Special Features : Bikes & Beaches Trails

Cape Henlopen State Park / Junction & Breakwater Trail

Cape Henlopen’s peninsula features 4 miles of glistening sandy beach and rolling Atlantic waves (pictured right). It attracts thousands of seasonal visitors who enjoy ocean swimming and sunbathing. The two designated swimming beaches at Cape Henolopen State Park provide lifeguard patrols from Memorial Day weekend until Labor Day. The northern swimming area features a modern bath house with showers, changing rooms and food concession.

There are both a 3-mile paved bicycle trail and a crushed stone surface rail trail ( Junction & Breakwater Trail ) at Cape Henolopen State Park. This is an ideal place for a combined family bike trip / day at the beach excursion.

Assateague State Park & National Seashore : Eastern Shore Region

Assateague State Park, Maryland’s only ocean park has 2 miles of ocean beach (pictured right) for swimming, beachcombing and sunbathing. The bayside offers canoeing to secluded coves. The beach is always changing due to the storms that effect this windswept barrier island. The cool sea breezes, solitude of remote sections of beach and of course, that plunge into refreshing ocean waters make Assateague the perfect place to relax after biking.

Lifeguards are on duty from 10AM to 5PM at designated swimming areas during the summer. Facilities include campground, campstore, restrooms, food & beverage, bath house, boat lanch and nature center. Beware of biting insects. They shouldn’t be much of a problem daytime on the beach with an ocean breeze. Toward dusk when the breezes subside is a different story. Bring an effective insect repellent.

Deep Creek Lake State Park : Western Region

After mountain biking the meadow mountain trails at Deep Creek Lake State Park, head back down to Deep Creek Lake, Maryland’s largest freshwater lake. The park’s one mile shoreline provides a sandy beach with roped off swimming area and lifeguards. Facilities include campground, bath house, restrooms, picnic tables, grills, shelters and playground. If you have time, try paddling the Meadow Mountain Cove Water Trail.

Gunpowder Falls State Park : Central Region

Enjoy biking the trails this summer at Gunpowder Falls State Park, home to the 21 mile Northern Central Rail Trail (NCR). After your ride head for the Hammerman Area of the Park, located in Chase near the intersection of Eastern Avenue and Grace Quarters Road features a gorge-like wilderness setting and offers 1,500 feet of beach and a swimming on the banks of the Gunpowder River. The swimming area is supervised by lifeguards from Memorial Day to Labor Day. Swimming permitted at your own risk when lifeguards are not on duty. There are picnic tables and grills in the Hammerman as well as 3 picnic shelters available for rent.

A popular activity during the hot summer months is tubing along the Big Gunpowder Falls. The pools and riflles make for a relaxed float trip with a few thrills. Bunker Hill Road and York Road provide easy put-in/take-out locations for tubing.

Water temperatures do not go above 60 degrees, due to the releases from the cold waters at the depths of Prettyboy Reservoir to maintain the trout fishery. Along the way you may spot signs of beaver activity and the cool steep-sided wooded ravine is the perfect habitat for laurels and hemlocks. Picnic tables are available at Bunker Hill Road for those who like to make a day trip.

Herrington Manor Trail System : Western Region

Herrington Manor State Park features 10 miles of mostly double-track trails open to mountain biking which lead into the adjoining Garrett State Forest. The man-made 53-acre Herrington Manor Lake with an average depth of only 8 ft., provides a beach area for your post ride swim. The lake was created by the CCC in the early 1930’s by damming Herrington Creek. It is now open from dawn till dusk for swimming and boating. The Lake House has restrooms, showers and snacks. Other facilities include campground, cabins, boat rentals and picnic area.

Gifford Pinchot State Park : Pennsylvania Dutch Region

Gifford Pinchot State Park offers beaches for swimming, boating and fishing on beautiful Pinchot Lake (pictured right) and a multi-use trail system for mountain biking, hiking and cross-country skiing. A large, accessible beach in the Quaker Race Day Use Area is open from late-May to mid-September, 8 a.m. to sunset. Lifeguards are on duty from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily from Memorial Day weekend to Labor Day, unless otherwise posted. Please read and follow posted rules for swimming when lifeguards are off-duty. Boat rental, picnic facilities, snack bar and children’s play area are near the swimming beach.

McDade Recreational Trail : Pocono Mountains Region

The McDade Recreational Trail is located on the Pennsylvania side of the scenic Delaware Water Gap. The trail winds for most of the way along the Delaware River between the low forested mountains of Pennsylvania and New Jersey offering awesome views. Along the way the trail passes Smithfield Beach where you can find restrooms, changing rooms, shaded picnic areas, facilities for swimming and boating. Lifeguards are on duty during the summer.

Prince Gallatzin State Park : Southern Allegheny Region

6,249-acre Prince Gallitzin State Park is located in the scenic Allegheny Plateau Region of Pennsylvania. Activities center on and around the beautiful 1,600-acre Glendale Lake. A 20 mile snowmobile trail network is open to mountain bikes north of the lake. The main sand beach at the Muskrat Beach Area is open 8am-sunset from mid-May to mid-September. There is a food concession, modern bathhouse and large picnic area. Across the lake is a campground, with campstore and another swimming beach (closer to the mountain bike trails). Cabin and boat rentals are also available in the park.

Raccoon Creek State Park : Pittsburgh Region

Raccoon Creek State Park offers over 17 miles of multi-use trails and roads for mountain biking over a wide variety of terrain. The 7,500 acre park also features beautiful Raccoon Lake. Most of the mountain bike trails are on the west side of the park so ride east on the park road to the lake for a refreshing post ride swim. The lake’s 800 ft. sand/turf beach (pictured above right) is open from late May until mid-September, with lifeguard service from Memorial Day weekend-Labor Day. There is a bathhouse, food concession and picnic areas. Nearby are the campground, modern cabins and boat rental for canoes, rowboats or kayaks.

R.B.Winter State Park State Park : Susquehanna Valley Region

MR.B.Winter State Park may be small at 695 acres, but make it your home base for easy access to the mountain bike trails in the Bald Eagle State Forest. There are almost 50 miles of trails and nearly 100 miles of connecting forest roads ideal for mountain biking. R,B. Winter State Park has a 300 foot white sand swimming beach on Halfway Lake, perfect for some post-ride relaxation. It is open daily from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend. Swim at your own risk. Facilities include a beachhouse with restrooms and dressing rooms, a beach volleyball court, children’s play area and food concession. A 59-site campground with showers, 3 camping cottages and a modern log cabin are within walking distance of the beach.

Switchback Trail : Mountain Biking Pocono Mountains Region

Midway between Jim Thorpe and Summit Hill lies Mauch Chunk Lake Park, with the 330 acre pristine Lake as its centerpiece. This is a great place to stop for a post ride swim on a hot summer day after riding any of the Jim Thorpe Area Mountain Bike Trails. The day use area has a swimming beach with lifeguard, bathhouse, food concession, picnic area, canoe, kayak & rowboat rentals, campground and campstore. Beach hours from 11am-7pm, Memorial Day to Labor Day. The historic Switchback Rail Trail, offers miles of easy cycling and can be accessed right from the park.