Did you know the Monroe Township (Williamstown) Bike Trail connecting Williamstown to Glassboro is part of the Circuit Trails completed in the Philadelphia region?
Circuit Trails recently celebrated achieving 500 miles of the Circuit Trails by 2025 and Bike Gloucester joined in on the celebration.
It was an ambitious milestone a decade in the making, according to the Circuit Trails website. The vision has made iconic destinations a part of the fabric of the greater Philadelphia region.
The Circuit Trails are a diverse and growing network of trails for the Greater Philadelphia/Southern New Jersey region to connect, gather, commute, recreate and discover new destinations. With more than 500 miles of completed, funded or planned trails, the network is still growing toward its ultimate goal of 850-plus miles across the nine-county region.
Monroe Bike Path is one of five circuit trails in Gloucester County, which also includes Dinosaur Trail, a (mostly) off road trail connecting Rowan University in Glassboro to the newly opened Edelman Fossil Park and Museum in Mantua.
Circuit trails are also in Burlington County including the Rancocas Greenway and Tacony-Palmyra Bridge Walkway and Camden County.
The Monroe Township Bike Path runs for 6.2 miles and carries visitors through the tranquil woodlands of the Glassboro Wildlife Management Area, according to TrailLink by Rails-to-Trails Conservancy.
The route passes by a plaque near the trailhead designating the section as the George F. McDonald Sr. Memorial Bike Path, named for the 1975 to 1978 mayor.
Future planning continues on the off road connection of the Monroe Bike Trail to the Elephant Swamp Trail in Elk Township, ending in Elmer, according to Patrick J. McDevitt, Jr., chair of Bike Gloucester County, an affiliate of the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia.
Bike Gloucester County is planning a community breakfast ride starting at Williamstown Middle School at 9 a.m. on Dec. 21. Bicyclists will ride along the Monroe Bike Path to Glassboro crossing over Route 55 to Elephant Swamp Trail to Elmer.
Riders will enjoy a breakfast at Elmer Diner before heading back to the start. The ride in total is 30 miles.
For more information, visit Bike Gloucester on Facebook.
