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Print Friendly MapLocated about 25 miles east of Philadelphia, the Pemberton Rail-Trail is an excellent example of grassroots activism resulting in the creation of a community-based rail-trail. The Pemberton Rotary Club was largely responsible for creating the trail, having taken the leadership role in planning, developing and maintaining the trail.
The trail begins at Hanover Street by a restored railroad station that serves as a museum. Several old train cars and assorted other railroad artifacts are found here. The trail is wooded on both sides and crosses a stream at about the midpoint.
The trail is part of a larger, developing regional trail system called the Rancocas Greenway, which will one day span 25 miles.
From the north, take the NJ Turnpike to Route 206; then take County Route 530 East into South Pemberton. Take a left (north) onto Hanover Street. Follow this for about 0.5 miles and you'll see an old passenger station on the left. Park here where it is approved and safe.
This was a great place to jog. I just did the loop, (not the tail part of it) and that was 2.5 miles. Benches along the way which I used to stretch before and after. The trails were pretty with the colorful fall trees. It was quiet until you get to the street part, but it’s a short distance.
So today on bike started at water plant and at split I went right. More natural trail. Great for mountain bikes but still easy walking. Pushing a stroller might be challenging. Curves and a slight incline. Very scenic along the creek almost all the way. Ending at the waterfalls very cool spot. 1.7 miles. Returned same way. I saw a sign saying That said state park ?
Nice flat wide trail. Good for walk, run or bike. We stayed to left at the fork and trail ended at an old train station. Wawa was next door in case your in need of a drink or restroom.
This is a great local option. We walked the triangle (south branch-north branch-Hanover St). Great for youngsters on foot or bicycle.
My wife and I moved to the Hearthstone community two years ago and love to walk the rail trail. Unfortunately, the trail has been blocked by multiple tree debris and is beyond passable. It has been a month since anything has been done. Can I get an update.
WE FIRST CAME TO LIVE IN PEMBERTON THREE YEARS AGO, AND WE WERE DELIGHTED TO FIND THE R-T TRAIL. WE WALKED IT ALMOST EVERY WEEK--WITH MY WIFE, OUR GRANDCHILDREN, ETC.
BUT FOR THE LAST TWO OR THREE MONTHS, IT HAS BECOME IMPASSABLE WITH SEVERAL TREES BLOCKING THE PATH, INCLUDING ON THE "Y" THAT RETURNS TO HANOVER STREET. WE HOPED IT WOULD BE CLEARED DURING THE SUMMER, BUT I GUESS THAT'S NOT GOING TO BE DONE!
PLEASE CLEAR THE FALLEN TREES!!! THANK YOU.
BOB AND FRITZIE
Short path, but was great for my 6 year old. Very flat and wide. Right next Wawa.
This trail was well kept and a smooth ride for my entire family of 7 ranging from 14 yrs old to my 3 yr old toddlers. It is a must see and ride!
"This is a great trail for a pleasant short bike ride or walk. If you like historic trains and RR artifacts, this trail offers these as a bonus. It would be even greater once the planned expansion is approved and realized."
"This trail may be short now, but the county has added the line to Florence to the parks master plan. For more on this, please see:
www.co.burlington.nj.us/announcements/press/details.asp?txtMonth=January&Number=13
AND
www.co.burlington.nj.us/announcements/press/presspics/kinkora2.jpg"
"The trail is shaped like a sideways ""Y."" I often jog this ""Y"" for a loop run of a tad over three miles from Pemberton to Birmingham, back along the creek and through town back to the historic train station, where parking is availbable. This loop is a tad over three miles.
Another option is to ride further west. From Birmingham continue on the paved road which parallels the remnants of the railroad. (The old railroad here westward is mostly on private property). Follow the railroad/paved road (Indian Trail Road), pass Rte 206 (very busy, road becomes Old Railroad Road), pass Smithville Park and eventually you end up in Mount Holly, the county seat of about 10,000 people and home to several nice eateries. Ride NE (go right on Pine Ave, or Rte 691) into town, take Right at first traffice light at Mill Road and Pine Ave, turn halfleft and return via Route 537 (wide shoulder), cross back over Rte 206 and then turn right on Birmingham road, a two-mile road with potholes and curves. You will end back at the railtrail. Ride back to the train station and you've got yourself a nice 19-mile rural-urban route full of history.
The original railroad went toward Philadelphia. In Mount Holly one can see the old remnants of the railroad south of the Baptist Cemetery. Some of the tracks have been cleared for a mile-long trail, but most are still there. The county will eventually develop the old trail and connect the trail to other town parks for a three-mile greenway. "
"The Pemberton Rail-Trail has a nice hard packed walking surface. The trail is a beautiful, tree-lined walkway. The river can be seen from several places. Watch out for the beaver! "
The Pemberton Rail-Trail has a smooth sand surface and runs through remnants of the Pine Barrens. The trail is actually only 1.25 miles end to end with a .75 mile spur. The old rail station makes this trail worth visiting.
"This is an absolutely delightful rail trail for a variety of reasons, the most important of which is that its hard packed surface is perfectly smooth and dry from end to end. For those of you who enjoy off-road bicycling but despise trails lined with rocks, tree stumps, mud, and/or standing water, this trail is for you! Besides being perfect for a short bike ride, this trail will have great appeal to families with young children because there is not a single pubic or private road crossing along its entire route.
There is a short branch trail loop off of the main trail. The branch trail’s surface is just as nice as the main trail, although the right-of-way there is a bit narrower. The branch trail loop provides a connection to Hanover Street in Pemberton, about 0.5 miles south of the main trailhead, which is located at an old railroad station.
Mile markers and sitting benches are stationed at 1/4-mile intervals along the main trail branch, and there are many left-behind railroad artifacts that may be found at the old railroad station and along the trail route as well.
This is a very nice rail trail; the local Rotary Club did a fantastic job of developing the abandoned railroad property into a heavily used recreational path. However, the trail is much too short to warrant driving a long distance to visit. Hopefully a trail extension initiative will take place at some point in the near future."
"I use the trail most everyday for jogging. It has nice scenery. A lot of wildlife can be seen from time to time. The trail is shady and benches tell you how far out you are. The length on the main trail is 1 5/8 mile from one end to the other. There is a side trail in the middle that almost no one uses. The train station is open on weekends -- no admission. There is a nice collection of train stuff from when it was an operating train station. They also sell drinks and there are picnic tables there, but there are no restroom facilities."
"My wife and I rode the pleasant Pemberton trail on a 96 degree day. The trail is still very pleasant even in the hot weather as most of it is in deep shade. Although it was a Sunday, the trail was virtually empty, allowing us to ride side-by-side most of the way. Part of the trail is straight (like most rail-trails), but it is interesting because there is a developed spur, as well as an interesting winding section which follows the river. This is a nicely developed trail - we enjoyed it so much that we rode it twice. Enjoy!"
"This is a lovely trail to jog first thing in the morning. Although the far west end passes by a smelly water procesing plant, the rest follows the Rancocas Creek for a delightful hike-jog-bikeride in a tunnel of trees. Watch for deer, boxturtles, rabbots, squirrels, chicadees and other active wildlife!
You can park either by the former Pemberton rail station or across from the BurgerKing south of the trail."
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