philadelphia Museum of Art. The Schuylkill Banks segments of trail have only two more gaps along the Greenway before connecting with Southwest Philadelphia, the 58th Street Greenway, and the growing Cobbs Creek Trail being developed down to the John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge’s network of trails at the southwestern edge of the city.

In Delaware County, the Greenway is mostly on road except for a couple segments of the Industrial Heritage Trail in Tinicum along State Road 291 and along the Chester Riverfront Trail, which includes beautiful views of the Delaware River. While segments of trails are developed, the Greenway follows much of Pennsylvania Bike Route E on road through Delaware County before crossing into Claymont, Delaware, by way of Marcus Hook.

In Greater Philadelphia, the Greenway taps into a much larger network of trails, the Circuit Trails, which includes growing connections out from the city into the surrounding suburban counties in both PA and NJ. This includes a second connection into New Jersey via the Ben Franklin Bridge Walkway along the complementary route of the East Coast Greenway that is in various stages of development to link Camden to Trenton, also known as the Delaware River Heritage Trail, which will eventually create a trail loop of over 70 miles between Trenton and Philadelphia along the Delaware River.

Access by transit with bicycles: The Greenway parallels much of the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transit Authority (SEPTA) Regional Rail in Pennsylvania, as well as into New Jersey and Delaware, making multimodal trips possible with off-peak bike access on the trains (see SEPTA’s bike and ride policy for details). This includes stops along the  Trenton Line between Center City and Trenton (see connections to NJ Transit at Trenton Transit Center); and it includes stops in Chester, Claymont, Wilmington and Newark along the Wilmington Newark Line from Center City through Delaware County and Delaware. SEPTA’s bus lines also include bike racks on the front of the buses, with many routes overlapping with the Greenway route. For service to and from Camden County, travelers can bring bicycles on board PATCO trains, with connections to NJ Transit buses and the Riverline. and Additionally, Amtrak has bike-accessible train service to and from William H. Gray III 30th Street Station.

Pennsylvania Contacts

Enhancing the Mid-Atlantic's East Coast Greenway | Daniel Paschall

Designated Trails in Pennsylvania

Mileage counts reflect the portion of each trail that is part of East Coast Greenway.

  • Delaware Canal State Park Trail, Bucks Co.; 9 mi

  • Bristol Spur Line Park Trail, Bristol; 0.7 mi

  • Pennypack Creek Park Trail, Philadelphia; 1.5 mi

  • Port Richmond Trail, Philadelphia; 1.6 mi

  • K&T Trail, Lardner’s Point Park section, Philadelphia; 0.1 mi

  • Penn St. Trail, Philadelphia; 0.25 mi

  • Schuylkill River Trail, Philadelphia; 1.8 mi

  • Schuylkill Boardwalk, Philadelphia; 0.4 mi

  • Bartrams Garden Trail, Philadelphia; 0.3 mi

  • Gray’s Ferry Crescent, Philadelphia; 0.7 mi

  • Cobb’s Creek Trail, Philadelphia; 1.8 mi

  • 58th St. Connector, Philadelphia; 0.7 mi

  • Heinz NWR Trail, Philadelphia; 4 mi

  • Rt 291 Sidepath, Eddystone PA; 0.15 mi

  • Chester Riverwalk, Chester; 1.35 mi

runners in philly on greenway
Runners on the Schuylkill River Trail in Philadelphia

Greenway Guidance

While the East Coast Greenway Alliance is constantly improving the safety of the Greenway route through its advocacy efforts, many of the current on-road connections, including those on the Greenway’s interim routes, have little or no special provisions for bicyclists or pedestrians. Long-distance travel via on-road sections of the Greenway is recommended for experienced cyclists only. Many lengthy traffic-free segments of the Greenway are suitable for families and cyclists, walkers and runners of all ages and abilities. 

The current on-road routing is housed on low-traffic roads whenever possible. We aim to be as clear as we are able about the conditions riders can expect by including alerts for known stressful sections on our online mapping tool at map.greenway.org. Directional signage may or may not be present along the route. Users are advised to review state traffic laws, research current road conditions and discuss plans with people familiar with area roadways.

This website provides information for the public about trails and roads for traveling the interim route of the East Coast Greenway and their general suitability for long-distance cycling and walking. The East Coast Greenway Alliance and those involved with the development and publication of this website do not assume any liability for injuries, damage or loss to persons using this information or the routes suggested. People using this information are responsible for their own safety and should take appropriate precautions. 

Our Partners in Pennsylvania

Partners include but are not limited to:

News and features of interest

snett walkers 2
October 17, 2023

Massachusetts, Florida additions highlight new East Coast Greenway segments

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March 22, 2023

East Coast Greenway expansion gains record $22.4 million in new Congressional funding

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August 30, 2022

Video: Philadelphia's Spring Garden Street Connector

Want to see the Greenway grow in Pennsylvania?

Together, let's grow the Greenway

Recent record-setting funding for design and construction goes directly to building the East Coast Greenway - as it should. The East Coast Greenway Alliance needs your support to continue our advocacy work that is fueling completion of the Greenway. The Alliance has a sustained track record of turning every dollar donated to our nonprofit into $100 in public infrastructure investment. Invest today and support the growth of the East Coast Greenway from Maine to Florida.