Union County's Best Trails, Towns, and Attractions Worth Exploring

The Campus Theatre on Market Street in Lewisburg opened in 1941 and has been drawing audiences ever since. Single-screen, Art Deco movie houses of its kind are vanishing across the country, making this restored landmark one of the more quietly remarkable places in Central Pennsylvania. It sits at the heart of a commercial district listed on the National Register of Historic Places, adjacent to Bucknell University's 450-acre campus, and within walking distance of the trail, the market, and most of what makes Union County worth a full day of exploring.

Downtown Lewisburg

Market Street earns its reputation. Boutiques, galleries, and cafés fill a compact, walkable corridor that rewards slow exploration on foot. The Campus Theatre, now owned by Bucknell University and leased to Campus Theatre Ltd., underwent a major renovation in 2011 and continues to screen a balanced mix of popular, independent, and fine art films. Bucknell's campus itself is open to visitors; self-guided walking tours and an audio tour are available for anyone wanting to explore the historic grounds.

Parking is easy at municipal lots on the edges of downtown, and the neighborhood is best experienced without a car. The Lewisburg Downtown Partnership organizes recurring events throughout the year, including First Fridays and seasonal downtown festivals. The density of things to do within a few walkable blocks makes Lewisburg a natural anchor for any Union County visit.

The Buffalo Valley Rail Trail

The Buffalo Valley Rail Trail is the connective tissue between Lewisburg and Mifflinburg, a 9.3-mile corridor that follows the route of a railroad that once ran from Montandon to Bellefonte. It is the first developed off-road trail in the area and the result of years of investment by the Buffalo Valley Recreation Authority, Union County, the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, and PennDOT. Phase II, which extended the trail into the heart of historic Lewisburg, was completed in October 2015.

The trail runs largely flat, mixing asphalt and gravel surfaces, and the alignment roughly parallels Route 45, the primary east-west corridor between the two towns. Trailheads with parking and restrooms are located at Market Street in Lewisburg, at Vicksburg, and at North 10th Street in Mifflinburg. The route is wheelchair accessible and suited to walking, running, cycling, inline skating, and even cross-country skiing in winter.

A few logistics worth knowing: there are seven points along the trail where farm machinery crosses, and the signage is clear, but visibility from heavy equipment is limited. If you plan to ride the full length, tires that handle both pavement and light gravel will serve better than road-only options. Maps and current surface conditions are available through the Union County Trail Authority and DCNR trail pages.

Mifflinburg: From buggy capital to weekend destination

Mifflinburg's commercial identity was built on buggy manufacturing, and the evidence is still standing. Federal, Greek Revival, and Victorian-style buildings line Market Street, sometimes sitting side by side on the same block, a concentrated record of 19th-century prosperity that few towns this size have preserved so intact. The Mifflinburg Heritage and Revitalization Association maintains an active events calendar, including Buggy Days, Oktoberfest, and the Christkindl Market, each drawing visitors from across the region.

The borough is also a practical trailhead. The North 10th Street terminus puts riders and walkers within easy reach of downtown, making it straightforward to combine a trail ride with a walk through the historic district and a stop at one of the local eateries. Craft fairs and community vendor events fill the calendar in warmer months; checking the borough's event listings before a visit is worth the two minutes it takes.

New Berlin and Hartleton

New Berlin sits on the north bank of Penns Creek at Union County's southern edge, where the creek forms the boundary with Snyder County. The borough has a layered civic history: Mifflinburg served as Union County's first seat of government after the county was erected from Northumberland County on March 22, 1813, and New Berlin became the second. The county seat moved to Lewisburg in 1855. A three-story masonry gristmill built between 1816 and 1823, originally constructed by George Orwig and George Eisenhuth, still stands as one of the more tangible connections to that earlier period.

Hartleton, farther east near the intersection of U.S. Route 45 and Route 192, is a quieter rural community whose pace reflects the agricultural landscape surrounding it. Hartleton Community Park offers a playground and picnic area and serves as a neighborhood gathering space through the summer months. The town's proximity to the Buffalo Valley Rail Trail makes it a useful waypoint for those exploring the corridor by bike or on foot.

Markets and seasonal events

Two distinct markets anchor Lewisburg's food and community calendar. The Lewisburg Farmers Market runs every Wednesday from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., year-round, with more than 100 local vendors offering fresh vegetables, flowers, meats, seafood, baked goods, and roasted coffee. Its consistency, operating through winter and summer alike, makes it a reliable weekly destination rather than a seasonal novelty.

The Montwell Commons Community Market operates on a different rhythm: Saturdays from April through October, 8 a.m. to noon, in historic downtown Lewisburg. The market brings together farmers, artisans, and musicians in a walkable setting designed as much for community gathering as for commerce. The spring season opens with a special event in April; arriving early on any market day gives the best access to the most popular produce and vendor offerings before selections thin out.

History along the trail and in the towns

Interpretive panels positioned along the Buffalo Valley Rail Trail provide context on the region's agricultural roots and early American settlement patterns; they function as a kind of open-air museum spread across the full 9.3-mile length. The Union County Historical Society in Lewisburg manages the Dale/Engle/Walker House, which offers a closer look at rural heritage and 19th-century domestic life. Local historical societies in both Lewisburg and Mifflinburg are well-positioned starting points for visitors who want structured context alongside their outdoor exploration.

Mifflinburg's own historical documents and photographs, preserved through the Heritage and Revitalization Association, record how a single dominant industry shaped the town's architecture, economy, and identity over the course of more than a century. That layered record is accessible without a guided tour; a walk down Market Street, paired with a stop at the Elias Center, covers most of it.

Practical notes

Both downtown corridors are walkable and family-friendly. Trail sections are open to the public but may close temporarily for resurfacing projects or weather-related maintenance; checking trail condition updates through the Union County Trail Authority before a long ride prevents wasted trips. Dogs are welcome on the trail with leash laws posted and enforced. For event timing, the Lewisburg Downtown Partnership and Mifflinburg Heritage and Revitalization Association publish current schedules, and market hours, festival dates, and Campus Theatre showtimes shift seasonally enough to warrant a quick confirmation before traveling.

Union County rewards the kind of itinerary that moves slowly: a morning on the trail, an afternoon on Market Street, and a Wednesday or Saturday anchored around whichever market is running. The infrastructure for it, the trail, the downtowns, the markets, and the historic sites, is already in place.