Date of Visit: June 14, 2024

One of the most underrated destinations in Pennsylvania – in my opinion – is our state capital in Harrisburg. While our state politics may not be fun, Harrisburg has much to offer. Past trips have included stops at the Pennsylvania Farm Show, the State Museum, Midtown Scholar Bookstore and the Pennsylvania National Fire Museum.

But it wasn’t until recently that I discovered that Harrisburg also has an amazing trail network that is perfect for cyclists and outdoor enthusiasts.

It’s called the Capital Area Greenbelt. The trail – which includes some on-road sections – circles the city in a 20-mile loop.

And there were so many more things to discover along the way.

I started my ride on City Island, home to the Harrisburg Senators Baseball team and a variety of family attractions. Unfortunately, I started my ride too early in the day to be able to check out all that the park has to offer.

From the island, pedestrians cross the Susquehanna River to the east shore via a repurposed railroad trestle. It’s the first of many highlights along the journey.

Once on Greenbelt proper, I headed north. The Susquehanna River was a constant presence along my left for the first three miles of the ride.

Between the trail and the river was a patch of green that was dotted with statues, memorials and art installations. I found myself stopping to experience some of these up close, including a pause at the Holocaust memorial.

Near the northernmost point on the trail, the sunken gardens call pedestrians in to explore through the hedges and trees.

On the right was Front Street, which is lined with historic homes, many of which have been converted into headquarters for various state associations.

The most prominent home along the route, though, remains an active residence – that being the Governor’s Mansion.

Continuing north, the trail eventually fades away and riders are guided to turn into a neighborhood to continue their ride. The way isn’t marked especially well so I was glad to have researched ahead of time to know roughly which roads to take.

But the neighborhood is not busy, especially not on the Friday morning of my ride, and the on-road section never felt dangerous.

It did, however, leave me out of breath as this section ends with a steep climb to cross the railroad tracks.

This was not the last climb of the day – far from it. As the trail lops back to the south, it enters Wildwood Park, a natural area that could be a destination by itself. I saw at least one group of summer campers being led along the main path, along with several other families and individuals walking along the paved section of the Greenbelt or exploring one of the side hiking trails that led deeper into the natural area.

The hills were especially steep during this part of the ride and there was more than once where I had to step off the bike and walk to the top of an 8% grade. But it was also enjoyable for the coolness of the wooded canopy and for the scenery – not only natural but also artistic. On display throughout the park were installations that were part of the Art in the Wild exhibit where local artists used natural materials in their creations which seemed to fit in perfectly to the environment.

At the south end of the park is the Olewine Nature Center. While I didn’t stop on this trip, I will definitely be back with my kids to explore the activities at the Nature Center and throughout the park.

Leaving the park, the trail crossed through the campus of Harrisburg Area Community College. It’s a sprawling campus and the trail goes on-road for a short piece on campus roads and parking lots, only to emerge on the other side at the Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex.

I wasn’t expecting to roll right into the weekly farmers market on the Farm Show grounds, but it became a welcome break at about the midpoint of the ride.

The Farmers’ Market is held every Tuesday and Friday, and there was a variety of vendors serving everything you could want: fresh fruits and vegetables, wine and mead, fresh honey, baked goods, potted plants, and a variety of food vendors offering BBQ, empanadas and Lebanese cuisine.

I splurged and picked up a pack of cinnamon rolls to take home in my backpack while I enjoyed a soft pretzel in the shade along the path.

Leaving the complex, the trail crosses under the busy Cameron Street and emerges on the other side, returning to more serene settings before once again arriving on-road for an uphill climb to the grounds of the National Civil War Museum.

The Smithsonian-affiliated museum opened in 2001 and is surrounded by a park-like grounds featuring memorials and statues.

From the museum grounds, the trail is mostly off-road until the borough of Paxtang. Here was the first of only two on-road sections where I felt I needed to ride on a sidewalk instead of the street for safety. But it’s just a couple blocks before the trail truly begins again in Paxtang Park.

It’s here that you’ll pass the five senses garden, a themed parkland with plants made to evoke sight, sound, taste, smell and touch. 

Another memorial can be found farther south on the trail – this is the MLK memorial. A small obelisk stands in remembrance at the end of a small walkway. The brick path is lined with stones that commemorate pivotal moments in the Civil Rights movement. The memorial is only accessible by trail and provides one last quiet place of contemplation and rest on the loop.

It was here that the trail took one last on-road stint – a (hopefully) temporary detour from the normal route that trail-goers onto South Cameron Street for a few blocks. This was the second time I stayed on the sidewalk as Cameron Street is heavily trafficked.

But it was a short detour that ultimately led back to the banks of the Susquehanna River for the last mile or two of the ride.

As someone who is used to flat rail-trails, this was a more challenging ride, but it was mostly enjoyable and provided me views of the city of Harrisburg I would have never got otherwise.

I look forward to returning to explore many of the sites along the way that I haven’t had a chance to visit, too. It seems like there’s always something more to discover in our state capital.

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