The Swamp Ride trail photo
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Length: 12 mi (19.3 km)
Surface: Singletrack
Configuration: Loop
Elevation: -
Total: 16 riders
 

Mountain Biking The Swamp Ride

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#192 of 293 mountain bike trails in Pennsylvania
#10,215 in the world

Start at the yellow gate and follow the old mining road straight. Approximately 1.3 miles into the ride there will be a large orange puddle on the road. This puddle is very deep and is easiest to cross on the left side. Continue on the old mining road until approximately 1.85 miles into the ride. The mining road will get sandy and a trail that goes through a motorcycle racetrack will be on the right. Take the trail on the right that goes through the motorcycle track. At 2.0 miles into the ride you will see an Orange/Rust colored abandoned earthmover, locally known as "The Walking Duck", on the left side. Follow the hill on the right of the Walking Duck to the top. At the top of this hill there will be a short downhill that leads to a short uphill, the right side is a little easier. At the top of the short uphill there will be a culmbank in the distance in front of you, a road that goes down the mountain on your extreme left, a road that bears to the left but goes to the culmbank, and an area on your right that heads up the mountain. Take the road that bears to the left and leads you to the culm banks. Follow this road up a hill and make a left at the top. Approximately 20 yards on the right side of the road there will be a single-track trail heading into the woods. Take this trail. This trail has a hill on it that is approximately 4 feet tall. After this hill you will want to bear right and head up the road with large flat rocks on it. At the top of this trail you will come to another large shale area with trees in front of you, a view of a large grassy field in the distance to your left, a sharp right road, and a road that bears right. Follow the road that bears right to a Y in the road, approximately 2.36 miles into the ride. At the Y the road, a sharp left fork leads down the mountain, don't take this road. The road on the right (may seem like the one in the middle) of the Y is what you want to take. Follow this road until you have power lines above you, a cliff to your left, and a trail that follows the power lines up the mountain on the right. Follow the trail up the power lines for two towers. Immediately after the second tower you will see a trail on your left. Follow this trail until it comes to another road. Make a right to take this rocky road up the mountain until you come to a four-way intersection. At this intersection there will be an orange and black metal box on your left approximately 3.58 miles into the ride. Take the right and continue up the mountain until you come to a red ash Y in the road. Take the trail to the right, which will take you over two small roadblocks. This road will lead you to a field. At the field there will be a sharp right and a road that bears to the right. Take the road that bears to the right and follow it through the field eventually coming to a short downhill. At the bottom of this downhill you will want to take the sharp right and head back up the mountain. Following this trail will take you into a canyon looking area with ash hills on both sides. Keep following this twisty rock filled trail up a hill. At the top of this hill, 4.5 miles into the ride, you will have the ash canyon behind you, a sharp right that goes up the mountain, and the trail continuing in front of you. Continue on the trail in front of you down a hill. At the bottom of the hill make a right and follow that trail up the mountain over a roadblock to a T in the road. Take the right up the hill until you come to a Y in the Road. The left portion of the Y will have a roadblock on it. The trail on the right is a hill about ten feet long. Take the trail to the right. At the top of the 10-foot hill you can see the community of Glen Lyon. Follow the trail up a hill to the top of this hill, where you will be approximately 5.0 miles into the ride. The trail will turn rocky and head downhill. Follow this trail for another tenth of a mile until you see a trail that heads into the woods on your right. Take the trail on your right into the woods and up the mountain. Approximately 5.37 miles into the ride you will pass off a Y in the road (keep going straight) and come to a T in the road. The T in the road has a patch of trees in the middle of it. Follow the trail to the right into the woods until you come to another Y in the road. Take the trail on the right up a rocky hill and continue on the trail. This trail will bring you to another Y in the road. Take the left. AT 5.75 miles into the ride you will be on top of the mountain with a scenic overlook of route 11, the Susquehanna River, and S.C.I Retreat on your left and a swamp on your right. Continue on the trail around the swamp until you come to a Y in the road. Take the left. Follow this single track through the woods until you come to a T in the road. Follow the mining road to the left up the hill until a path appears between the trees on your left. Follow the path down a hill past the small brick building and the old radio towers. Follow this trail until it takes a sharp right and a faint trail is on your left. Take the faint trail into the woods over the fallen trees using the tire ruts as a guide to a well-defined single-track path. Follow this path up a hill to the right through some pine trees. Try to stay to the base of the ridge through the pine trees. After making it through the pine trees you will come to a T in the road. Both the right and left go downhill to different sides of the mountain and the road straight in front of you goes up the mountain. Take the trail in front of you up the mountain. This trail is a long rocky steep uphill climb. You will come to a Y in the road. The right heads down the mountain and the left heads up the mountain. Take the left up the mountain. After some more strenuous uphill climbs you will come to another Y in the road, approximately 7.91 miles into the ride. The left heads over the mountain while the right heads up the mountain. Follow the right up the mountain until you are about 8.0 miles into the ride. Here you will be at another Y in the road. The left will take you to the top of the Power lines where you can overlook the UGI power plant, Route 11, and the Susquehanna River. The right will go uphill then downhill. At the bottom of this hill, do not follow it completely down the power lines; take the left into the woods. This trail will go down a hill with a puddle at the bottom. Continue to follow the trail down a rocky boulder field like trail, which will be tricky. This trail will have a puddle at the bottom and a path that goes to the right. Take the path to the right past the first Y in the road to the second Y in the road. The trail on the right goes down the mountain. The trail on the left goes up the mountain. Take the trail on the left. After a short distance up the mountain you will have an old mining hole on your left known locally as "Bear ass beach". Continue on the trail up the mountain. At 9.0 miles into the ride there will be a mud pit. Continue past the mud pit up the mountain to another Y in the road. The right will go down the mountain and the left take you to the top. Follow the trail to your left. You will pass another overlook of Route 11, the Susquehanna River, and the Garden Drive-in. The trail will turn into single track and go into the woods. Continue on the trail into the woods until you come to a T in the road. Take the left. Follow this trail to another T in the road. Take the right. You will go past an Alltel cellular tower to a Y in the road. Take the left. This trail is a fast downhill that will lead you to another yellow gate. Go around this yellow gate to the paved road and follow it down to the yellow gate you started at."Wissahikon Park

First added by searsandrewj on Jan 1, 2003. Last updated Apr 30, 2020. → add an update
Before you go
  • Drinking water: unknown
  • Lift service: unknown
  • Night riding: unknown
  • Pump track: unknown
  • Restrooms: unknown
  • Fat bike grooming: unknown
  • E-bikes allowed: unknown
  • Fee required: unknown
This trail information is user-generated. Help improve this information by suggesting a correction.
Getting there
"Starting from Interstate 81 take the Nanticoke Exit to Route 29. Follow Route 29 to the Nanticoke Exit to the Scan Souci Highway. Make a left on the San Souci and follow it in to Main Street Nanticoke. Follow Main Street to the second traffic light by Burger King. Make a rightr at the light on to Lower Broadway. Take the next left at the Nanticoke Post Office. Follow this road past the Exxon gas station over a bridge into Honey Pot. Take the first left up the mountain by Dainel J. Flood Industrial Park sign. There will be a yellow gate on the left side of the road. This is the trailhead.


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Kyle225 (Jul 7, 2018)
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Icy (Feb 22, 2015)
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