HomePennsylvaniaFreeport › Butler-Freeport Community Trail Laneville South Trailhead

Butler-Freeport Community Trail Laneville South Trailhead

4.7 ★★★★★ 235 Google reviews · Running trail in Freeport, Pennsylvania · Open 24 hours

Runner's snapshot

Surface
Mixed
Distance
21 mi
Shape
Not reported
Shade
Tree cover
Access
Open 24 hours

Confirmed from Butler-Freeport Community Trail Laneville South Trailhead's own listing, the park or land manager's website, and runner reviews. Blank cells mean we could not verify that fact — we would rather say "not reported" than invent one. There is no Easy / Moderate / Hard rating on this page on purpose: a one-word difficulty score tells you nothing about whether a trail suits your run. Surface, distance, shade and hours do.

Mixed21 miOpen 24hShadedScenicDog-friendlyFlat & fastHillyRestroomsWaterTrailhead parkingQuiet

Peaceful, scenic hiking and biking trail that runs along a creek and through farmland.

What runners say about Butler-Freeport Community Trail Laneville South Trailhead

Pulled from public reviews of this trail (235 of them) — the things people bring up again and again, in their own words. Nothing here is written by us.

well-maintained 3 mentions

“The trail is well maintained and the Freeport trailhead has plenty of parking.”

🏞️ beautiful scenery 11 mentions

“Gorgeous trail, super busy when we went but beautiful for bike, hike or walk , we biked from Freeport to Derailer Cafe which was 15 miles.”

🏃 great for running 2 mentions

“Great trail for walking, jogging and bike riding.”

🌾 quiet & peaceful 3 mentions

“Amazing trail pretty close to the city, really peaceful and scenic.”

I wasnt sure what to expect on this route. I walked a few miles on foot. Most all other people were on bikes. I think this is a great bike trail! I personally prefer hikes that go up and down hill. This was completely flat which i should have realized prior. That doesnt make it bad, just different than what Im used to.

★★★★★ — M. , Jun 2021

Our favorite bike trail. It's a rails to trails bike trail so it's basically flat. No roads to ride on which is good. There are several to cross all are safe. We like to start on the Freeport end because you're biking on a slight uphill grade for most of the way out.

★★★★★ — Ken , May 2024

good clean safe flat trail. very scenic and good for new cyclists. bring your own food and water, didn't notice any nearby stores to refuel. plan on biking the whole 25 miles to Butler or use thimble markers to navigate how far you bike in any direction then turn around to do just an out and back.

★★★★☆ — Doug , Dec 2017

Great experience. Fabulous location along Buffalo Creek, mostly shady as you are riding in the valley. Occasional waterfalls, lots of birds and small animals in the woods along the trail. We rode North from Freeport which is a pretty steady uphill. We only made it 6 miles before we turned around to head back...

★★★★★ — Bryn , Sep 2021

Excerpts from public Google reviews. Read all 235 reviews →

Trail conditions & character

What this trail is actually like underfoot and overhead, taken from its own listing and from reviews. Each one links to every other trail with the same character. Busy or quiet is reported as a plain fact, not a plus or a minus — a runner heading out alone at dawn often wants company on the path, and someone running intervals wants an empty one.

🏞️ Scenic views 13 mentions

“Gorgeous trail, super busy when we went but beautiful for bike, hike or walk , we biked from Freeport to Derailer Cafe which was 15 miles.”

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🅿️ Trailhead parking 13 mentions

“Geocashing boxes are located every few miles on the trail, along with porta potties, seating areas, and trailhead access points.”

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🏃 Long-run distance (5mi+) 6 mentions

“plan on biking the whole 25 miles to Butler or use thimble markers to navigate how far you bike in any direction then turn around to do just an out and back.”

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🛣️ Paved surface 5 mentions

“Mostly paved bike surface until you get at least a mile past sewage treatment plant heading upstream.”

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⛰️ Hills / elevation 5 mentions

“You will find yourself in a valley surround by steep hills and mountain steams tributing to the creek.”

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🪨 Crushed gravel / limestone 4 mentions

“Road bikes beware of some gravel parking lots and crossings, and a few soft spots in the stone dust trail from all the rains.”

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🌳 Shaded / tree cover 4 mentions

“Fabulous location along Buffalo Creek, mostly shady as you are riding in the valley.”

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Flat & fast 4 mentions

“This was completely flat which i should have realized prior.”

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🤫 Quiet / uncrowded 3 mentions

“Amazing trail pretty close to the city, really peaceful and scenic.”

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🚻 Restrooms 2 mentions

“Geocashing boxes are located every few miles on the trail, along with porta potties, seating areas, and trailhead access points.”

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🚰 Water fountains

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🐕 Dog-friendly

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Plan your run at Butler-Freeport Community Trail Laneville South Trailhead

The practical stuff

  • AccessOpen 24 hours — no gate to beat, so a 5am or a 10pm run both work
  • SurfaceMixed — more than one surface along the route, so check the segment you plan to run
  • Distance21 mi as reported — check whether that is one way or a round trip before you commit. Long enough for a real long run.
  • ShadeRunners describe real tree cover here — it makes a summer afternoon workable
  • At the trailheadparking, restrooms, water — reported by runners
  • DogsWelcome, per reviewers. Leash rules vary by park — the trailhead sign is the authority.
  • Trail mapOfficial trail map
  • Websitebutlerfreeporttrail.org
  • Social Facebook

Hours

Monday Open 24 hours
Tuesday Open 24 hours
Wednesday Open 24 hours
Thursday Open 24 hours
Friday Open 24 hours
Saturday Open 24 hours
Sunday Open 24 hours

Posted hours for the park or trailhead. Gates and parking lots often close earlier than the trail itself, and seasonal hours change — worth a check before a pre-dawn or after-dark run.

Where to find Butler-Freeport Community Trail Laneville South Trailhead

Freeport, Pennsylvania

Get directions

Running trails near Freeport

Other trails within easy driving distance — useful when this one is flooded, gated, or just not the run you had in mind today.

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Park offering birding, hiking, an environmental learning center & more amid picturesque surrounds.

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Scout's Trail

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Butler-Freeport Community Trail Sarver Trailhead

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MixedScenicDog-friendly

Kid-friendly hiking area with some reviews mentioning biking.

4.7 miles away

Kotecki Memorial park

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Burrell Lake Park

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PavedScenic

Local park providing a playground, fishing, picnic pavilions, and paved and dirt trails.

6.6 miles away

All running trails in Freeport, PA →

Nearby towns

Listing verified July 2026 from public records, the trail's own website and runner reviews. Trail conditions change — paths flood, gates close at dusk, and shaded woods stay muddy for days after rain. Something out of date? Report a correction. Manage this trail? Send us the details — it is free.