Silver Borough Riverwalk vs. Old Town Trail: Which Weekend Walk Is Right for You?

Some weekends call for water and open sky. Others call for brick, awnings, and a reason to stop every few minutes. Silver Borough has a route for each mood, and they sit close enough together that choosing between them is the only genuinely hard part.

The Riverwalk and the Old Town Trail get compared constantly, usually by people standing in a parking lot trying to decide. So here is the honest breakdown: what you will see, how the ground feels underfoot, where to leave the car, and when each route is at its best.

The Short Answer

Take the Riverwalk if you want distance, quiet, and a walk you can do without thinking about it. Take the Old Town Trail if you want company, coffee, and plenty of places to sit down and look at something.

Families with strollers, and anyone using a wheelchair or a walker, will generally have an easier time on the Riverwalk. Anyone who dislikes wind, or who wants a walk that ends within sight of lunch, will prefer Old Town.

Scenery: Water and Sky vs. Brick and Story

On the Riverwalk

The route follows the water almost the whole way, which means the view changes without you doing anything to earn it. Early mornings bring mist off the surface and herons standing in the shallows. By mid-afternoon the light turns flat and bright — lovely for photographs of the bridge, hard on the eyes if you left your hat at home.

The trade-off is exposure. Long stretches offer little shade and no shelter, so a breezy day feels much breezier out there than it does in town. That same openness is exactly why the Riverwalk feels like an escape even though you never actually leave the borough.

On the Old Town Trail

This one loops through the historic blocks, past stone walls, old shopfronts, and small pocket parks wedged between buildings. There is always something to read: plaques, painted signs, a doorway older than everything around it. The scenery is denser and more detailed, which makes the walk feel shorter than it really is.

What you give up is the long view. You will not find a stretch where you can see a quarter mile ahead. If you walk mainly to clear your head, the constant visual detail can be more tiring than the distance itself.

Accessibility and Surface Conditions

This is where the two routes separate sharply, and it is worth an honest look before you commit.

• Riverwalk: wide path, mostly paved or packed gravel, gentle grades, very few steps. Benches appear at intervals, though not always where you want one.
• Old Town Trail: narrower, with mixed surfaces — brick, stone, uneven slabs, and curbs. The climbs are short rather than long, but there are a few road crossings and a couple of tight corners.

If you are pushing a stroller with small wheels or using a mobility aid, the Riverwalk is the safer bet. The Old Town Trail is manageable, but you will feel every uneven slab through your wrists and your wheels. In wet weather, Old Town's brick sections get slick in a way the river path simply does not.

Parking, Transit, and Getting There

Parking shapes this decision more than most people admit. On a sunny Saturday, the Riverwalk lot fills by mid-morning, and late arrivals end up on the access road walking farther than they planned. Old Town spreads its parking across several streets and the municipal garage, so you rarely fail to find a spot — you just may not find one close to where you want to start.

• Riverwalk: one main lot plus roadside overflow. Arrive before nine on weekends, or come after four.
• Old Town: metered street parking and the garage near the square. Easier at any hour, tighter on market days.
• Without a car: the borough bus stops near the Old Town square, which makes that route the simpler one if you are relying on transit.

When to Go

Timing matters more than route choice, honestly. A crowded Riverwalk at noon is less pleasant than a quiet Old Town loop at seven in the morning.

• Weekday early mornings: both routes are calm. The Riverwalk wins on atmosphere; Old Town wins on light hitting the stone facades.
• Saturday before nine: the best window for the Riverwalk if you want the water to yourself and a parking space.
• Late afternoon, roughly the last two hours before dusk: ideal for Old Town, when shops are winding down and the streets empty out.
• Midday in summer: skip the Riverwalk unless you have sun protection. There is nowhere to hide.
• Immediately after rain: the Riverwalk drains well and stays usable. Old Town's uneven brick is the last place to dry out.

If you only have one free hour this weekend, walk the Riverwalk. If you have two and want to end up somewhere with a table and a cup of coffee, walk Old Town.

Which Walk Suits Which Weekend

1. You need to decompress. Riverwalk. Put in headphones or don't; either way, the path does the work.
2. You are hosting out-of-town visitors. Old Town Trail first, then drive to the river for the view. It is the most efficient tour of the borough.
3. You have small children. Riverwalk for the space to run, Old Town for the benches and frequent stops.
4. You want a real workout. Riverwalk, out and back, picking up the pace on the flat sections.
5. You are meeting friends and nobody wants to commit to a long walk. Old Town. It is easy to peel off early and grab a table.

A Few Practical Notes Before You Set Out

Wear shoes with actual tread on the Old Town Trail; smooth soles and damp stone are a poor combination. Carry water on the Riverwalk even in shoulder season, because the exposed sections are warmer than the forecast suggests. Both routes have restrooms near their main entry points, and neither has much in the way of shelter once you are underway, so check the radar before you leave the house.

If you have heart, joint, or breathing concerns, or you are returning to walking after time away, it is worth a quick conversation with a healthcare professional about what distance and pace suit you. Start with the shorter version of whichever route you pick, and add length next weekend rather than this one.

And if you genuinely cannot decide, that is fine too. Walk the Riverwalk in the morning, drive the ten minutes into town, and finish with the Old Town loop in the afternoon. The borough is small enough that doing both is not ambition — it is just a good Saturday.

Photo: Joonas Päiväpuro / Pexels