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Recreation

Best Hiking Trails in Berks County PA: 12 Trails Ranked by Difficulty (2026)

Every major hiking trail and outdoor destination in Berks County by name: The Pinnacle, Blue Marsh Lake, Nolde Forest, Hawk Mountain, plus the campgrounds, outfitters, bike shops, golf courses, and orchards that go with them.

Berks Connect Blog|Published February 10, 2026|Updated October 3, 2026
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The Pinnacle gets the attention. It is far from the only hike in Berks County worth your time.

The county packs a lot of terrain inside its borders: the Appalachian Trail riding the Blue Mountain ridge across the north, two hikeable mountains inside the city of Reading, a 1,000-acre-plus lake ringed with trails at Blue Marsh, and state parks and preserves running all the way to the Chester County line.

This guide names the places. Every major trail, park, and preserve is below, grouped by area, along with links to BerksConnect listings for the parks, campgrounds, outfitters, and shops that have them.

Quick reference: 12 trails ranked by difficulty

Trail Where Difficulty Best season
Union Canal Trail Leesport and Wyomissing area Easy Year-round
Schuylkill River Trail (Thun section) Reading toward Birdsboro Easy Year-round
Nolde Forest South of Reading Easy Year-round
Antietam Lake Park East of Reading Easy Year-round
Blue Marsh Lake trails Leesport and Bernville Easy to moderate Apr-Nov
Hawk Mountain Sanctuary Kempton Easy to moderate Sep-Nov
Monocacy Hill Douglassville Easy to moderate Year-round
Mount Penn Reading Moderate Year-round
Neversink Mountain Reading Moderate Year-round
French Creek State Park Berks and Chester line Easy to strenuous Year-round
Pulpit Rock (AT) Hamburg Moderate to strenuous Oct
The Pinnacle (AT) Hamburg Strenuous Oct

Distances vary by route at most of these places, so we keep them general here. Check the trailhead map before you commit to a loop.

The Appalachian Trail corridor: northern Berks

The AT follows the Blue Mountain ridge across the entire northern edge of the county, and the stretch near Hamburg holds two of the best-known viewpoints in Pennsylvania.

  • The Pinnacle: a rocky overlook on the AT with a sweeping view of Pennsylvania Dutch farmland, usually hiked as a loop of roughly nine miles from the Hamburg reservoir area. The Pinnacle trailhead is rated 4.8 on BerksConnect. The final stretch is a scramble over large boulders, so treat it as a strenuous half day or more, not a casual walk.
  • Pulpit Rock: the first major overlook on the climb from the same trailhead. Many hikers link Pulpit Rock and The Pinnacle into a single loop.
  • Hawk Mountain Sanctuary (Kempton): a wildlife sanctuary on the Kittatinny Ridge at the Berks and Schuylkill county line, famous worldwide as the first refuge for birds of prey. Rated 4.8 across nearly 1,800 reviews. The lookout trails are short; the autumn raptor migration is the reason to come. Non-members pay a trail fee.
  • Kaercher Creek Park (Hamburg): a county park around a fishing lake just outside Hamburg, an easy add-on to an AT day.

Pinnacle practical notes: the parking area fills early on October weekends, there is no water source on the ridge, and the summit boulders are genuinely dangerous when icy. Mid-fall weekday mornings are the sweet spot: peak foliage, cool air, thin crowds.

Reading's two mountains

You do not have to leave the city for a real climb. Reading sits between two of them.

  • Mount Penn: the ridge above downtown, topped by the Reading Pagoda, the mountaintop landmark finished in 1908. A trail network shared by hikers and mountain bikers laces the mountain, including the grade of the old Mount Penn Gravity Railroad.
  • Neversink Mountain: the quieter mountain on the south side of the city, above a bend in the Schuylkill, with views of downtown and traces of its 1800s resort era still visible on the ridge. The Neversink Loop is rated 4.7. Expect a steep start from most trailheads.
  • Antietam Lake Park (east of Reading): a county park around a former water-supply reservoir in the hills, with easy waterside paths and wooded trails. Rated 4.7.
  • The Nature Place: Berks Nature's education center at Angelica Creek Park on the city's southern edge, with gentle trails and year-round programs.
  • Wyomissing Park System: the borough's creekside greenway, rated 4.8, including the wooded Pinewoods Trail section.
  • Schuylkill River Trail (Thun section): the flat rail-trail along the river, running from Reading south toward Birdsboro and Pottstown. The easiest long walk or bike ride in the county.

Blue Marsh Lake and the Tulpehocken Valley

  • Blue Marsh Lake (Leesport and Bernville): a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reservoir of about 1,150 acres, ringed by more than 30 miles of multi-use trail. The north shore is hillier singletrack favored by mountain bikers; the Dry Brooks day-use side has the swimming beach in season. Start at the Blue Marsh Lake Visitor's Center or the State Hill boat launch. Winter birders come looking for eagles near the dam.
  • Union Canal Trail: a flat towpath trail along Tulpehocken Creek between the Reading suburbs and Blue Marsh, rated 4.6. The county's best easy walk.
  • Gring's Mill Recreation Area: the historic mill property on the Union Canal Trail, rated 4.7 across more than 1,000 reviews.
  • Berks County Heritage Center: the county's history campus along the same trail, next to Wertz's Red Bridge, the covered bridge over the Tulpehocken.

Southern Berks: state parks and preserves

  • Nolde Forest Environmental Education Center: a state park of more than 600 wooded acres south of Reading, with about 10 miles of gentle trails through hemlock and pine plantations set out by hosiery baron Jacob Nolde a century ago. Free, and the best easy hike in the county. The Nolde Forest sawmill area is rated 4.8.
  • French Creek State Park (Berks and Chester line): more than 7,000 acres of forest with two lakes and one of the largest trail networks in southeastern Pennsylvania, next door to Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site.
  • Daniel Boone Homestead (Birdsboro): the birthplace site of Daniel Boone, with historic buildings and easy walking on the grounds.
  • Monocacy Hill Recreation Area (Douglassville): a forested hill in Amity Township with a quiet trail network, rated 4.7.
  • Birdsboro Preserve: trails along the Hay Creek valley south of Birdsboro, rated 4.6, with the adjacent Birdsboro Waters area.
  • Green Hills Preserve (Mohnton): a Natural Lands preserve in the southern hills, rated 4.7.

On the water

  • Rivertribe Outdoors (Monocacy Station): a raft and kayak outfitter running trips on the Schuylkill River, rated 4.6.
  • Top Water Trips (Douglassville): a fishing charter and guide service holding a perfect 5.0 rating.
  • Jim Dietrich Park (Muhlenberg Township): a riverfront park on the Schuylkill and a popular kayak put-in, rated 4.7 across nearly 700 reviews.
  • Fishing is serious business here: Blue Marsh, Antietam Lake, Kaercher Creek, and the Tulpehocken all draw anglers. A Pennsylvania fishing license is required.

Where to camp

Golf

The county has more courses than most visitors expect:

Orchards and other outdoor days

  • Weaver's Orchard (Morgantown): pick-your-own orchard and farm market, rated 4.7 across nearly 800 reviews.
  • Brecknock Orchard (Mohnton): family farm and orchard, rated 4.7.
  • Preston Orchards (Wernersville): a smaller orchard rated 4.9.
  • Frecon Farms (Boyertown): orchard, farm market, and cidery, a fall staple.
  • Crystal Cave (Kutztown): guided cave tours at one of the county's oldest attractions, drawing visitors since the 1870s. Rated 4.5 across more than 3,000 reviews.

What to hike when

Month Where to go Why
January Blue Marsh Lake (dam area) Winter birding; look for eagles
February Nolde Forest Evergreen groves hold their color; quiet trails
March Union Canal Trail Flat and fast-drying for the first warm days
April The Nature Place Spring programs and wildflowers along Angelica Creek
May French Creek State Park Full spring green on a big trail network
June Blue Marsh Lake Swimming season begins
July Nolde Forest Hemlock shade beats the heat
August Schuylkill River Evening paddles with an outfitter
September Hawk Mountain Broad-winged hawk migration
October The Pinnacle Peak foliage on the AT
November Pulpit Rock Bare-tree views and late raptor flights
December French Creek State Park Quiet winter woods

Gear, and where to get it locally

Pennsylvania's Appalachian Trail sections are nicknamed Rocksylvania, and Berks County trails mostly live up to it. A few rules we stand by:

  • Wear real hiking shoes or boots. Rocky footing wrecks running shoes and ankles.
  • Carry more water than you think you need. The ridge trails have no reliable sources.
  • Take ticks seriously. Pennsylvania is one of the country's worst states for Lyme disease, so treat clothing, use repellent, and check yourself after every hike.
  • Layer up. Ridge tops and shaded hollows run noticeably cooler than the valleys.

Local places to gear up:

  • Cabela's (Hamburg): the giant outdoor retailer off I-78, with more than 14,000 reviews. Hiking, camping, fishing, and hunting gear under one roof.
  • DICK'S Sporting Goods (Reading): the big-box option for basics.
  • Wolverton's Cycling & Fitness (Reading): a full-service bike shop rated 4.7, the place to get set up for Blue Marsh or the river trails.
  • Go Grava Bicycles (Wyomissing): a bike shop holding a perfect 5.0 rating.

Find outdoor recreation near you

Every linked place in this guide has a BerksConnect listing with hours, directions, and reviews. For more:

Know a trail or outdoor business we should feature? Submit it here. We update this guide seasonally.