Thun Trail

According to other websites, the Thun (pronounced «tune») Trail is named after industrialist Ferdinand Thun. It is the segment of the Schuylkill River rail that runs from Reading to the Montgomery County Line.
While the pictures here show pretty fall and winter scenery, they mask the trail’s foot– and bike-​friendly surface. Most of it is a packed cinder surface, which is quieter and easier to navigate, on a bike especially, than crushed stone. Most of the off-​road sections are deeply shaded. And since it’s a significant distance from Philadelphia, the number of users in Berks is a far cry from what it is in Philly. (Not that it makes it bad in Philly, just saying.)
Starting at the Grosstown Road trailhead and heading west, the trial is paved, but not for long. Less than ²⁄₁₀ mile and you’ll see the Berks County sign, where the path changes to cinders. Just over ½ mile you will cross Squirrel Hollow Road, but after that you won’t see another highway crossing for 3−¼ miles when you reach the interesting intersection at PA 724. The railroad used to go over the highway here, but the bridge is gone, so the trail is routed down a steep grade on one side of the road and back up on the other side. Shortly thereafter you cross 724 again and start on a relatively new section which was built to bypass a residential area. You will enter Birdsboro on this stretch, but there is no sign at the borough line. At the baseball field, the trail shares a gravel parking lot and turns left on Armorcast Road. This begins the lengthy on-​road section from Birdsboro to Gibraltar – but thankfully, it is not as rough as the first ¼ mile would make you think. A right at the Turkey Hill, a left on PA 724 west, and then another right on Old River Road and we’re on our way.
In this section, Old River Road runs near or along the Schuylkill for nearly two miles; then it crosses the main highway and runs along the other side. Shade here is very limited, but traffic is very light, which is probably why no off-​road trail was built along here. When you reach the railroad crossing at Gibraltar, the trail resumes just before you cross the tracks, if you used Old River Road. Presumably, this road carried 724 before the modern highway was built. Some riders fall for false flats here; there are places where the road goes up and down, so you have to ride smart. And run smart, if that’s your thing.
From here, it is all trail all the way to Reading Area Community College (RACC), or beyond if your heart desires. Again the surface is mostly packed cinder – but you will see a little more crushed stone especially once you get into the Reading city limits. Brentwood Industries funded a paved section, and it is paved around RACC, but the rest of it in Reading is unpaved. And an adventure, in places. There is one stretch that runs along Morgantown Road (PA 10) where the path looks like a virgin trail and is no more than two feet wide. If the city wants to put its best foot forward, if paving is not an option, they should at least fix the path up so it looks like a popular public thoroughfare instead of a shortcut to parts unknown.
Once you arrive at RACC: Leave the trail before you leave the grounds, go a couple blocks east, and you’ll be in downtown Reading. The main east-​west drag, Penn St., is elevated here, but Franklin or Washington will take you there; you’ll just have to make a compensating turn to get to Penn St.
The only thing I would suggest besides improving the surface in Reading is better signage. There are mile markers every half mile, but they are small and hard to find, especially if you’re moving on a bike. On a couple trails I’ve used in Chester County, they have a two-​sided post sign at every municipal boundary. Something like that on this trail would be helpful.