Heritage Rail Trail County Park - Part 1

Yesterday we set out on a new adventure. This time to York, Pa. Our one son likes to skateboard and his school had an in-service day so we took him and a friend to Reid Menzer Memorial Skatepark. Then we headed downtown to the trailhead.

The air was cool and the sun warm. Autumn is coming and the leaves are starting to fall. The trail ends in York so the only way to go is south. Getting out of town is a little hazardous as you must stop at several intersections as you leave the city. Gradually the urban life begins to drop away. At about 2.5 miles (after you pass the scrapyard) you begin to be surrounded by the rural landscape. If you want to avoid the city and start in a more rural setting there are several trailheads to choose from.

Although we didn't see or hear any trains, this trail rides alongside an active rail line and, at one point, we actually rode thru a tunnel along side the active track. The grading was great for our bikes and the trail is easily wide enough for 2 bikes to ride side by side. There are numerous benches, picnic tables, and points of interest along the way making it easy to stop and enjoy the surroundings.

The trail runs for 21 miles to the Maryland border where it connects with the Northern Central Railroad Trail which continues on for another 20 miles.

Although we only rode 7.5 miles and then turned around we definitely would return and explore this great trail further.

Keep on trekkin'.

Lebanon Valley Rail Trail - Part 1

We discovered this trail by accident. Last week, we were cruisin' thru Cornwall, Pa when we saw a trailhead and parking lot. We stopped, looked at the map on the board and decided we needed to come back with our Treks to check it out. Today, we did.

We geared up and headed west on the trail. It was a gradual rise for the first 2.5 miles and beautifully covered by trees. The trail is graded with gravel (except for 1/2 mile near Mt. Gretna) and wide enough for 2 bikes to ride side by side. At the top of this ascent there was a spur to go to Mt. Gretna. We thought we'd check that out on the way back. Continuing on, the trail now was a steady decline for several miles. We were getting hungry so we stopped for lunch at some picnic tables in Colebrook, which is another trailhead.


After lunch, we decided to go back and check out the spur to Mt. Gretna which was only a .4 mile ride. We tooled around the town a bit. We rode a couple of side alleys which was really cool. There weren't many people at this time of year but we could imagine how it would be in the summer when all the people come to vacation there.


Back on the trail, we headed back to the trailhead in Cornwall. Once there we decided to head east toward Lebanon. Here the trail is much more open and narrower. The map indicated that the trail was not completed yet so we rode about 3 miles before we decided to turn around. We weren't able to determine where the trail actually ends. Sounds like a plan for a future ride.


At times we had to watch out for "presents" that some horses had left behind but in most places the trail actually has a "lane" for horses to travel along side the main trail.


All in all, this is a great ride.


Also, from Colebrook, which is the furthest west we went, the trail continues to the Lebanon County / Lancaster County line where the trail connects with the Conewago Recreation Trail. This trail continues to Elizabethtown. This also looks promising for a future ride.

Keep on trekkin'.