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It would flow through placid river bottom woods, restored wetlands and farm fields.
It would pass picnic areas, historic iron furnace sites, an arched-stone railroad bridge and river towns where you could catch lunch or stroll by 18th-century homes.
You could walk through a railroad tunnel carved from a cliff and at points you would actually follow the mule tow path of the Pennsylvania Canal.
Such a trail has been envisioned for nearly two decades in western Lancaster County. And, last Thursday, the first segment of the Northwest River Trail opened to the public in East Donegal Township.
State, county and township officials, along with grateful residents, climbed onto bikes and rode the 2.3-mile Charles Greenway between Decatur Street in Marietta and the township's Riverfront Park off Vinegar Ferry Road.
VIDEO: The Charles Greenway opens to the public
The multiuse trail is open for nonmotorized use and is an enticing preview of what the entire 14-mile route will offer as the pieces begin to fall into place.
I came across 71-year-old John Eckerd of Rowena biking alone under massive silver maple trees on the new trail.
Since he moved here when he was 14, he's trapped muskrats in the river backwaters and explored the river banks.
Now, he's grateful there's a trail for all to enjoy and that the river corridor has been preserved for future generations.
"It's a beautiful thing," he said. "It's one thing I don't mind paying taxes on when they put in things like this for the people."
The new segment is 8-foot-wide asphalt, with two-foot shoulders. It's all suitable for walking and biking now, though part of the trail from Marietta northward won't be paved for another week or so.
East Donegal Township allows equestrian use on the trail, though some municipalities may not allow horses on their segments.
Using grants from the county and state, as well as its own funds, East Donegal has protected its entire riverfront of nearly 4 miles, starting with a far-sighted purchase more than 18 years ago.
Much of the land will remain in farmland and part of the trail cleaves a cornfield on one side and soybeans on the other.
"I'm happy with it," Supervisor Allen Esbenshade says. "Why did we do it? It will always be there for people to partake of."
Bringing the Northwest River Trail to reality has been a slow process with some considerable obstacles in the way.
But all the municipalities are on board and working on their individual segments on the Northwest River Trail.
The southern trail head will be at Columbia's River Park, which is undergoing a major renovation. From there, the trail is expected to follow the shoulder of the upcoming Route 441 relocation, cross over Route 30 and then follow an abandoned rail spur downhill back to the river.
Users will pass through a small railroad tunnel before entering Chickies Rock County Park. Much of the route through the park will follow the existing Heritage Trail.
To get across Chiques Creek, a new pedestrian bridge would be built on top of old railroad abutments. If a state grant comes through, the bridge could be built in 2011.
The trail would then pass into Marietta Borough. A study of options is nearing completion with borough council making the final decision.
Borough officials appear to favor bringing at least part of the trail onto Front Street, with its restaurants, taverns and historic homes.
"We're talking of the trail as sort of our economic engine," said Miriam Fletcher, borough council president, at a status meeting Thursday before the dedication.
Lori Kieffer Yeich of the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources told the group that there is a "trail town" movement under way in many areas with railtrails.
"Marietta is on its way — so is Columbia," she said.
An alternative is to use an existing dirt river trail along the river for some or all of the route through the borough.
Unlike the other municipalities involved in the project, Marietta officials appear to favor a crushed stone trail surface, rather than paved.
The trail then meets up with East Donegal's new Charles Greenway. The township hopes to extend the trail another 1.5 miles to the Conoy Township line within a year.
How to get the trail past the Shocks Mills railroad bridge across the Susquehanna has been a major obstacle in building the trail.
The Lancaster County Solid Waste Management Authority, which has become a major booster of the river trail, has been studying options to bypass the bridge.
Current plans are to build a concrete passageway under one of the bridge's arches. That project is probably two to three years away.
The authority owns about 3 miles of river shore and has twice purchased land for the trail from private landowners.
Another major project on the trail is building a bridge across Conoy Creek near the Haldeman Mansion.
Conoy Township would build the trail from near Bainbridge to the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission's Falmouth boat launch near the Conewago Falls Rocks and the Dauphin County line.
A current Conoy Canal Park trail follows the old Pennsylvania Canal via a narrow dirt path.
The waste authority recently purchased an old bait shop building near the boat launch for Conoy Township that is already being eyed for bike or canoe rentals, food or some other trail-related use.
The state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources has issued several grants toward the Northwest River Trail, is close to ruling on several others, and considers it a high priority in a larger Susquehanna Greenway between the New York and Maryland lines.
It's been a long time coming but the momentum is palpable now.
"Fourteen miles along the Susquehanna River will be absolutely gorgeous," says the Lancaster County Planning Commission's Mike Domin, who has been patiently shepherding the project since the mid-1980s.
"I can't think of another river trail, except for Pine Creek, with as much along a large body of water.
"The beauty of this trail is it's not just recreation. It's historical. People can appreciate the history of this river corridor, which has played a large part in the history of Lancaster County."
