How To Use Handouts To Follow Swarthmore Community Trails

Before getting into the details of using a Handout to follow trails, please note: Conditions may have changed since a map was made. When following a trail, always be aware of your surroundings and make sure you are safe.

Swarthmore trails can be followed either by using a smartphone (as described here) or by following directions on a printed handout as described on this page.

The printed pages are referred to as “Handouts,” and they can be downloaded from the list below. Swarthmore Public Library will have Handouts available for checkout. You can send an email to SwarthmoreTrails@gmail.com to ask that a Handout file be emailed to you or to ask for help of any kind related to following Swarthmore Walks and Trails.

On each Handout, at the top is the trail name, then a box with a brief description of the trail, and some bulleted information about it.

Below this is the trail map. North on the map is straight up, toward the top of the page. The bold red curvy line is the route you are going to follow. There is no set starting point or direction for the route; start wherever you want and walk in whichever direction you prefer.

Letters in boxes on a map are “resource waypoints”; the letters have these meanings:

P = Parking

R = Restrooms

F = Food

E = Emergency phone

The little orange dots are waypoints (which are points of interest with associated descriptive text) which start below the map, or on the back of the page. [Note that a few of the trails are intended more for exercise than information. These do not have numbered waypoints, but do have the resource waypoints listed above.]

For trails on the Swarthmore College campus, you may notice some curvy dashed lines (which can be in black or red, depending on how the map was printed). Those dashed lines are the paved trail-like walkways that weave around the campus. A few sections of campus routes do not follow dashed lines; these sections are on the grass or sidewalks.